The Cultivator and Country Gentleman
Albany, NY
April 7, 1881
Vol XLVI, No. 1471
The Circle of Fruits.
A large number of new residences have been erected in some parts of the country, and new purchases have been made with a view of building the coming season. Some of the owners wish to know how they can obtain an early supply of fruits for their families, and for what portion of the year these supplies may be obtained by means of a suitable selection.
In order to show these inquirers how and with what fruits a continued succession the year through may be had, we give the accompanying circle of fruits, which shows at a glance at what time of the year each kind continues ripe and fresh if properly preserved, the different varieties of each kind continuing the supply for a greater or less length through its season.
Because I can tend to sentimentalize, I may catch myself thinking that my New England ancestors, living in the days of the Heirloom Orchardist, were somehow more “in tune” with the seasons then I am. These were people that worked the land, right? Didn’t they know when certain plants were bearing? Well, the answer I guess is a resounding “maybe.”
Sure, we have agricultural roots, but not all of our ancestors were farmers. Even if we go back as far as the Mayflower, historians have hypothesized that a major reason those colonists had difficulty with their first year in New England, was that they were so ill prepared. Yes, they arrived late in the season and didn’t have adequate provisions. But also, many of them had lived in an urban environment before leaving for the New World. They had never before worked the land. They didn’t have the right skills.
Flipping through my old book, the Circle of Fruits first caught my eye because it’s attractive. Then on examination, I found that I’ve seen diagrams like this before. They graphically portray when plants come into flower (or bear fruit) in relation to the seasons and each other. But often, these diagrams are portrayed as a horizontal bar graph...as if the year begins on the left, and ends on the right.
The Circle of Fruits does not have a beginning or an end. So, perhaps that’s what my ancestors understood better than I. The year is seamless. There is no beginning, and no end. One season leads to another. And here in New England, spring’s coming!
