Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-03-21
AGRICULTURAL.
ihe Comstocls sNstcrn of Culturc.


The fifth number of DIR. Grants agricul-
tural publication, entitled Landmarks, gives.
among other matter, some account of the
late Russell Comstocli's system of planting
trees and their subsequent treatment The
following is passage from this article:
"Iic thoroughly learned discovered, as
he thoughD, what had been taught by more
than one who went before him-tllat trees
were generally, almost universally. covered
too deeply in planting, or were treated in
such mann9r that ly settling they became
so TO the injury OF their health, and often to
the destruction Of their life
"IIe examined many thousands of trees,
and became very skitul in diagnosis.
Using his knife for spade, small hole
ly the trunk of tree soon revealed enough
of the condition of the roots, as affected Jy
the manner ofplanting, to verify or disprove
the opinion formed in his own mind in
ordinary cases, but in many he made
thorough examinations.
Ills judgments formed and expressed
concerning the precise character and con
dition of the roots from having seen only
the branches, often excited surprise by their
accuracy, as shown by subsequent eXamina-
tons.
"The subject became so interesting TO
him, that he gave instruction gratuitously
to many for planting their trees, and often
aided in carrying ont his directions by the
labors of his own hands, for he found that
precision must he taught by repeated ex-
ample as well as by the repetition Of pre-
cept.
His success was uniform, for besides
planting the trees properly, hc rejected all
of the many that were grossly unfit for
planting, teaching The purchasers OF them
to set them in battle-ground or hospital
placing them just SO far apart that they
would not crowd each ether for few years,
until decision could be made as to whether
they should be thrown away or received
into full position.
"Besidcs their surprisingly vigorous and
healthy growth, he was able TO show that
the trees which had been subjected to his
treatment were in a very great degree eX-
empt from the ills which have made such
q great subtraction from the pleasure and
profit of fruit culture.
"IIe showed peaches and plums, apples
and pears of remarkable beauty and flavor,
as well as rem rkable trees, in various quar-
tcrs where they had been grown by persons
who had followed his directions that were
in striking contrast with those under or
dinary treatment. In many cases, also, he
treated those that had been suffering during
two or three years from Ill treatment III
planting, and when it was not too late for
the application Of the remedy cures were
the result. which confirmed many in the
high opinion that was beginning TO spring
up Of The incipient Professors skill, and
new thoughts began to arise in his own
mind
Ills purse was exhausted, and there was
imminent danger that he would not much
longer be able to make presentable ap-
pearance-in fact, the difficulty was already
upon him.
"All at once from the single point of tree
planting, bnrst out broad system of uniyer-
sal cultivation, with its characteristics not
clearly defined, Lut with the outlines per
ccptible.
''Ile had not made known anything Of
the what or wherefore of the tree planting
that could take definite shape or name,
and when, after some months, he announced
the discovery ofanew system, named Terra
Culture those who really knew it all were
unconscious of knowing anything"