290 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to the ground, dead ! Never again will he be engaged in pruning 

 his loved shade and fruit trees ! Truly, "in the midst of life we are 

 in death !" 



An apple tree, like ourselves, comes into life for a purpose ; and, 

 after that purpose is fulfilled, it and we must die. Thousands of 

 trees are dying all over which have simply fulfilled their mission. 

 They have been a success, but now "rest from their labors." It is 

 true that many an old tree by wise doctoring can again be made 

 fruitful and remunerative, still the time comes when it, like our- 

 selves, must "go the way of all the earth." I have just seen trees 

 in the eastern states that I remember, when a boy, as being vigorous 

 and healthy ; they show good care and still bear a little fruit, but 

 they are slowly dying from old age. 



One practical lesson learned from pruning is, that bad habits, 

 like diseased growths on trees, must be eradicated, "root and 

 branch," before we can attain to a perfect manhood. Not one per- 

 nicious habit can be retained, else it will disease the whole body, 

 mental, moral and physical, and thus prevent a perfect whole. Then, 

 too, as the pruning of a tree must begin when it is young, so must 

 the training of the youth and the formation of good, steady, indus- 

 trious habits, begin when young; and the first tendency to evil, 

 shiftless idle habits must also be nipped in the bud before fully 

 formed. It is true that an old, unthrifty tree can be reclaimed, but, 

 like the regeneration of a grown man, it is a task of vast and uncer- 

 tain proportions. 



The treatment of a tree varies according to climatic surroundings 

 and latitudinal differences. So take the case of the training of two 

 boys, one a product of the slums, with no training except what he 

 has picked up in the streets ; the other, reared in the atmosphere of a 

 pure, clean, home and surrounded by parental care and love. You 

 will surely agree with me that the training of the two upward to 

 a pure, virtuous, useful life cannot from necessity consist of the 

 same steps. The result may be the same in future years, but the 

 present processes are vastly different. 



Then, there is the question of heredity! How careful we are 

 when purchasing a tree to insist that it is "true to name ;" but we 

 very foolishly admit into our family circle as friends of our children 

 boys and girls of whom we know nothing of parentage or an- 

 cestry, and then wonder that our dear ones go astray. 



Many orchards are ruined by excessive, injudicious priming; 

 so many boys are ruined by excessive injudicious training. Teach 

 your boy to think and act for himself, after carefully guiding and 

 guarding his early footsteps. 



