The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-10-12
WHOLE I'd. I.c@ (
agricultural.
October.


Surch1rgel shall burst thy press with purcst
juice
Shall aow which, in revolving years may try
Thy feeble feet, and bind thy lattcring tongue
Whoe'er expects his lahorng trees should bond
With fruitage and kindly harvest yield
BE This his first concern to find q tract
Impcrvous to the winds begirt with hills
That intercept the Hypcrboroan blasts
Ienpesfuous. and cold Eurus nippins force
NoYlous to the feeble buds ''-PHlLiIr's ..CrDER"
Brown October is here with it's bursting,
barns and fall granaries, its falling leaves
Snd fruit. The season admonishes US to plant
fruit trees. as well as to gather in the fruit
harvest. Why is it, so many farmers fami-
lies are content to go without fruit. in land
whose soil and climate are SO congenia! to
fruit that the humhlest efforts at horticullrrc
are rewarded with success? Intelligent
pomoloeist. who have seen the fruit shows OF
Europe, tell us that they do not excel our
own, Notwithstanding their larger experience
and skill. The apple grows almost every
where in our broad land, and most Of tho
large fruits have quite rs wide range of
soil and climate. though they are much less
abundant. Apples have been most common.
probably because they were the most COM
mon fruit of the fat her land, and were
planted by the first settlers Of the COUNTY,.
They were found to flourish much better here
than there. and the seedlings which were
soon originated upon American soil, were
improvements upon any thing ever seen in
England. In virgin soil the tree would
grow anywhere with luxnriancc. and only
needed to have clear field to yield abundant
fruit. The pear was rather an arlstocratic
tree and needed much more careful culture in
England than the apple tree. Here the
standards flourish quite as well as the apple.
tree, and seem to have fewer enemies and to
be quite as productive. Yet the market has
never been adequately supplied, and the
finer varieties of pears bring two and three
times as much as the best varieties Of apples.
a pear orchard of any considerable extent is
still novelty even in the Oldest parts of the
country. Apple orchards, though common,
are Stlll Tar below the wants of the country.
Hundreds of farms where the apple il 81
hardy MS the forest oak, arc still without
good orcha rd.--It is somew hat amusing 10
hear the reasons assigned by thriving far
mers. for the great mistake in their husband
ry, OF not planting an orchard
1t Is never admitted that they do not love
fruit. There is hardly a man or woman in
thousand that is not fond OF every variety
OF fruit. Every boy signs for his neighbours
apple and pear trees. and not only breaks the
tenth, but The eighth commandment, in the
eagerncss of his desire. Watermelon patches
are proverbial pluudeT on moonlight nights
With uany the reason Of this failure is th"ir
unsettled condition. They do not own the
soil they cultivate, or they are expcctiu- suon
to sell oft md enigratc. The planting Of an
orchard is regarded as a work for another
generation.
Others do not believe that the raising Of
fruit pays as we'll as other departments of
huSbandry. In the first place. one has to
wait several years before he can expect any
returns whatever. for his labor. In raising
corn and potatoes there is something 10 Sell
every Fall. Fruit has many enemies not
only IN the shape Of insects but o. bircds.
who seriously interfere with the profits Of tho
orchard. Some are remote for good mar
.ket. and though the depot is within an hours
ride of farm, they have never thought of
railroad conveyance to a market Others
admit the advantage of planting an orchard,
and have always been intending to do it, bit
they have had so much work upon their
hands that they have never quite got ready.
Money is scarce, and the nurseymcn want
cash. These objections, however unsubstan-
tia. are real to many farmers, and possibly
to some Of our readers.
We have been eating fruit for three years.
from apple trees planted only eight Yeas ngo.
and from pear trees planted much more
recently. They bear with increasing abund-
ance every year, and it seems to is so feast.
be and SO profitable. to stock an acre or two.
with fruit trees. that We can not let the sea-
son of tree planting pass without word of
eXhortation.
A home surrounded with we'll grown fruit
trees and vines adapted 10 the soil and eli
mate, is one Of the most beautiful objects we
meet with at this season Of the year. Every
one ad,nircs the dwelling however humble,
that looks out upon the streets. through
shaded walks. through fruitful gardens and
orchards What can be finer than a well
grown pear tree. hing with its yellow fruit.
an apple whose boughs are bending to the
ground with their luddy burden. or a vine
loaded with its purple clusters? These are
cheap and substantial ornaments, that any
man may plant around his home The green
upon his window. and the paint on the dwell
lug Will require frequent expensive renewal:
every returning Spring will bring out the
living ornaments in new dress without money
and without price.
There is no greater misconception than tho
popular notion that fruu growing does not
pay as well as other branches Of husbandry.
1t requires some capital, some skill and
patience, to wait for returns But capital
and skill invested here are certain to have
their reward. 1t is no common return for an
acre in apple trees to yield hundred dollars,
while under favorable circumstances and
high cultivation, the yield is two or three
times greater. Farmers who have gone most