Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-02-12

In purchasing dry goods and other
manufactured articles it may answer
we'll enough ior the purchaser to
m Ike his selections from samples,
but with respect to agricultural and
horticultural products a man may be
very easily led astray. For instance,
man attending an exhibition OF
fruits may examine the variou kinds
and decide from appearances Gas we
have seen many do), and thereby be
very much deceived i'll the quality.
But suppose he has also an opportu-
nifty of testing quality; he has then
only gained knowledge Of the fruit
itself, while its adaptation to soil and
locality, which are usually matters Of
the greatest Importance, must still be
determined. Fruits exhibited in
Virginia may have been produced in
Central New York, and be Of no
more value for culture in the former
State than an orange or a fig.
This making selections from sam
pies exhibited at fairs has led thous-
ands astray, simply for the want Of a
proper consideration of the circum-
stances under which the fruits were
produced. We have known enthusi-
asts in horticulture who would visit
exhibitions Of fruits from various
States, and with notebook and pen
Gil in hand pass from one table to
another, taking down the name OF ev-
cry handsome variety, and thus make
out their orders for plants without
once considering the question of adj
agitation. Many persons have pur-
sued similar course by making
selections from the plates i'll agents
"picture books" gotten up for the
purpose Of showing their customers
what beautiful things in the way Of
fruits and flowers they had for sale.
With such short-sightcdness on the
part Of purchasers, it is no wonder
that so many make failures where
success would have crowned their
efforts if proper selections had been
made. The fairs, as well as the col
ored plates Of fruits and plants, are
usually of character from which
beneficial results might come, but the
knowledge intended to be conveyed
is frequently misapplied.
1t is this want Of proper discrimi-
nation and consideration of the value
Of an article offered for sale by sam
pies which gives the dishonest dealer
an opportunity OF swindling his Gus
toners. Thousands of rooted cut
tings of the old charter oak grape
have been sold at prices ranging
from one to three dollars each sim
ply because it is of large size, and the
seller exhibited samples OF the fruit
preserved III alcohol, which, though
attractive in appearance, were other
wise worthless. The best varieties,
either in appearance or flavor, may
be valuable in one locality and worth
less in another; hence the necessity
of knowing something beyond the
fruit itself
The same rules hold good in the
selection of farm animals. The fat
test or fastast may not be the best
under all circumstances. The meri-
no may be the most profitable breed
of sheep for one locality, and the
Southdowns for another. In some
instances the market for the fleece
would be the principal thing to be
considered, while in other localities
this might be Of less Importance than
the value of the carcass iii the butch
er's stall. Then again certain breeds
thrive much better in particular re
gion of the country than another
and this point requires close and
careful investigation, in order to In
sure the best results. We may adj