33^ An American Fruit-Farm 



game. Cheat her and we cheat ourselves ; play fair 

 with her and she rewards us bountifully. Forget 

 to feed the peach tree and Nature forgets to put 

 any bloom on the peaches. In vain we deck the 

 branches with bits of glass and colored paper; 

 quality and bloom are not. Forget to feed the 

 boys and girls and Nature forgets to beautify 

 them with the indescribable charm and bloom of 

 youth. The shoemaker makes shoes, not chil- 

 dren's feet; the milliner makes clothes, not girls* 

 bodies. Nor can factory and physician together 

 take the place of Nature. 



Even young fruit-growers go to Carlsbad to 

 drink the waters at the hotels. Grandfather 

 drank from the Indian spring on the farm, but 

 he missed Baden Baden. Is life a fable agreed 

 upon? A product of the factory? A creation of 

 the Patent Office? In days not so long since past 

 it took seventy years to make a man old. We do 

 it in half the time now, in the Valley, — ^perhaps 

 in other valleys. Then it took a week to reach 

 New York; now half a day. Then it took seven 

 years to learn a trade; now no time: men are bom 

 mechanics and restmie practice without notice. 

 Then one man worked for another for wage agreed 

 upon between them; now he refuses to work, but 

 demands the wages. Then butter was eleven 

 cents a pound ; now it is sixty, and, like a cheap 

 piano, ''assembled*' in a factory. Then schools 

 were few and learning was desired ; now schools are 

 many, nobody studies, and all get a degree. Then 



