The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-23

y
he has on the place Once convinced CT this
he naturally studies how TO improve and
enlarge them, As a result the orshard aud
Garden ere @iven more thought IN general,
better cultivation In particular. AID lew
years hence we may expect TO Ill hun an
enthusiast. ! feel constrained therefore 10
urge that II he really desires 10 progress
the farmer should Keep books on all OF DIS
farm opera tons, study every crop, - pteds
as to cultivation, the peculiaTi'!ss and
vents as 10 the local markets. and q. the
eni OF couple OF years he will hnl elm
self we'll balanced diversified farncs, He
VIII wonder how he ever got along tefore
at all.
Another obstacle lies in the common
practice OF putting the orchard on any out
OF the way old patch on the farm. hry-
where, just SO that It Is out OF the read OF
Other operations. AS a result 90 pDr cent
OF the trees that are planted are put on
soils and locations which any fruit grover
OF intelligence and experience wouli ecn-
denim on the spot, and which wo I'D lted
him to predict partial II not COMPLETE
fnilure from the very beginning. II toe
farmer considered his orchard more US an
investment he would certainly exe.Sise
greater care in selecting suitable coils on
which to grow them.
But yet another and perhaps fully as &C.
rious difficulty as any yet preselssd IS tie
rather TOO common practice OF selling tie
farmer trees through unscrupulois agents.
l know tnat il has been said. aud uuly.
that agents induce many farmer 10 plant
trees for tho use OF his family who would
never plant tree in life time II left to
himself. The unfortunate seaclre, how
ever. develops when we think OF the neg
lected aud deserted orchards, those sinfie
trees, here and there, struggling fer An ex-
istence. The neghbors who have not JorBt
| observe with great triumph that they
knew that fruit wouldn't do here. jiist look
at Neighbor Jo'nnson's trees across the way
there"
! honestly believe that for every :a"mer
whom the tree pcddler induces TO buy treta,
| aud who might not otherwise have done so,
that that mans mismanaged orchard VIII
turn dozen otaers away. fro q II. not
| counting what negative influcn,e the "
| fortunate mans oft repeated tale Of woe
may exert. / desire to be cleari3 una,r-
STOOD on this matter of agents. There are
! of course. many conscientious tree agents
Some of them know something about M IS
and even a few may be studan:s ana St dy
| local conditions with view Of giving In
| telligent advice and making propc, seiec-
! ton of varieties for their Gus omcrs at
| can not be too deeply regretted that scre
nurserymen In Texas do not yet co1'cde
4 that, hortiCulturally, Texas is verv grest-
ly diversified State, and that Nc set ftonM-
/ mendkgons Of varieties can b. adhered tn
| fer a large portion OF its area. Eurng q
recent three weeks outing found pedll.T s
| selling varieties, according to pictures and
fruit Jars, in n section of Texas wacre II
was impossible for those Ainds to succeed.
Whether 1t be due to the ignorance of tho SO
agents or their INSCRIPTIONS natiiss 's mn
| material, for ii seems TO me 1t shOGll le
the duty and work of every honest iiult
| growers pen aud tongue to advertise and
eradicate these practices as much as poSsi =
Bile. The crime Is not to be cnafg ID wiolly
! n these pHIdlprg I consider that thA feAu
who knowingly employs them is as Iarth
q thief as the agent who decslves an INT O.
cent victim. There can be no obi ittion 10
good men as agents or solicitors; men Who
know something about soils. fruits, iai!e-
ties and rheir culture, and these can De 10
reasonable argument against nurgery men
employing men of this type and seeoh ling
their efforts. In fact, this kind II mSE-
agement is really what Is needed and would
mean much for Texas horticulture. AS
result we would find fewer neglected. OF
chards and discouraged growers aud more
trees well cared for and watched over BY
bright and happy homes.
The need of solicitors of the tyne met
toned is certainly indicated from tfe lee
, that the average farmer little realizes h"
, his success MS fruit grower depeh Is e
largely, in fact, ether things being Ell Ial
> almost entirely upon the proper se'ec, on .
varieties. He little appreciates that Ia
of fruit which may have q far-tamel Itrn
zion as none ymaker in one lo1lp.y ma,
be worse than a failure In alothe-. an
explains why SO many orchards sold b.
! agents are a failure, and no wouJe" tia
the neghbors say "Fruit won't do here.
. The prospective fruit grower can not be To-
, strongly urged to study The fruits he woul
y grow cali for, and then prepare 20 piovid
= for them faithfully.
We are just now confronted with III
shifting scenes of adapting ourselves 10
= new industrial condition for Texas, aud tn
. producers can not he too cautious les. the
d fan into greater depths. DIV srsitlNd tarln
L Ing Is great promoter and ctN'laer, lu
p one crop ideas and old foggy ways an
4 means do not constitute a proper ha,aes
: for this power. 1t requires Srel.1r tk'N
greater forethuught, aud more brataY m, II
ist us not encourage hasty o. sh.t,laa
- methods or promote a wild rush Nv al y
ing a new factor, and incur the crave iaiG@
u of bringing into disrepute a systam whc'
W means o much for Texas. 1t is easy TO Oh
VI serve that diVersification means uJro Ircti
a aud better living, but singularly enough w
always forget to state that 1t also REQUIRE
i, clearer heads aud better management
/, Fruit growing is but portion Of this eran
= theme OF diversitication. and L these icy
Il lines will lead some farmers alt frG,
Il, / growers to take courage anew aud start Gu
" more boldly to think and investigate 10
themselves. they will not have been writes
In vain Frederick w. Mallv, NJ Sc.