WHEN TO COMMENCE A GARDEN. 151 



Let us go with him, take notes, and watch pro- 

 ceedings. He has wisely bought his place in 

 midsummer, for then in the matured growth of 

 everything he can judge better of the strength 

 and nature of the soil. If there is fruit on the 

 place, he can best learn its character, value, and 

 needs. 



As we pass with him from the desert high- 

 road into his promised land, fruitful in great 

 hopes and expectation if nothing else, we ob- 

 serve that many fruit-trees need pruning, and 

 others heading back on account of too rapid 

 growth. Some have been planted closely and 

 are crowding each other ; others are suffering 

 f rom the shade of apparently worthless trees 

 that have grown up around them. On grafted 

 fruit, sprouts and boughs have started below 

 the graft, and are taking all the strength of the 

 root, leaving the good variety to dwindle. For 

 it must be remembered that natural and com- 



