86 An American Fruit-Farm 



roadside. As in Germany, plant fniit-trees along 

 the roadside and so get use of the land. In a 

 fruit country there is the least disturbance of 

 fruit by thieves, for everybody is a watchman. 

 Care should be taken to lay out alleys and 

 roadways economically, for they cost the use of 

 the land, the land itself, and the upkeep of the 

 road. 



All berry crops are short-lived: strawberries 

 two years; raspberries not more than ten ; currants 

 and gooseberries somewhat longer. An orchard or 

 a vineyard is planted for an indefinite period. 

 Apple trees are long-lived and usually bear profit- 

 ably when fifteen years old. Individual trees and 

 some varieties begin to bear at seven years from 

 planting. Apples on young trees are like a child's 

 earnings, small and infrequent, and rather hard on 

 the child. The tree thrives best on well-drained, 

 strong land.- Our memories are of the old orchard, 

 a cool, cavernous, fruitful retreat, the home of birds 

 and bees, or waving grasses and fruit-laden boughs, 

 of tall ladders too, and the shaking of top branches, 

 the rattling of apples through them, over our heads, 

 and our scuttling to a safe retreat. The apple 

 trees never failed, — for we forget the barren years 

 and never knew the waste of finest apples at top 

 of the tree that could not be reached even with the 

 tallest ladder. The sprig of a tree we plant spans 

 no more than the shade of one's hand; the old 

 tree we remember seemed to brush the clouds. 

 Now we keep the orchard low and let in the sun- 



