Miscellaneous Papers. 335 



and bodv, in every day life, in business, in the home, socially and financi- 

 ally. Again it follows its best influences until it beconies a religion. Our 

 hearts and minds and souls are led by this same great principle.. Even 

 God himself hath promised that "he that honoreth Me I ^vill honor," "he 

 that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out." There is no one great 

 department of thought, or work, or study or feature of life where reci- 

 procity will so quickly and so truly be known as in religion. God says 

 "Test Me and try Me and see if I am not God." 



The horticulturist above all others believes in reciprocity and applies 

 its principles practically to every one of his dealings with nature, first 

 Avith his trees and plants, and next ^vith his fellow man. Xo class of 

 business men, and certainly no class of professional men are so free with 

 their trade secrets or their successful experiences as are the fruit growers. 

 Xo sooner does a man make a success of or in one department of his work 

 or with one of his fruits, than at once he tells it to his fellow man and in 

 return gets other information he is seeking. 



But the horticulturist also gives practical proof of the value of re- 

 ciprocity in his every day dealings v^dth his trees, vines and plants. First 

 in the nursery how the little seedlings, and grafts and plants and trees, 

 reciprocate for every care and attention, in cultivation, in hoeing, in 

 training, that the husbandman gives his live plants. 



How often we forget that all these trees and plants are alive, live 

 beings, live trees, that they can feel and see, and love care and attention 

 just as much as can any animal in our service. Did it ever occur to you 

 how appreciative are our domestic animals to our care ? Well, just so are 

 our trees and plants; they are just as sensitive to care or neglect, to 

 to attention or carelessness, to love or abuse as our animals, and they 

 show it just as quickly. How they will reciprocate for every care 

 given them. Ask or examine the plants of the florist and they 

 will answer you. Go to the orchard and ask those trees how they will 

 reciprocate if you will give them care and attention and training and see 

 how soon they will answer you in their appearance, in their growth, in 

 their vigor, in their fruitfulness. I believe that there are times when 

 our plants will pay for every care, and for all the work bestowed upou 

 them in th'^ir young life, by the return of fruits in tlieir season. 



