The Cultivation of the Fruit-Farm 151 



greater perils to our orchard than to Nature's 

 wild trees. It is not enough for us that the apple 

 or cherry tree merely fruits; it must fruit abun- 

 dantly and of the quality we desire. Then, too, in 

 concentrating the energy of the vine or tree upon 

 some particular part, as pulp in cherry or prune, 

 and liquid in grape, we disturb the balance of the 

 plant's life and so weaken the plant against its 

 enemies. The cherry tree which bears our best 

 fruit, in the stem economy of Nature is a weakling, 

 unable to withstand disease, and this cherished 

 fruit invites insects and fungi in myriads. 



What must we do? 



We may so feed the tree that it grows and bears 

 fruit in such quantity that, despite the ravages of 

 insects and fungi, we have an abundance of perfect 

 fruit left and the tree also survives. Or, we may 

 destroy the enemy and save the fruit, also relieving 

 the tree of its enemies. Our supreme purpose is to 

 keep the tree healthy and to raise an abundance 

 of perfect fruit of finest quality. A tree may be 

 withered by fungus or eaten of insects and for a 

 time seem healthy and able to resist the attacks, 

 but at last it succtimbs. To save it we poison the 

 enemy without killing the tree or injuring the fruit. 

 This is the purpose and the art of spraying. 



Now spraying is a preventive and a remedy, 

 not a fertilizer; it is medicine for the sick, not food 

 for the well. Like all medicine it disturbs the 

 system. Usually medicine to the fruit-grower is no 

 more than a stimulus to some organ or tissue of the 



