The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-04-05

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A WRITER in the Maine Farmer
gives his experience with tree agents,
and expresses the opinion, in the
wind.up, thus:-" Ny advice is to keep
clear of tree agents unless you know
the man through to the backbone. l
think that the proprietors of nurseries
as a general thing are honorable men,
but their agents are worse than the
seven.year Itch" This is about as true
a verdict as could well be given; but
there is one thing that few tree-buyers
and planters ever think about-namely,
that as there is necessity of knowing
something about arithmetic before
starting out in trade, we may equally
need TO make some study of orcharding
in the text books we have before plant
ing our orchard. There are, perhaps,
million of orchards in the United
States; and the proportion of books on
orcharding in use to the number of or
chards will not exceed two to a hundred.
1t is the man who cannot possibly pay
the price of a So so book on fruit cul-
ture, who finds no difficulty in allowing
tree agent to sell him trees at a dol
lar each, and takes the agents word -
though an entire stranger-as to the
genuineness of the trees and their
adaptation to his locality. There is a
great deal said about the shrewdness OF
the Yankee farmer; but such belief
finds little TO justify it in the way he
goes into fruit-growing. DR.. Franklin
may have possibly been thinking about
this matter when he wrote out for Poor
Richards Almanac the immort state.
ment that "Experience is dear school
but fools will learn in no other"
REFERRING to the letter of Mr.. Brock
of Newbury, VT, printed in another
column, we think many of our readers
will sympathize with him, and perhaps
some may be able to help him with
their advice through these columns. In
doing so they may help many others
and in return may get some informa'
ton that will help themselves. We
want every reader to fully understand
that we are ready and glad to print
letters of enquiry on any or all subjects
connected with the orchard, garden
dairy, stock-farming of every kind
farmers politics, and in short anything
and everything that is likely 10 inter.
est farmers, farmers wives, sons
daughters, or their help. In short, this
page is for the free and full use of every
reader to help or get help on every sub
ject of interest in connection with the
tillage of the soil, or with crops, fores
industry, stock breeding, feeding, buy
ing, selling, etc. The more our read
ers make use of this opportunity, the
better we shall like ii; for it is only by
such help that we can hope to make {
live, useful and practical paper for ou
readers. On this page we doubtless
have the chance of addressing at leas
twenty thousand readers in the thre,
papers in which this department il
printed WATCHMAN, the VERMONT
CHRONICLE, and the NEW HAMPSHIRE
JOURNAL. Through the WATCHNAN
we have chatted with them for twent,
years. -through the others not so long
but we feel at home with and deepl,
interested in them all, wishing to affort
some help to every one, each week
We are told by the publishers that thi
page is read by as many as any of tn,
others, and that it is a favorite pag,
with advertisers on that account. w,
are very glad if it is so; but we know
that it can be made very much NOR,
attractive if our good readers, who hav'
treated us so friendly for 80 man,
years, and many of whom, like GU
friend Brock, have even taken tn,
trouble to give us personal call, will
stake up the pen," occasionally, to asl
or answer questions, or make sugges
tions, or describe their ways of doin!
things, or report their successes, o
even their failures, as Mr.. Brock does
Now, friends, take hold and give thi
correspondent the aid of your expert
ence in the matter of clover and gras
seed. No objection to your all speak
ing at once, for all will have a hearing
and our thanks shall be theirs, with
constant welcome in asking as well a
answering. We think our reader
must have noticed a considerable gail
in tho nfs ,t