Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1884-01-16
3 Springfield Meeting.

DR., IL. a. Cutting acting rs setrctary.
Prayer was offered by Rev. McAnn
Mr.. Hubbard gave an address of wei
come to the board. He said he couf
doubtless speak more feelngly in welcome
to the memhnre of the bolld, as lac had in
years past helped carry Oh he sails grca
work which Was as he belle ved of tht
2renost importance to Vermont.
lie believed the agitation and discus
sion of the great subjects connected with
agrirulture-as, Improvement Of stock
The feeding Of the same; the butler max
ing interests, the fertliz ,tion of our sol
and also the enterprise and hugnlity %
our citizans OF the greatest advantage. lie
, believed Vermont n desirable home, anc
that the certainty of II fair yield is highly
preferable to The possibility of hurricane
drought, locust, OF numerous other
plaques that may come upon those lhrttil
tho fertile west His sympathy and goot
wishes are with the board as well as with
the a2ricuturalst, wherever found. Bu
he believes in Vermont but leaves the
floor TO others who will doubtless aid in
the great work which interests so many
This address was responded to by Nj. w
DAVIS, in happy manner. He remarked
that the board as itnerants went about
gathering this idea from one community
to carry to another. The members Of The
board were only men subject to mistakes
in Judgment rs others are. They fix nc
immuabe facts that oan never be changed
but carry the experiences of one section ol
our state TO another section and there
again pick up what they believe to he
grains of wheat TO carry elsewhere.
This was followed by an address upon
fruit by +. w. Blanchard, of Weathers.
field, who said:
In presenting a subject of so great inter
est rs This before this meeting | feel that
there are many who have had Il greater
experience in this branch of farming than
| have had and who might have more
properly been chosen TO fill this part of
the programme.
Being visited last summer by one of the
members of the board, | suppose he was
impressed with the idea that he had found
a farmer who was interested in fruit, he
probably thinking that it would be a
favorable opportunity TO gain some help in
Il meeting to be held in this county.
AS | look back to solve the question
why was chosen TO take part in this
meeting, the above solution seems the
most reasonable.
As we glance back over the ages that
are past and gone, that are known no
more to he present generation save in a
historical sense, we find that the growing
OF fruit is rs natural a production of the
soil in which the particular kinds are
adapted as is the grass that grows in our
fields,er the trees that grow in our forests
and it seems Just us natural for the men
and women, boys and girls of the present
age to have longing after, a desire to
taste of, as did our first parents in the gar
den of Eden.
How few people there are at the present
time who would be able to withstand the
temptation that poor old Eve was called
upon to undergo after once knowing the
pleasu that is TO be had in partaking of a
good liberal meal of rich, ripe, mellow
apples that seemingly have been favored
to ones own particular taste; or dish of
ripe juicy pears which seem TO be- waiting
for some one to devour. OF few clusters
of ripe grapes which as they are picked
from the stems and separated from their
skins seem to pass the epiglottis of ones
throat without any apparent effort of the
partaEer
Especially do we find it so when SO
many families are deprived of such healthy
and almost necessary luxures, as
hele are this present winter owing to the
scarcity OF last seasons crop. But such
years are exceptions and they should not
be allowed to discourage any one who has
an acre of land from trying to grow
enough for home use and in most years
some to spare. 1t is an interesting fact to
know that fully one half of the fruits that
we cultivate are not native to our own
particular locality, but have become quite
hardy and productive by propagation,
decentralization, thereby producing fruit
in different climates and in different soils,
and by being stimulated by the vigilant
core of the nurseryman and producer HIM
self.
! believe that we are only in the
beginning of these remarkable changes,
and the introduction of new varieties
into different localities from which they
naturally grow.
How amusing us well as interesting and
useful 1t is TO compare the fruit that
grows on our grated and we'll pruned
trees Of to-day with those that are pro
duced from native, untrimmed tree
growing right by the side of the former
kind; equally so is it TO compare the cur.
rant and gooseberry with their parent
stock; again this fact is more fully illus.
trated by viewing side by side the fruit
that is found on our old wild native frost
grape with our more recent new varieties
that arc to be found in almost every
garden.
These and many other comparisons ol
u like nature 60 to show what agriculture
and science are doing, and TO those who
are engaged in other vocations what the
hard, untiring labors, deep thought, study
and work the farmer is doing not only
for himself but for those who are permit
ted the pleasure of enjoying the fruits and
libors of others.
1t seems to me that the majority of our
farmers are making great mistake, in
this particular branch of agriculture, if in
no other, in not giving more attention
to the cultivation of fruit of the various
kinds.
There is no part of the whole year that
is enjoyed sa much by the boys and girls
as is the season of gathering the different
hlIuS Vi IL ullo3 anu lhCIo 10 io paluoi thG
year in which the children of farmers can
render so much assistance as during the
harvest. believe that if every owner OF
a farm would take a portion of his farm
and set out some apple trees in one place.
some pear trees in another, small vine.
yard in another, at the same time not
forgetting the currants and berries Of
different kinds, that they would after a
few years find it remunerative, and would
also find that the children would be more
willing to remain on the farm and follow
the occupation of their parents; and those
who did choose to go, would wait with
impatient desires and longings for the
return of each harvest year when they
could visit the homes of their youth, anC
enjoy for q season the pleasuse of roaming
over the hills and through tho valleys
gathering and partakipg Of the fruits
which they so much enjoyed in their child
hood days.
What mine of wealth it would be tc
New England if its farmers would cult
vate their farms with such an end in view
thereby retaining more of our young men
and maidens in their native towns.
Tho desires of the Young men of TO-DAY