MR. URBAN AND A COUNTRY HOUSE 



But, short-comings of subordinates could be 

 borne, if we might be sure of the intelHgent 

 and faithful direction of superiors. In fault 

 of this from outside sources, Mr. Urban, if he 

 insists upon his fifty-acre experiment, must 

 undertake it himself. And, in that event — as 

 I hinted at the beginning — I expect to see him 

 grow fearfully red in the face, and struggle 

 against his wife's repinings, and yet, through 

 all — if the rural love be strong in him — work 

 out results that will be charming in spite of 

 their toils. 



As for the pears and the Chittagongs, about 

 which, if I remember rightly, my friend Ur- 

 ban instituted some inquiries, I have nothing 

 in particular to say. Bad fruit is due more to 

 lack of good culture, than to choice of bad 

 varieties; let a man select the best specimens 

 he can find in the city-markets — testing them 

 by taste — secure the trees from a nurseryman 

 who has a reputation to lose, then cultivate 

 with care, and he will never lack good fruit. 



There is as much dilettanteism in pomology 

 as in old pottery, or in poetry; a sound man 

 who wearies of the dilettanti chooses what he 

 likes, and gives it protection and reaps his re- 

 ward. I would as soon think of choosing my 

 fruits by the advices of the horticultural dis- 



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