Time and the Tree 15 



America — and it is also true in other lands — you 

 see few people at work in the fields. Orchards, 

 vineyards, fields of grain, of vegetables, of berries, 

 stretch away before your eyes and not a man any- 

 where at work, — perhaps one here or there resting 

 on his hoe-handle, or hitching the team, or tinker- 

 ing at a tool. Yet the vision is of orchards and 

 vineyards and fertile fields. What might happen 

 were the production of food intensive rather than 

 extensive? If every rood of ground produced its 

 full contribution under complete cultivation? 

 Such intensification is hinted at to-day on our 

 best fruit-farms. Why not eight tons of grapes 

 to the acre? Five himdred bushels of cherries? 

 Three hundred bushels of prunes? Three tons of 

 gooseberries? One thousand baskets of peaches? 

 It is not impossible. Only two factors are essen- 

 tial: man and climate. There is always risk of 

 the enemy: untimely storms, wind, that break 

 down the orchard and the vineyard ; hail that cuts 

 tree and vine and shrub into shreds ; late frosts that 

 kill buds and early frosts that destroy fruit; light- 

 ning that consimies rows of grapes and fruiting 

 trees ; insects that devour all green things, and f imgi 

 that suck the life from root, stalk, leaf, and fruit. 

 The weather is freakish and has no respect for 

 man. Between man and weather there is ever 

 distrust, frequent war, and final surrender by 

 him. Yet, seedtime and harvest are his security; 

 Nature will have her own, and despite wind and 

 weather. 



