Adaptability for Fruit Growing. 147 



in this' Northwest Fruit Growers' Association we find in 1900 Oregon credited 

 with 2,825.898, Washington 2,73.5,824. and Idaho 982,.349 ; a grand total of 

 (■>,.">44,071 apple trees in orchard form. Since 1900, tree planting in some 

 sections lias become almost a mania. Great syndicates liave l)een formed and 

 single corporations have planted orchards of not only one thousand but of many 

 thousands of acres. I am aware that the consumption of apples is rapidly 

 increasing and new markets are opening to us, but not so rapidly as production. 

 Other varieties of fruit are also increasing at a tremendous ratio ; the State 

 of Georgia alone boasts her 18,000,000 peach trees. I see no safety for the 

 orchardist except in the production of varieties of liighest excellence and 

 placed on tlie markets in most attractive form ; but when these millions of 

 young trees come into full bearing, I fear that tliere is disappointment in store 

 for the producer of the more common grades. 



I have not the time to dwell on the pruning of trees, a most important 

 sub.iect. Tlie argument seems to be largely in favor of low heading. Tlie low 

 headed tree offers less wind leverage, less exposure of trunk to extremes of lieat 

 and cold, less labor and greater thoroughness in spraying, and no little saving 

 of time in harvesting the crop. Pruning is governed to a considerable extent 

 hy the varied forms of growtli of different varieties. Our trees should be open- 

 lieaded to secure color, and limbs shortened back to induce a stocky growtli 

 that will support the fruit or winter snow, and resist such tempests as prevailed 

 all over the Northwest country on the night of the 11th of November last. 



Finally, brethren, the essential points that I have touched upon are of 

 scarcely more importance tlian the adaptability of the orcliardist liimself. Con- 

 trary to the general view, I believe that there are two types of successful fruit 

 growers, the materialist and tlie sentimentalist. The materialist is in the busi- 

 ness simply for coin. There is nothing so beautiful to him as a silver dollar, 

 except a coin of liigher value. His trees are to him simply as so many cash- 

 carriers, and he would just as soon raise cockle-burrs as golden fruits, provided 

 the results were equally as golden. He is absolutely destitute of esthetic senti- 

 ment, but so great is liis desire to accumulate tliat he will not neglect the 

 slightest detail necessary to insure profitable returns. The sentimentalist, on 

 the other hand, is inspired witli liigh ideals of form and beauty and with all 

 standards of excellence. He fashions his trees with the care of a sculptor 

 chiseling his marble, that from the rude block may come forth a thing of 

 beauty. A lover of Nature, she opens wide to him the .doors of all of her secret 

 chambers ; shows how from her abundant stores, treasured in mother earth, she 

 draws forth and apportions the daily food that nourislies growing trees ; reveals 

 to him the secrets of stamen and stigma, or points out her exquisite tracery 

 on tlie painted petals of that loveliest of flowers, tlie apple blossom. Even 

 the life history of his foes in the insect world is fv.ll of interest and wonder. 

 His heart is in his work, and he views with eager delight the' opening of the 

 lirst fruit buds of liis young trees, fair prophecy of harvests yet to come, and 

 all the changing growth of leaf and bud, of blossom and fruit, seem to him 

 like some grand idyllic poem. A double compensation conies to the lover of 

 this most beautiful and interesting of all rural pursuits, where Nature is ever 

 present to delight and tliereby sliare the toil. 



