Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-26

With singular lack of Interest the Farmers
Institute, held here last week, ignored the dis
cussion o. this topic. Had it not been for the
able paper on, and discussion of, "OIr Forests
and Arbor Day" the whole subject of tret sand
tree protection would probably have been
crowded out altogether. Those who heard
Mr.. Warder we're early convinced that there
was need OF inquiry and anxiety in reg ird TO
the subject OF trees. The agitation that this
ques ion is causing m,ng our orchardists
viii soon reach the general farmer, when, We
hope, our beautiful country will assu ne
quite different aspect.
While other subjects discussed were in a
direct line with the immediate income Of dol
lars and cents, this is not, and that fact seems
to be the chief reason why the interest OF the
people is so hard to obtain. But there are
several reasons.
Let US take a careful retrospect TO begin
with, and then a clear survey OF this subject.
We perhaps are not willing 10 admit tina;
there is a terrible retribution following in the
wake Of destroyed forests, bu, We must admit
th At for the last fifteen to thirty years trees of
all kinds have suffered terribly, so much so
that the product aud usefulness Of our fruI,
ees have been very much impaired. The
fine, old orchards OF our fathers, the peach,
the pear, the plum trees, and cherry and
ounce. even the currant bushes, seem to be
like the veritsb'e Fl : tree of G ,spel mention
with the add d exsggerstion OF lie tles'ness;
we of course admit exceptions, but still we are
inclined to ask, What ails ihem?'' % We
want to hear the answer? Well, hardly.
.:We have lost more money in trying TO raise
the necessary amount OF fruit in the last ten
years than it takes to buy all the fruit We
want, and more, too. There is no use trying
to raise fruit or give the subject further at.
leRtisn. Give me nice sugar tree for shade
or ornament, and let me raise some hing more
profitable on the land occupied by fruit trees
Do the French people talk or act that way?
Or the German or English? Or the New
Jersey or New York, Western Reserve or
Michigan people say and do that way? II 50,
where do men 60 to buy? Does the closing
OF our eyes and ears to the facts arourd US
make the truth the less forcible, or the couse-
quences the less certain? By no means. Go
look at the dead and dying fruit trees of only
a small portion of Crntral and Southern
Ono: there the miserable semblsnce of trees
stand and look at YOU in retu n. Pltifully it
not audibly they say, What als you?"
Those trees have been mutely staring at
me for some years, and make me have dreams
about them. have looked at them in al
most every light, and these are my conclu-
siors:
First. The apple tree suffers (a) from i'm
proper care in selecting stock, in selecting
to grow, in planting, in protecting,
in cultivating. in pruning, in bearing, in
gathering, and in grating old trees; ~ from
extremes in weather, cold, hot, dry and wet;
(c) from natural enemies, the borer, the cur
culio. locusts, birds, animals, and the small
boy; Id from natural retribution, following
the destruction OF our foress, which may be
the root of the whole evil.
Here are our facts. What shall We do in
the matter? If We are not able to tackle the
whole batch OF these difficulties at once and
overcome them, let us tske each group or
singly, and rout the whole force iu detail. |
Next to raisi NJ children comes fruit trees.
A man has not fulfilled an important mission
il he has neglec ed either. II We bear in
mind that civilization makes as rapid pre-
corn or any other products of the soil aud
adapt ourselves TO the change, We will find
the science OF p7mology not any mere Diff
cult to comprehend than that OF horticulture
and agriculture, and nearly, if not fully, as
instructive and remuneratIve.
1t is not the intention to elaborate this ar
ice, how best TO overcome these diff ulties,
for that would necessitate an expansion into
a good-sized volume, but having thus roughly
outlined the main difficulties, the hope is ex-
pressed that he who is interested will seek
that is here omitted from the best
reliable sources, viz, the careful study OF
standard authors and from persevering, in
telligent exper ments. Try, at least, to prop
agate some of your own fruit trees from seeds,
gratis and cuttings. Deal only with reliable
nursery men and their authorized agents.
If the science of pomology were taught our
young people as some useless sciences are,
this generation had not that regret in behold
ing the ptiable sights SO prominent in most
orchards, lawns and gardens.
occasional"