Nebraska advertiser., 1869-06-03
Letters from old Agricultural
and horticultural Friends.


Letters from old AericultutaI
and horticultural Friends.
Among an accumulation Of letters
we have been trying TO get through
with for several weeks past, we find
favors from old friends and cOrrespOD-
dents-befOre the war;. i. JOHNSON
and NJ. w. PHILLIPS.
"JoED JOHNSON, when we came to
this country in 1856, was then n Of
the editors and publishers ofthe CoUa-
GU Bloe6s BugJe; afterward Of a new
paper at Crescent City, Iowa. Then
again he took up line Of march west
ward, along what is now the Union
Pacific Railroad, publishing a little
paper here and there along the route,
until we lost sight OF him for years
past. Now he turns UP as the editor
and publisher Of the Rio VTrgen Times,
st. George, Utah. Mr.. johnson has
always been and is yet, both a teacher
and practitioner in Agriculture, HOr-
tieulture, and the like. Hesends us a
lot Of seeds from his home in Utah,
and writes a long letter Of date March
18th, the perusal Of which makes us
feel more in love with the soil, climate,
and general fruit growing characters
tics Of Utah. The following are a few
extracts:
81 am publishing a little weekly,
Rio R9rgen Times, at this place. /
enclose q few seeds or our native How
ers, and also Of the Sand or "Wall"
Cherry-I consider SYNONYMOUS. Our
trees and shrubs are in bloom.
This location Is $50 miles
south Of Salt Lake City, and is war
mer than middle Texas. We have but
little snow, ice or frost any time. Vol
eanic rocks and red sand stone, and
the finest exotic grapes flourish here
oharmingly. We have many new,
rare and luscious fruits in apple, pear,
plum, apricot, peach and cherry also
eurrants and grapes. / came here on
account Of fruit, three years ago, and
grubbed out my ground, planted my
trees and vines, and ara as far adj
vanced as I would have been there In
ten years. 'Tis a lovely climate, and
the best fruit country 1 eve saw.
Should you come through, you should
by all means make a det0ur this way,
or you lose one-half the beauty and
magnifeence Of fruit.
Are you a member Of Am. Pom.
Society4 j have the honor to be Vice
President for Utah, and would Ike To
attend the convention in Philadelphia
next September. YOushould be there
and come back with me if I go down.
Do you want Cactus, Yuccas, and
the Hke2 If / had a list Of your trees
and plants, I might lei something /
wanted. But ii you have any choice
bulbs, or root of Per. PhlOx, SnoW-
the Walter, Tehama and Eumelan
Grapes, they may be valuable for our
friends north, and 1 am catering to
their necessities somewhat"
Dr. PHILLIPS Is an old and ardent
Southern cultivator. Before the wal
he was heated in Edwards, Miss.
where we enjoyed an intimate cores
pOndence with him, and reciprocal "a
vors passed between us for manyyears.
The last letter we received from him
was just after the war commenced, In
which he said: "I do not approve OF
this war have advised against it as
long as possible. We are into it, how
ever, and I go with my people, let the
results be what they may" Now the
Doctor, we find editing an agricultural
paper, and located at StonewalI, Chat.
ava Station, Miss. He writes us o.
date March ., and while it 'fsmacks'i
somewhat Of Dixieis Land" we take
the liberty Of making some extracts
verB0tgn. Speaking of the war, be
says:
"Why, OtheIlo's occupation gone
/ used to drive a few score of darkies,
and net bales of cottOn.by the hun
dred. Now, plague take Sherman and
Grant, / haven't got an XoraV. But
I am as saucy at SO as most young
folks used to be. The young folks
nowadays are too lazy to be saucy.
= = = I am on the Railroad, 95
miles above New Orleans, and deter
mined If I do die poor, / viii not die
q coward. i will befound at nv post.
and with q knife, budding, grating,
pruning; or a spade, OF q rake, or hoe,
or some tool of iron, and with my face
TO the foe. Gen. Sherman burned IN
a Agricultural implement Factory
for me, worth $4,000; S20,0 600 worth
Of seasoned timber, and more than
that Of plOws, wagons, &c, in differ
ent conditions of forWardness. Nix
plantation was Quilted; gin house and
$50 bales Of cotton went OFF in smoke.
But, bless you, I spit on my hands,
and took q fresh hold; manned bran
new gale, and hope after a little to be
up again. My grand sires were born
In Dixie's land, and I have the revO-
lutionary fires In mean not TO be
conquered by fire and lead. Old Mas
ter can only do that when he piles a
few feet Of dirt on me. = = =
1.-THE days when you and I CORES
bonded and exchanged favOrs, were
glorious days, and We viii never see
them mOrel neveFl never! The hos
pitality and open heart and hand of
the Southern gentleman, is q thing of
the mast.
al am now one of the oldest work
en IN America. Not in age. b. p.
Johnston, Eec'y Of New York Ag'l
Society, is 20. @. Downing, Elliott,
Wilder and others are almost my ape.
But they have not been from the APP
p~renticeship OF John S. Skinner since
1882. think there Is not a man alive
who has been 50 continuous a devotee
since Nov. s, 16S2-my first article for
SINNERS paper. >
sI know you have much that would
be interesting, Of value here, and it
will give ne a delight to meet you all
Of half-wayin kindness. Iassure you
i have received many kind, warm
hearted letters from old friends; and
God helping me, / viii attend some of
the gatherings where the old folks
are. i received this day a warm mes
sage from Col. Wlderof Boston, hop
ing I would meet with the friends In