The Portland daily press., 1878-03-11

nearer home the better. Those who simply
deal in trees are usually uDprincipled men.
10 truth the terms tree-dealer aud liar are
getting to be interchangeable ones."
Mr., J. d. Putnam, of Grafton, Vermont, in
an essay on apple culture delivered before the
Board OF Agriculture, Manufactures aud Min
ing of that State, shows how the omnipresent
tree-dealer was appreciated in that section
two years ago. He says: ''Let me not be
understood as coud-mning the whole race OF
tree pdedlers they are not dLDf them neces-
sariy nnmtigated scoundres. A man may
trsvtl about the country selling trees and at
the same time be honest, but 1t is an indIs-
putabie TACT that peope have sometimes been
woefuly bitten. Selling new, Improved
variety of grapes at five dollars yer paut and
furnishing poor plant at that; selling the
Tetofsky apple at one dollar per Tree and max
ing folks believe the cion with which the
tree was grated came from Russia; selling
people an endless variety of trees, many OF
which are in no wise adapted to the locality
aud which, with the. best treatment, will
never prove profitable; promising to furnish
first class trees, going to the large commercial
nurseries of the West and buying refuse trees
which nursery-men will not send out them.
selves, and with these filling their orders,
these are few of the sins of some tree-agents,
which the whole class are, in measure, I'M
justly obliged to answer for"
The foregoing is truthful and fair COM
ment upon the class of abuses to which I
have at some length referred, and will be en-
dorsed by all who know the ways of the tree
dealing profession.
Having pretty clearly stated my belief re-
spectiDg the transactions of wandering tree
agents, it may be in order to inquire whether
any responsibility for the frau0s committed
against the purchaser of the stock, justly at
taches to the nursery-men, who are engaged,
with the employment of large amounts of
capital and an army of men 10 constantly
pushing their operations in tree growing. /
believe, from the information have gained
of the Oh lracter of our leading responsible
nursery proprietors, that they are men of
integrity 10 business matters, which distinc-
ton, coupled with their we'll known skill in
the production of the most perfectly grown
trees, precludes the idea that the charge of
fraudulent dealing can justly lie against them.
Besides those who are familiar with the an
mails of pomology know that many OF the
leading proprietors of fruit tree nurseries are
not only striving actively for commanding
success in their line of business, but that they
are devoted largely to the object of promot-
ingthe ends OF scientific inquiry into the
causes of failure in the various branches of
fruit culture, and in laboring for the build ing
up of the fruit business by legitimate meth
DDS. 1t is evident. therefore, that the self
sacrificing labors of these men and the aid to
the cause of American Pomology contrbut ed
by them, are sufficient to place them above
the shaft of condemnation which is aimed by
those who profess to see nothing in the whole
business of furnishing trees to the poor farm
ers but a big, wholesale humbug. Neither
do believe that all the men who are the re-
sponsible contractors to furnish the farmers
with nursery stock, and who are the employ
ers of the numerous travelling tree agents,
are morally answerable for the dissappoint.
ment and damage suffered by those who are
unfortunate in their dealings with the tree
vending itinerant. I know of only one of
this class of dealers whose headquarters is in
Maine; aud l am convinced, from my knvwl-
edge of his methods OF operation, that be is
an upright business man, and is 10 all cases
disposed to be just aud liberal with bis Gus
toners, and has been known to discharge
sub agents for dishonest dealing, whether it
affected bis own or his customers interest.
know that he has for years furnished good
quality of stock, much better than the aver-
age brought here from the West. and it is
fact that no large dealer in nursery trees in
this State has gwen such general satisfaction
to bis customers as the one 10 whom 1 allude.
But he cannot oe coguizant of all their deal
ings, and o. course many abuses are practiced
by the sub agents OF which he has no knowl-
edge and tor which he should not be blamed
further than his responsible is involved
under the directions which he gives the sell
ing agents for their general government in
obtaining orders.
And now, in returning to the subject of the
Russian apple, what, yon ask. are my conclu-
sions resp. citing it. During the Investigation
aud research for fact which l have given to it
tor n any weeks oas,, have found good rea-
sons, think, for some modification of the
views and impressions | bad previously en-
tertained respecting the true charac er OF the
Russian apple tree, and the Russian apple
mania Ii is but natural that We distrust
The methods and appliances by which we
have been repeatedly deceived, an experience
and observation OF tree-buying and planting
with most unsatisfactory results, is it strange
that we regard the efforts aud the peculiar
means employed to introduce new varieties
OF trees tor sale, with somewhat of incredulity
and apprehension? Although have given
The Russian apple trees trial, and am watch
ing their growth and development with much
interest, am not convinced that they are
any more valuable to me. nor are they to any
man whose location is favorable to the cult
walton of our best old standard fruits. There
are places in almost every town where there
is nearly every winter degree of cold preya-
lent at certain times sufficient, if followed by
sudden change to warm weather, to kill
almost any common kind of apple tree. For
such locations the Russian apple trees ale
well adapted.
1t must be remembered that of all the So
called hardy apple trees recently introduced
and sold as Russian" but two are known to
be OF Russian origin, viz. the Tetofsky and
Emperor Alexander, which we're imported by
the elder Manning of Salem, Mass. The
PaWauknn which has hoon loeo In, FL
Russian is seeding of the Duchess of
Oidenburg and originated by Mr.. Geo. P.
PETER, OF Pewaukee, Wis. The Haas, Wal
bridge and Others now being sold as hardy
and represented by many agents as "Rus-
SIAM are natives of this country and are de-
serving of intelligent trial and will prove for
many places, hardy enough for all seasons.
They are generally in bearing while young,
which is valuable consideration in deciding
what to purchase. DIR. 7. 81. Hoskins Of
Newport, VT, gentleman of great expert
ence and extensive information on this sub.
ject, TO whom l am indebted for val
liable facts, Whites me as follows;
"There is no ''humbue" about the
apples; they are all good sorts and valuable
where extreme hardness is required. Thew
would be promising for all the northern parts
of your state. But there is a great deal of
humbug used in the selling of those varieties
Dy pc fdlerS. nave them all IN my orchard
and in my nursery for sale at $25 per hum
dred, yet the peddlers will sell them, or trees
labelled with their name, all around me at 81
apiece. l know DO way to prevent this as
long as the 'Fool-killer is so remiss i'll his
duties.'" He adds: 81 should not recon-
mend any any OF these varieties for planting
IN those sections where older and well-known
sorts succeed. Even though as good, they
would not sell as well, because unknown"
ln INCLUDING my discussion of the Russian
apple business l will say: These trees are yet |
TO be further known before it would be ad- |
v,sable to invest layge.y in that kind of stock.
II We can raise the Baldwin, the Greenng,
the Russet, the Northern Spy, the B. Ilfiower |
and other we'll kno w Kinds ip abundance. |
think they should not be discarded AT The in |
terested solicitations of pereyripatipg ig- |
noramus who hardly knows an apple tree
from a shadDush.
While ''humbug' is so naturally one of the
subjects connected with this discussion.
deem 1t duty to the cause of ponology to |
bring TO your notice what consider more
dangerous humbug even than anything
to the Russian apple business.
Within the last ten years, since the hardy
kind of crab apple trees have become well
h.. hoe liza