Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-03-13

' 80 NV" AffNNf IftfN lucy " hAioN "a l'AN7
ence is said to be our best schoomastor. yet it
is evident that even experience has taught
some men nothing except it be that they
are most woiully shitless aud that fact,
fear has not been so deeply impressed but it
may be slept on in a night. As for obsorva-
ton do not know as they have any, and
borrowed information they DO not seek after
so we are obliged to leave thom with their
heads but slightly elevated above the tares
that surround them, with that saying still true
in their case, by their fruits ye shall know
them And 50 we might go on with ropeti.
tons Of similar character in the various
branches Of agriculture, at waste Of time.
and yet present no facts bat such as arc com.
mon and familiar to the farming community
generally
While our Washington County Agricultural
Society have imposed on me this tax Of pre-
pairing paper upon the subject Of fruit cul.
ture, for the benefit Of the Vermont State
Agricultural Society, | fear they have made
mistake for I must confess, gentlemen,
hat | possess no secret in tho art Of fruit
raising, which ought not to be familiar to ALL
But while it is part Of our nature to differ
from each other on nearly all topics, shall
be allowed perhaps to differ somewhat on
some points from some Of my brother farmers
in regard to the moaVs operaadi Of fruit cul.
ture As the old native fruit Of our country
is about playing out, as the saying is, our
farmers are beginning to think that necessity
demands an effort ia this direction aud final
| ly, for the last fifteen or twenty years, cxper.
iment after experiment has been tried, aud in
many instances has failed Of success This is
not attributable, however, to any one partcu.
lar cause Trees have been brought from
various parts Of the country, aud have been
placed in all kinds Of soil, and have undergone
nearly all kinds Of treatment, from that which
is passably good to that which is utterly bad ;
aud either the tree or the nursoryman or his
agent stands condemned in the mind Of him
who has made the trial Now while there
may be just cause for complaint, which /
doubt not there is, yet while tue nurseryman
may be strictly conscientious in the sale Of his
trees, the change Of climate and tho change
Of soil may be such as to render tho cultiya-
ton thereof unsuccessful | would not be
understood, however, to say (or much less to
think that all fruit dealers are honest, Though
there are some honest, no doubt,) for the cx-
pericnce Of many Of our farmers has proved
il quite the reverse. AMI it becomes self
evident that the man who will sell YOU an in
ferior article for the choicest aud best, who
has no regard for his word, but looks only at
the dollar, will choose his agents from among
those on a level with himself So it is diff
cult to determine who is the greater kuaye,
the proprietor or his agent.
Fruit peddlers are becoasae Ike iQs,eg
quite common, and everywhere present My
experience with them has been somewhat lin.
tied Occasionally, to add little to my va
riety, | buy few trees Some six or seven
years ago bought small number of trees,
to be delivered at Montpelier. On receiving
my notice Immediately called for them, and,
finding the proprietor and his agent both
present, my attention was very soon directed
to a small bundle bearing my name exam.
ined them carefully, and said to the rroprio-
| tor, These trees are dead" Oh no." said
he, with a good deal Of self.complacency,)
they are all right All you have to do is to
dig hole in the ground and bury them COM
pletely for three days, and they will come out
all right" Well, | knew that Jonah was
three days and three nights in the whales
belly, aud he came ont al right, aud knew
that man must die aud be buried, in order to
rise again but whether he founded his theo
ry on Scripture illustrations, | could not tell
J but, like many men nowadays my faith wa
very small. finally told him | would pay
, for the trees, (the price being but 81 00) bu
if he would sell me another lot just ike then
for seven cents, | would not take them.
! came to the conclusion that seven dollar ex
: perience was cheap, and left, with the beneG
: of my experience under my arm.
> But, mind you, this is not all the experienc,
have had in this line OF business, though i
may be valuable, as doubt not it has been
II fell to my fortune, twenty-five years az,
this spring, to leave my native town and tax,
up my residence in Massachusetts, where
resided eleven years During that time
though | had but little experience in the lin
of fruit, yet my close observation Of the man
ner and style of fruit culture proved no dis
advantage to me, as it naturally would to n,
man interested therein. The striking con
trast between that part Of Massachusett
! where | was, and Of our county in regard Il
the culture of fruit, was peculiarly noticeable
1 and one going from this place to that aboy
D mentioned would, at once have his attention
. arrested by the general healthy and yigorou
. appearance and smoothness of bark of tn
Y young trees. For instance, the first year
! was there friend Of mine IRON my naty
town called to see me, aud adjoining the plac
Q where resided wasa beautiful young orchard
D | should judge some ten years Of age, whicl
! at once attracted his attention, aud he in
/ quired what kind Of trees these were.
thought it would be but mark Of ciyilty t.
properly answer his question, though sup
posed Of course he knew, aud said they wer,
apple trees. apple trees " exclaimed mi
friend, with a suspicious look at me, as mucl
as to say, You can't cheat this child verl
t much, over the loit." allude to this instanc,
! merely to show you that there is vast diff
ference between thorough cultivation aud
partial cultivation Of fruit, as we'll as with al
{ other vegetation the partial being about tn
! extent of the experience of many of our far
mers in yenrs mast although We trnsl il ma,