The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-12-01
CALIFORNIA FRUIT TREES

| UlCle III l. HE STATESMAN III WHICH you
spoke of the "unmitigated frauds
perpetrated upon the farmers by fruit
tree peddlers. The fruit tree agents
you referred to were selling California
seedlings. viii you be so clever as to
let me know if you know this to be a
fact, that they are a fraud, or are the
California seedlings a fraud? Several
of my neighbors have subscribed for
those California seedlings and l told
them of the article by you on the SUBJ
ject. They would like any further in
formation you can give. Do you think
the trees came from California;
l.. N. POOLE,
Liberty Hill.
| am asked to declare whether the
alleged California seedlings or the
agents selling them are fraud. My
answer is uneQuivocal-the agent, GER
tainly. The fraud lies in agents rep
resenting the trees they sell as fine
varieties grown from the seed in Cal
ifornia.
The trees delivered to their victims
may come from California, but il
seedlings, will be of less value than if
raised on the spot where they are in
tended TO grow, from home grown
seed. The shorter distance tree is
moved the better chance of success,
so that a Texas raised tree is vastly
preferable, for Texas planting, to that
raised in any other state
The agents selling these seedlings
take advantage of the simplicity and
weakness of human nature which at.
taches great value to anything high
priced brought from great distance.
Dear bought and far Fetched" will
command respectful admiration, when
home merit is passed unheeded.
These peddlers know or ought tC
know that there is nothing about q
California Seeding to give it more
value, out of that state, than any
other seeding. There may be some
varieties of fruit in the Sunset State
that cannot be got in any other, but
that is because they are not adapted
to other states, and any representa-
ton that seedlings from these trees
will succeed where budded or grated
tree will fail is an ''unmiUigated
fraud"
Every fruit tree so far proven to be
adapted to Texas can be bought from
the home nursery at one-third to one
fourth the price charged by those at a
distance. But if valuable variety OF
fruit is wanted let seedlings be
tavoided. One seeding in thousand
may be valuable, but the odds are too
long to justify experiment at fancy
prices.
The good qualities of any fruit tree
can only be perpetuated with certain
ty by cuttings, budding or grating,
Wherever Decentralization is possible,
reproduction from seed is impossible,
l have long preached the doctrine OF
home grown trees for home planting,
and advised the patronizing of the
nearest responsible nurseryman, and
do so again. There's money in it, and
satisfaction instead of failure and dis.
appointment.
TREE PLANTING.
The time is at hand and now is, for
tree planting, and those who contem.
plate setting out trees should see that
the land is prepared without further
delay. A thorough preparation OF
the soil before planting has much to
do with the roofing and free growth OF
young trees.
Many nurserymen are blamed for
supplying worthless trees, when their
failure to grow is due entirely to bad
treatment at the hands of customers.
A hole no bigger or deeper than
could be scratched by robust rooster
is made in the turf or firmly compacted
soil and the tree is placed therein with
the roots in a matted mass regardless
of the order in which they grew. Soil
that comes handiest is thrown upon
this ENHANCEMENT of roots and the
tree is left to take care of itself. That
is not the best way to pant trees, and
the failures that invariably follow
such practice should not be charged
to the tree seller. This is better plan
and oftener followed with success
than the one just described: The land
on which trees are to be planted
should be thoroughly plowed and pull.
verified some, time before planting. The
broad enough to allow the trees to be
planted an inch deeper than they
grew in the nursery with the roots
spread out as near as possible in their
original position. Only fine surface
soil should be allowed to mingle with
the roots. When the soil is lacking in
moisture water should be applied
when the hole is half filed, and when
the fillidg is completed the soil should
be firmly pressed down with the foot.
The quality of the trees and climatic
conditions after planting have some
thing to do with tree culture, but not
so much as their handling after they
leave the nursery.
LONG STAPLE COTTON.
/ recently told my experience with
Southern Hope long staple cotton, as
far as it went. | have now few
words to add. My crop had not fair
showing, owing to late planting and
worms, and therefore / was prepared
to make some allowance in the matter
of yield and length of lint, but was
and disguised with the per-
centage Of lint to seed.
Our common varieties of cotton
when mature will give a 500 pound
bale from 1900 pounds of seed cotton
and the Peterkin will give the same
weight of lint from 1900 pounds. 1t was
therefore somewhat disappointing to
find that 1850 pounds OF Southern
Hope only yielded 44C pound bale.
1t is difficult to understand how so
small a result arises, as the seed is |
small and the lint, in my case, of full