The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-19
The Prehistoric Gardener.

Horticulture is not branch of agricul-
ture The exact opposite is the case. To
properly appreciate the evolution of hus-
bandry it is necessary to consider the de-
velopment of the human race. The print
tive races of man We're, and still are, fruit
eaters and hunters. In the favored re-
gions of the earth, which are regarded as
the cradle of mankind, the forests yielded
all that is necessary for the support of
life to limited numbers. But the moment
those numbers increased beyond the nat
ural capacity of IA locality emigration and
ingenuity received stimulus. a plant
known to yield food would be collected
and transported to new locality. Car
dening began the moment its planting be-
gan. Competing plants threatened to over
whelm it. They were weeds and were
rooted out Culture began to be impera-
tive.
As the demands of the race increased, the
agroupment and aggregation of cultivat-
ed plants extended. They We're mostly
cereals, the mealy roots and fruits, Expe-
rience soon taught man the value of the
respective kinds, and there can be but lit
tie doubt that during periods of drought
and famine the successive ages explored
every possible locality of production, I'M
til in many cases the sylvan sources were
exhausted and the species became extinct
or were found only under cultivation. a
scarcity of food would compel a resort to
animal sources of supply, and it is suili-
GENTLY remarkable that the original home
of the domestic COW is quite rs little
known as the home of the wheat, banana,
cocoanut, or even maize. To be sure, we
have the traditional bull of Brahma and
the monuments in his honor, which seem
to count for much.
There can be little doubt but that the
patient OK was the first animal to feel the
yoke. Before he could be fully utilized
the forest clearing, which had been gar
dened with pointed stick, was enlarged
its stumps were burned out, the OK was
yoked to the pointed stick, IA handle was
added, then an iron point, and agricul-
ture, the blacksmith, the carpenter and
the community were born to civilization,
The adaptation of the crooked stick pulled
by the OK stirred his fields by wholesale
and converted him into an agrihorticul-
turist Ga field gardoncr) and as the result
of his fall-for this is the true solution of
the theological problem--man became n
wheat farmer, and by eating the earth
laden cereals he reduced the length of
his life to threescore years and ten.
III tne prllllcNhl lrlllJ BurucHs Oh tlc pre-
historic eras the race of gardeners lived to u
ripe old age, for the health imparting juice
of the fruits of the tree prevented those
Accommodations of waste and etfete matters
in the system, which, by clogging up the
arteries, are the cause Of disease and prena-
ture death, Man must leave the wheat
fields and make tracks for Eden if he
wishes to secure the physical improvement
of the race. We find no thorns and thistlCs
in the garden They are Synonymous with
field culture, and these vegetable pests and
the sweat of the brow business belong ex-
clusivcly to the wheat farmer. On tho
other hand, fruit culture is not only moro
congenial but profitable. 1t is the one
occupation for which man is naturally fit
ted for, as well known writer has said,
man in all his perfectness is only found
In the vicinity of the fruit bearing tree,
Horticultural ReUieio.