The fruit garden. ^5 



too often the strawberry-bed, even if it exists, is hidden by 

 weeds, and the later small fruits struggle for bare life in 

 some neglected corner. Indeed, an excursion into certain 

 parts of New England might suggest that many of its thrifty 

 citizens would not have been content in Eden until they 

 had put its best land into onions and tobacco. Through 

 the superb scenery of Vermont there flows a river whose 

 name, one might think, would secure an unfailing tide from 

 the eyes of the inhabitants. The Alpine strawberry grows 

 wild in all that region, but the Puritan smacked his lips over 

 another gift of nature and named the romantic stream in its 

 honor. To account for certain tastes or tendencies, man- 

 kind must certainly have fallen a little v/ay, or, if Mr. Dar- 

 win's view is correct, and we are on a slight up-grade, a 

 dreadful hitch and tendency to backslide has been appar- 

 ent at a certain point ever since the Hebrews sighed for the 

 *' leeks and onions of Egypt." 



Of course, there is little hope for the rural soul that 

 "loathes" the light manna of small fruits. We must leave 

 it to evolution for another cycle or two. But, as already 

 indicated, we believe that humanity in the main has reached 

 a point where its internal organs highly approve of the deli- 

 cious group of fruits that strayed out of Paradise, and have 

 not yet lost themselves among the " thorns and thistles." In- 

 deed, modem skill — the alchemy of our age — has wrought 

 such wonders that Eden is possible again to all who will take 

 the trouble to form Eden-like tastes and capacities. 



The number who are doing this is increasing every year. 

 The large demand for literature relating to out-of-door life, 

 horticultural journals, like the fruits of which they treat, 

 flourishing in regions nev\^ and remote, are proof of this. 

 The business of supplying fruit-trees, plants, and even flow- 

 ers, is becoming a vast industry. I have been informed that 



