The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-03-06
FRUIT TREE AGENTS.
4Ioshua Hardstrong" Has Some
thing TO Say About Them.
Warns People to Give Them a Wide
aerth.-Bonght an Everbearing
Peach Tree That Never Bore At All.

s'each Tree 1naC never bore AT All.
Winter is breaking and the Spring
tide is approaching, which means,
among other. things. that fruit tree
agents will soon be on the road.
OF these there are several kinds
from the hardened old sinner to the
tenderfoot fresh from between the
plow handles and starting his first
season.
Well, we remember the fruit tree
agents of our boyhood days. How
we did stare with eyes and mouth
agape at the beautiful samples of
fruit put up in jars Of magnifylng
glass; and no less astonishing was
the set speech Of the agent,-he
would convince you that peaches
grew on oak trees with just little
extra attention.
And he generally got an order and
spent the night with us to boot, CIV
ing mother a rosebush to smooth
her rufled feelings,-she was grow
ing just little suspicious of these
agents, sensible woman that she was
All fruit tree agents are not ras-
calls, but they sooner or later fully
develop.
A fruit tree agent must necessar-
lily grow suspicious Of his own hon
esty when going through the coun
try year after year he finds that he
is never offered any beautiful and
delicious fruit grown upon the very
trees which he has sold.
Fact is It is very hard to grow
fruit In this part Of the country; and
this is especially true since the ao-
vent of the numerous diseases to
which fruit trees are subject.
Years ago some fruit was raised
here from native trees, thoroughly
acclimated, and before blight and
scale diseases had made there ap-
nearance; but now it is we'll nigh
hopeless task. j..
Pears and apples cannot be raised
on account Of the blight. There is
one pear, the Keifer, that withstands
blight to some extent, but the fruit
is so hard that it would give an OK
the collie to think about eating It..
This variety may be used for COOK
ing.
1t is probably safe to say that
there is not nursery or CONNER
cial orchard that is not infested Win
the San Jose pronounced "boosea" }
scale in the United States.
This scale attacks all fruit trees
and plants, and is the most deadly
foe to plant life ever discovered.
There are so-called remedies, but
they are absolutely worthless. The
only remedy is the axe and fire. Prof.
Chas. E. Chambliss, State Entomolo-
gist, Columbia, S. c., will confirm
this if you will ask his candid opln-
ion.
The peach tree is the most s,l-
ceptible of all to attacks from this
scale.
1t has spread all over the country
and has destroyed or will destroy
all fruit trees.
No doubt it will disappear in the
course os time, being eradicated by
some natural enemy; but until then
all money spent buying fruit trees IS
worse than infested, for it may result
in infesting the trees and plants
which you already have and which
may be free as yet.
The scuppernong grape seems to
be one plant that is immune.
So, do not part with your hard
earned dollars for fruit trees, at
least not at this time.
Did you ever buy an "Everbearing
Peach Tree" which strange to say
never bore at all? Well, l did.
Joshua Hardstrong.