The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-06

in disguise. 1t is labor Of mind as well rs body,
il its work. work., work, that makes men strong.
Work is the great engine that moulds and NOV.
tie intellect, enterprise and destiny of the world
work Is the greatest temporal boon bestowed
on man--wor< is the heaven appointed means OF
advancement to higher state of perfection; and
in no profession Is this more apparent than in the
calling of the pomologist. This idea is well ex-
pressed in the following lines, Illustrative of the
blessings of labor:
''The first man and the first of men,
Were tillers of the soil (;
And that was mercy's mandate then
Which destined man to TOLL ID ..
If any man can seize the lightning in his hand
and make IL work for him in earth, air or water
if he can descend into the secret laboratory OF
Nature and learn the constituents of soils and
manures, and their adaptation TO each other; II
| he can learn how she prepares the appropriate
food for all vegetable life, from tne huinbiest
| plant clinging close to the bosom Of earth, only
blooming to die, to the lofty Sequoa rearing us
| head to heaven and Drawing the tenlpests for
| thousands of years; il the physician can discov-
| er the agents which generate disease in the ami
| NAL kingdom, and prescribe antidotes and RENE
| dies for each, may not the cultivator acquire u
| knowledge of the diseases which effect his trees
| and plants, and how TO cure them ff il.f.-I H
/ Is there amy element in nature which man can
| not make subservient TO his use? Is there any
| disease which nature has not provided a RENE
dyY Is there any enemy to Vegetation that can
not be overcomef True, there are many things
/ of which we know but little, and which require
|
| which are well established, and which one fact
may demonstrate as well as a thousand. t.
| SILL s. SHELTER.
| The necessity of shelter was not as soon per-
| ceived as some of the other lessons which have
/ named yet with perhaps the exception of few
| favored spots its importance is year by year be-
coming more generally appreciated especially on
our open prairies and in the northern and north
| western portions of our country. The fact is es-
| tablished, that the removal of forests dmin-
ishee the quantity of rain increases the evapora-
| tion of moisture, reduces the temperature, and
subjects fruits to greater vicisstudes, that
/ the peach and many of our finest pears can no
longer be cultivated at the North except in gar
dens or sheltered places The Importance OF
| shelter was well understood as long ago the
time of Quintinye, who, in his work ON garden
/ ing, gives full directions for planting trees for
shelter This was in n country long settIed and
| planting fruit trees in virgin soil, thiclly COW
cred with wood, failed to perceive its necessity,
| We in our older States who have come to much
the same conditions as existed in the time oil
l Quintinye, experience the same want. .5t 1i.l4
There may be exceptions to this rule, as in the
South, where the fruit season IS warm and dry
producing similar conditions TO those afforded by
shelter under glass. We may find varieties; and
probably shall, adapted to exposed situations
fruits vii be- benefited by the shelter Of belts
of forest trees. We are glad, therefore, tc
see the recognition of the advantages of forest
trees on the part of the managers OF our Pacific
railways, not only as affording shelter, but n,
| collecting moisture from the atmosphere, and sc
rendering available vast regions previously unin
habitable from drought. This good work has al
ready been commenced on the line of the KANSAS
Pacific railroad. ~ "a. T.
- o. METEoRoLoGY.
