The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-04-16
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81
By Their Fruits lie Shall Know Tnsm.


Farmers ought to know that, as a
class, their reputation is not high
in regard TO their living well. and
especially with regard to the useful
fruit ON their tables. OF small fruits
they have so few that industrious
and intelligent mechanics, living in
cities and towns, when they happen
to sit at farmers tables, think it
surprising, for it is supposed that
farmers have everything good. The
diet is bread, potatoes and meat,
almost without exception year in
and year out. Dried fruit is. or it
used to be, in fair supply; but when
sweet apples arc used instead Of su-
gar to sweeten the sour, the taste is
far from inspiring. And yet, with
little labor and attention, straw
berries can be grown in sufficient
quantities for canning also, goose
berries and currants, whenever its
great enemy, the currant worm, is
not destructive. A jelly can be
made from apples both cheaply and
plentifully, a"d it is exceedingly
palatable. Ounces can be grown
almost everywhere without difficulty,
while cherries and plurns, at least of
some sorts, can usually he produced.
Whatever may be the difficulties in
particular localities with regard to
growing fruit trees, the small fruits
almost invariably do we'll, and it may
be said, also, that if variety Of
trees are planted, some Of them at
leaat will be quite sure to bear every
year.
It may be said that if a farmer
lives any considerable number Of
years in one place and has not fruit
to supply the table, he is either lazy
or shamefully neglectful. The
chance is that he is lazy; and, as a
consequence, his children are not
likely to improve upon the stock,
while the prospects are that they
will degenerate into criminals
Boys living in homes where fruit is
scarce will be almost certain to steal
it, and when conscience is once
weakened, other stages are easy and
natural.
The growing of fruit is so impor-
tant that many other good quail
ties and habits are connected there
with, and, firstly, for the reason that |
the habit of thorough cultivation is
established. One who grows fruit |
will also be certain to grow all kinds
Of vegetables and to take pride in
showing his garden. Secondly, he
will be certain to cultivate such farm
crops as he undertakes to grow, with !
much greater care, and it may be
truthfully said that the foundation
of agriculture is horticultural knowl- |
edge. More than this. a fruit-grow-
er comes to have a refined taste and |
a generous sensibility; and he will |
naturally encourage his wife in the
cultivation Of flowers he will see
that his dwelling has pleasant sur
reundings of evergreens and other
trees, while he will seek to abreviate
and make pleasant the labors of his
family within doors by securing con-
veniences and improvements, and
be making home more attractive and
the children happier and better.
Among the rights which women
have not claimed is that of having
more industrious and more enter
prising husbands, and almost all far
mers' wives suffer for want of such. |
They work and slave and suffer NOR
LITIGATION because their husbands |
spend hours in idleness when rhey |
might plant and cultivate fruit and |
add to the adornments of home |
Farmers talk about hard times and |
railroad monopolies and the extor-
tiOns of merchants and tradesmen,
while they lose hundreds if not
thousands of dollars by neglecting
to plant fruit and to improve their
homes; and their children following
their example, of necessity take the
downward road. Farmers want more
energy, more judgment, more refine
ment. more sense.