Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-11-14


DEAR SIR: The subjoined is a duplicate of letter
written by myself to the Executive Committee of
the North Carolina State Agricultural Society," which
please publish in your columns, and you will confer
great favor on your humble and ob'L sery't
S. w. WESTBR00K.
RALEIGH, N. c., Oct. 10, 1860.
To the Executive Committee of the
N e. State Agricultural Society:
GENTLEMEN: When became a member of your
Society, thought Joined the institution upon an
equal footing with all other members; and further
more supposed that if entered any thing for exhi-
bition that the article articles so entered would
undergo an impartial adjudication by the committees
appointed by your honorable body; and as men,
Der of your honorable body, have expected that
impartial justice would be meted out to each indi-
vidual member without favor or affection And,
heretofore, | have had no great cause to complain
and as far as l could in my humble sphere, | have
exer!ed what influence could for this noble State
enterprise. And | assure you that even now (while
regard our enterprise very much injured do not
intend to cast any reflection or say anything more
than what conceive to be the facts in the case or
what may be necessary to place myself right before
the reading portion Of the community as an exhibit
or at your late State Fair, which has jus! closed its
eighth annual session.
Now, gentlemen, | am aware that am taking a
bold stand and furthermore, that it is a delicate
matter to cenSure or tamper with the Judgment of
committee of gentlemen who have been selected to
judge between competitors, for must regard them
as occupying the position of individuals acting under
oath. But, at the same time do not understand me
to say that accuse the committee of wantonly do
ing me an injustice; but | am of the opinion that
they have entertained different opinion of what
was their duty, to some extent than what was re-
quired at their hands by the Society. In other
words they have probably thought that it was their
prerogative to divide premiums between competitors
instead OF awarding according to merit or to those
that were the producers of the greatest amount in
number and quality, to suit the peculiar wants of
the people Of the State. To be more plain: In the
exhibitions of fruits and fruit trees if l. the rep
resentatve of the West Green Nurseries should ex-
hbt one hundred and fifty varieties of apples pears
peaches any other fruits raised on our orchards
adapted TO Southern culture and another competitor
should show only half two-thirds OF the same va
rietieS grown on his grounds ask is it fair to
divide the premiums between us and do an incalcu-
liable amount of injury to our enterprise by the de-
cision? And, furthermore, if | should exhibit
two hundred varieties of apple trees, and hun
dred and thirtytwo were Southern varieties, which
had been obtained at great trouble and expense ]
ask again. is it right to divide the premium between
myself and another competitor who only had on ex-
hibtion twelve fifteen trees and those trees
only one year old? Furthermore | exhibited over
one hundred varieties of standard and dwarf pear
trees, and that competitor exhibited only about
one dozen dwarfS, and your committee, by your ap-
prOval las understand) recommended that the pre-
MUM be divided between us, and in like manner by
cherries, plums, nectarines aprcots, &c. But you
say, through your committee, to the world that his
trees were more thrifty than ours were In answer
to the position taken by the committee we can say
that trees healthy and thrifty any trees
in the United States and that we are not afraid to
enter into competition with trees raised anywhere
else, before committee who are acquainted with
the proper mode of tree culture | am aware that
many nurscrymen are in the habit of raising trees
on very rich land or Of stimulating them with con-
centrated manures.
Now, gentlemen, would ask you and your CON-
mittee, and at the time appeal to the intelli-
gence of the thinking portion Of citizens if fruit
trees raised on medium upland are not better than
those raised on rich land or drenched with highly
concentrated fertilizers, for two years, and
then transplanted into some medium piece OF up
land.
Now, gentlemen, do you and your committee not
think, after giving this subject proper thought and
investigation, (which you ought to have done be-
fore) that it is just the lamented A. j. Downing
said, the same sub ect Of tree raising that such
practice in tree culture is like raising child for the
first two or three years roast beef rich gravies,
pudding, &C., and after giving him such rich living,
to turn him off upon corn bread for the balance of
his life.
And now, in conclusion, we would say that it is
not the decision of your committee in the abstract,
that We mind-neither is it the value of the premi
ums; but it is the influence Of this unjust decision
before our Southern people Here you decide that
competitors equal with us who have not had on
exhibition, in several instances, tenth part that
We had and of no better quality, which hundreds Of
individuals will testify that observed the articles
that belonged to both parties And this report goes
out to the world fully endorsed by the Society, and
enterprise, in which my partner, Mr.. c. P. Men,
denhall and myself have invested at least $50 000
must suffer because the inference will be drawn by
our people that the committee appointed to make
decisions our branch of industry were fully COM
petent to judge between competitors. In other
words, that they were practical Pomoogists, and
vegetable Psychologists men as could detect
an error in pomology; and also, if any individual
should exhibit any tree or plant, under an improper
name, that they could, by the physiology Of its
wood, or leaves, detect such error and expose the
imposition.
Now in all candor and honesty appeal to- you
again, as the Executive Committee of the n. G.
State Agricultural Society, and ask you, have you
done, through your committee, what was just and
equal in the premises2 And we would also appeal
to all the members of the Society," and ask them if it
is right to make decision without cause, that is
calculated to crush enterprise and ruin any member
of your institution?
The following postscript was appended to this
communication at the time that it was written, and
we have not, as yet received any reply:
N. B. l shall be at Goldsboro' until Friday eve
ming next and shall expect reply to this letter,
otherwise we must protect ourselves through some
other medium.
am, gentlemen, and hope to remain your hum
BILE and obedient servant
S. W. WESTBROOK,
For WESTBROOK & MENDENHALL.