Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-11-21

For The Standard.
&S.3Js - RALEreH N. O.. Nov. 18th 1880.

4
W. w. Holden, Esq: sts.LsH
Dean Sir: The n. c. Standard of this day con-
tains letter signed S. w. Westbrook for West
brook and Mendenhall In this letter the commit
tee on fruits and fruit trees at the late State Fair
are accused Of giving an unjust decision and many
illusions are made to Mr. Westbrook's competitor
and his trees. As the public well know that was
his competitor at the Fair it is but simple act of
justice to my business, that reply,
Of the five judges am acquainted with but three.
One of them has probably bought and planted more
fruit trees than any man IN North Carolina Anoth-
er is the owner of one Of the most select orchards in
the State and takes great interest in all relating to
fruits and trees The other is quite an amateGre in
fruit trees, and, upon the whole no better Judges
could have been selected. | consider them much
better qualified to judge trees than Mr. Westbrook
himself / have no desire to commence a newspa-
per war on any subject neither do l covet any man
his success. am trying to make a support for my
family in quiet peaceful manner, and by industry,
and justice shall endeavor to do it without troub-
ling any one but cannot silently pass over this at
tack Of Mr.. WeStbrook, without giving the public
few facts in reply.
Five or six years ago, Mr.. Westbrook had for
competitor at the State Fair Thos Lndley of Chat
ham Co., and long as Lndley kept the field, be-
lieve he invariably got the best premiums on fruit
trees After Lindley quit, Mr.. Westbrook had no
competitor for some time-so took the premiums
without opposition. At the Fair 1858, Hamilton
and Carter (of which was one of the firm became
his competitor and took more than half the pre-
miums. At this Fair Mr. Hamilton also insisted up
on Mr.. WestbrookS trees being uupacked and ex-
hibited, this made Mr.. Westbrook mad, and l be-
lieve he has had no good will to the Raleigh Nurse
ry since, furthermore, believe this was the only
Fair where the roots ofWestbrooks trees were ever
seen. At the fair Of 1859, as successor to Hamil-
ton and Carter, was his only competitor exhibited
much larger variety of trees than he did, but got
bpclnSa /
at least one of the judges told me At this Fair,
l exhibited the finest plum trees ever raised in
North Carolina, and very fine apple and apricot
trees. As my competitor got all the premiums at
this Fair, he was silent about who had the largest
variety yet did not make fuss about it. After the
Fair was over both Mr.. Wcstbrook and his main
spring made efforts to sell his trees on the ground,
and believe unsuccessnlly; yet sold all my trees
at full price without making effort to do So This
tells the tale.
At the last Fair 1860, did not intend to exhibit
any trees but two or three days before the Fair,
some of the managers requested me to do so. | told
them had not made any preparation, but that |
would exhibit sufficient to show the leading vare-
ties, and was unwilling to risk the lives of a large
quantity Of trees | did last year. for the reason
that it too early to lift trees safely; mention
ed This to Mr. Westbrook on the ground at the Fair
about being too early to lift trees, and he agreed
with me- saying cherry trees might be lifted at the
same time he said my trees exhibition were very
fine quite good enough for any body, Il can prove
thiS) Now, if my trees were good enough for any
body, how does it happen they are not good enough
for him? He well knows they were finer trees than
he ever raised. His statement that my trees were
year old not true had &c varieties of apple trees
l year old and nearly feet high, and which l ex-
pect were better than Mr.. Westbrook's apple trees
at years old, yet at the same time could have
hibited over 10000 apple trees and very fine too,
l and years old. His statement that only ex
hibited II pear trees, and those dwarfs, is also
true | exhibited "a varieties of pears half of them
standards as the Fair books show, and had about
5000 more trees in reserve if he not satisfied
What the committee says to the world about my
trees being thriftest is simply the truth, and well
Mr. Westbrook knows it. | had not taken any
pains to excel Mr.. Westbrook this year, but GER
ainly shall next took part of my trees out of the
ground, roots and ALL and proposed to the judges 10
take part or all of my trees, and the same number
of Westbrook's best and lay them side by side, and
thus Judge them, or | was willing to exhibit my
nursery against his.
To talk of trees being stimulated with manures
is simply ridiculous The sorriest agriculturist in
North Carolina we'll knows that he who works poor
land must manure it or have poor trees. / have
never used ten dollars worth of manure in my nur-
sery since | have had one, but | certainly shall,
whenever find it necessary.
It seems to be Mr. Westbrook's opinion, that the
strong must rule the weak, or in other words, he
that has the most trees irrespective oil QUALITY must
take the premiums If this was the case the largest
nursery in every State would monopoliSe and the
small ones close their gates; fortunately this is not
the rule. have not expended 10000 dollars in the
business, and never expect to- but at the same time
| think my nursery contains quite as great varie-
ty of fruit trees as Westbrook's and much larger
and finer stock of roses and evergreens at any rate
/ am willing to exhibit now, or at any future time,
20 trees, or 1000 trees against the same number
of Westbrooks provided he will show his from root
to branch and not have them packed up in straw,
like they were at the Fair The assertion
that trees raised in good land will not grow well
when planted in inferior ground, will not hold good,
for less than an hour ago. gentleman from lar-
nett told me that three Of his neighbors bought
trees from Westbrook and planted them in the fall,
that he bought trees from me- and planted them the
next February and that in old field too and that
the trees from my nursery had far out-grown those
from Westbrook's which had been put in better land
and MANFRED. This tells to the point. The names
of the parties can be given.
In conclusion, the public have now good oppor-
tunity to test whether the judges decision true
or false Let those who want trees, buy equal guam
titles of trees from my nursery and Westbrook's,
and then see whose trees are the best and whose
grow the best when planted in the orchard In con-
cusion, cordially invite S. w. Westbrook, ESQ.,,
to call at my nursery during the growing season,
where ne can have an opportunity of seeing the
modus operandi of growing good trees.
Respectfully. THOS. CARTER.