LUTHER BURBANK 
require much capital except in brain and muscle, 
but it is an achievement worth while.” 
An achievement worth while, the renovation of 
an old orchard, or even the rejuvenation of a 
single tree, certainly is. I can gauge something 
of the growing recognition of this fact from the 
ever-increasing number of letters that come to me 
from all parts of the world asking my opinion or 
advice as to the possibility of restoration to use- 
fulness of trees that their owners not long since 
regarded as worthless. 
And I am usually able to assure the questioners 
with a good deal of confidence that if they go about 
it in the right way they will not merely restore 
trees to their former level of productivity, but may 
make them producers of fruit in such abundance 
and of such quality as quite to outclass their orig- 
inal record. 
HOUSECLEANING IN THE TREETOPS 
I need not here enter into details as to the exact 
methods of operation through which such restora- 
tion and rejuvenation of old orchard trees may be 
brought about. Such details can be given to better 
advantage in the chapters that deal with individ- 
ual fruits. But there are a few general principles 
applicable to the entire class of fruit trees that 
may be briefly outlined. 
First and foremost, perhaps, is the matter of 
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