140 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



the simple. We are now in the com- 

 plex stage, an era of trusts and labor 

 unions and other unnatural conditions 

 which deaden individual effort. But 

 the return to the simple has already 

 commenced. "Xear to nature" and 

 "back to the land" articles occupy con- 

 siderable space in nearly every paper 

 and magazine, and ruralism is being 

 exploited as never before. Among the 

 various ways of diverting the mind 

 from the cares of business and profes- 

 sional life, farming offers possibilities 



utility. For example, is there anything 

 more beautiful at blossoming time or 

 more remunerative at harvest than a 

 well cared-for apple tree? The triple 

 advantage of flowers, fruit, and shade 

 is possessed by this as well as by num- 

 erous other kinds of trees, which might 

 well take the place of many so-called 

 ornamentals. Much landscape work, 

 especially in former years, has been 

 laid out in such a way as to call for 

 constant attention throughout the sum- 

 mer. Unless the artificial standard set 



PICKING IMMATURE APPLES TO PREVENT THE BRANCHES BREAKING DOWN WITH 



THEIR OVERLOAD. 



not possessed by must other forms of 

 so-called recreation. Not the least of 

 these advantages is the fact that on a 

 properly managed country place there 

 is greater or less financial return. And 

 so, by resting the pocket-book, the 

 mind is also rested. 



While on the larger estates costly 

 shrubs and rare exotics are often 

 grown, we may obtain nearly as good 

 effects by using our native trees and 

 plants. Many of these also possess 



by the landscape gardener be kept up, 

 the effect, like diamonds on the hand 

 of a washwoman, appears incongruous. 

 \n the development of country places 

 nature is our best instructor, and the 

 ordinary farm crops, such as wh~at, 

 rye, corn, grass and fruit trees are quite 

 as beautiful, in their way, as expensive 

 formal gardens. 



Many people have an idea that any 

 soil which is classed as exhausted is 

 unworthy of consideration from an ag- 



