Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-10-10
3arn. ann toustbOlD.
.As Nursery Business Il Maine.


this State. Neither DO l know that
there is any work by which one could
obtain knowledge Of its original pro-
gress up 10 the present time. 1t would
give me great pleasure TO read such a
book. During the session of the winter |
meeting OF the Pathological Society al
Winthrop. and while the subject of nur-
sery stock was being discussed. il was
brought out b. Mr.. Z. A. Gilbert. Pres
ident OF the Society, that large num-
Der of persons Ga much larger number
than nybody dreamed OF were engag
ed in this business in this State. A full
report of all the persons engaged in il
in any manner was given and the num-
Der of trees they were raising which ran
all the way from 5000 to IS or 100000.
must say that was greatly surpris-
ed and at times since then l have won
dered and wondered. how it is. in the
face of the fact that SO many Maine far
mers and nurserymen are engaged in
raising hundreds Of thousands OF fruit
trees, enough TO supply all our wants,
that hundreds OF thousands are yearly
introduced into this State, and sold to
farmers, by foreign or Western nursery
men. Now, from this condition OF af.
fairs, one or two things is quite evident;
either that our farmers are setting out
immense orchards and purchasing all
the trees they can get both Maine grown
and western. or they buy more largely
OF the latter. Our people have sort OF
mania Cor anything that is foreign.
II it only comes from Paris. be il bon
net or dress it is perfectly elegant, just
splendid, and they must have il at what
ever cost, and the fact that the same ar
tcle equally as good can be obtained
right at home at less cost. is not TO be
considered for q moment. Foreign fash.
ION books are displayed and foreign
smooth-tongued agents soon talk our
people blind, and so foreign fruit agents
with their glib tongues and gaily illus
trated books and plates soon gain the
day. know not how many Maine or
Western trees are sold yearly in this
State, but should Judge from the tone
of past discussions. from general COM
plants and from personal observation
OF q few Maine nurseries, that for every
Maine tree sold, one hundred Western
trees are sold. One of the best nursery.
men in this State. said to me but short
time ago that be was discouraged and
that be intended to abandon the bust
ness. He said the agents of Western
nurserymen were constantly running
through the country and that they had
away of talking SO smoothly and glibly
and displaying magnificent plates Of
beautiful and attractive fruit. that, said
he, 1T is no use, cannot contend with
them, and mean TO give up the bust
ness" Now am very sorry for this
and before l get through with this arti-
Gle will tell you why l am sorry. Now
right here let me say that this is not the
determination of a whimsical and child
ish man and poor farmer, but of q
substantial man and a good practical
farmer; farmer whose buildings are
models of neatness, utility and conven-
fence; whose fields are clean and highly
cultivated and whose farm operations
are all.conducted on principles of econo-
my and profit. In fact be is one Of the
most economical and prosperous far
mers am acquainted with. Why then
this encouragement? And why have SO
many of our Maine nurserymen failed TO
meet the wants of the people and signal
ly failed to fill their pockets? will tell
You why. but you must give me time
and listen patiently.
One reason and perhaps the most i'm.
portant one. why our nurserymen have
failed to raise good trees. as the public
demands, is want Of knowledge; in
other words they are ignorant Of the
first principles of how nursery ought
to be conducted. THIS is especially
true Of all small nurserymen, Of that
class who have merely dabbled in il
without knowing what they wanted or
what nybOdy else wanted. 1t is true,
they prepared the ground and sowed
their seed, but that was the end of the
matter. almost. No transplanting, no
thinning out and very little pruning
In fact, rode by . nursery not long
ago some two or three years of age
where not tree had been :-ansplanted,
No thinning out and not . particle Of
pruning had been done, and what was
more unfortunate the whole plat was on
such low fat ground, not perhaps suhi.
GENTLY drained, that . large number of
the tops of the trees had been winter
killed. A year ago last spring wanted
Q few seeding apple trees. The Arst
nursery entered Was . small one OF
the hedge-row style mentioned above.
Some were lousy, some were too large
but the greater part were too crooked.
might possibly have selected one
tree in twenty sufficiently straight and
sound. But l concluded 10 pass ON and
try elsewhere. The next nurssry en-
tered was great deal larger and con-
Quoted on better principles. The trees
bad all been transplanted and the top
roots removed and they were well cult.
vatsd and the grass kept down. The 10
cation was tolsEsbly good; the land s|
grsyelly loan with . fair natural drain