Besides the lessons which experience has al
ready taught u.s., permit me to mention one
which pomologists ought to learn, and which
I from present indications, L have no doubt the,
; will learn The pomologist should have n bette
knowledge of the science of meteorology than W,
now possess. The action of light and heat tn,
influence of the winds, of frost, fog, water, ant
the electrical condition of the air and3earth, hav,
a most important bearing, and we believe thai
when our science shall have attained to its great
est perfection, there will be discreet classified
tion of our fruits, assigning TO each its pIope
: soil, location and aspect. We must not expec
to alter the laws of nature, but to conform t,
them. We do not expect to restore the lost Peiad
nor do we expect to find any supernatural mean
whereby improvement and progress can be at
tanned, without mental or physical exertion, Blu
4 we should endeavor to understand some of tn
: workings of that mysterious machine which gen
crates and perpetuates all vegetable life True
3 the 'swind boweth where it listeth," as of old
4 but it seems probable, if not certain from inves
r LEGATIONS made at Washington, that man cai
: not only tell from whence it will come an,
, | where II will blow but where the sun will she,
\ its rays and the clouds diffuse their showers an,
f the time may come when the laws which govern
: the weather may be settled with nearly as mucl
Z | certainty as those which now govern the calcl
: lations of the astronomer. gl7s.teiase 50 -
!, What wonders has science wrought in moder
J times, but these are only the rudiments of tina
y | great plan which Providence has established TO
3 | the happiness of mankind. These are but part
= | of His Ways which we now see, glimmerings 0
y that boundless exhibition of power, wisdom an
= goodness which shall eliminate in the periectio
/ of al created things Ks fqiis)5fsf "a ves IL
% IL iR 10. ORIGINATING NEW VARIETIES
: commend to you again, as have done in m
= former addresses, and shall continue to do Will
l live, the important and benevolent work {
originating new varieties of fruit both as
means of improvement, and as substitute fu
If those which have experienced the decline inc
o dent to all things OF human origin. Our country
l. and in fact the whole world has been so thol
d oughly explored that we can scarcely expect /
e discover any very important addition to acciden
y al varieties Our main source Of improvement
therefore, is to be foundin the production of ne,
kinds from seed, and again urge upon you tn
, | the great Importance OF continuing Your eifor1
\, in this most interesting and hopeful departner
= of labor. The acquisitions already made giy
n promise of still richer rewards to him who wi
y work with Nature in compelling her to yield |
10 his solicitations for still greater improvement
he Much has already been done, hut this branch
r science is still in its infancy and opens to IL
Ell pomologst broad field for enterprise. 1t ma
et require time, and patience, and care produce
"a superior variety, but we have the most cheern
a. assurance of the time when every section of OF
"a country shall possess fruits adapted to its ow
re locality. There is no better illustration of whs
se can be accomplished, than what has been don
rs in the production of the various and exceHer
"a American fruits, which have been raised since IL
~ establishment of our Society. If each inembt
III should originate one good variety, adapted to
10 wide extent of territory, or even to his own
T. ton, he would become O public benefacto
IS Think of the number of persons in the Unite
OF States who are now engaged in, the growth q,
" fruits. iShould each one produce one good val
O. ETY., not impossible thing, weshould have vari
IL ties enough to endure for centuries, adapted
IN every soil and location in vast territory.
lg Let any one visit the nursuries established l
i, Mr., Clapp, in Massachusetts, the originator
ID the Clapp's Favorite pear, and see the mar
in Seeding trees now just coming into bearing an
he he cannot but be delighted, as we have beef
with witnessing these trees in their youthf
W fnyrr, vi,,fr. ,+f,; 1,
l. the Bartlett, the Flemish Beauty the Beur
rs d'Anjou, the Urbaniste, the Beurre Clairgea
n the Beurre Bose, and other standard yariet
~ have been changed and he cannot but admit til.
rs the daily opportunity for such study would
n an ample recompense for all the trouble and .e
ne pense of raising such trees. But besides tn
to qualification, is the probability of raising ne
in variety, which, in one point or another shall
D. superior to any before acquired, and which shu
" be blessing to the nation. Does any one obiec
~ that fruits adapted to cultivation through Il
is country are few and far between? Let Mi
Id raise variety which shall be better adapted
ne his own locality than any before khown. Let
b. have favoiites for Virginia and Georgia, and fC
IL all and every State in our nation. Ii could fe
o. that had been the means of inducing our men
ri bers, or other cultiyators, to raise new frui
NJ worthy to bear their names, i should feel that
n had lived for a useful purpose ~ at97ll9i
re- The importance of producing new varietit
I'M from seed is no longer questioned The fLc
that the seed of good varieties will generally pr
o. duce good offspring, is now well. established
Ne These are, however,, the natural results whic
,g have been derived from fruits already improved
re and we can offer better proofs of The az
ID yantages of artificial impregnation than til
is multitude OF improved varieties which iha,
tha etal, Sin in