FRUIT CULTURE 115 



growing are many. As a commercial proposition prices were not 

 satisfactory and fruit growing was seldom conducted as a complete 

 business, but was more often a side issue to general farming. Then 

 pest and disease crept in and tjje man who was not trained to com- 

 bat these soon gave up in disgust and allowed his trees to become 

 a prey to the destructive conditions about him. On the other 

 hand, the amateur found he could buy his fruit cheaper than he 

 could grow it, and consequently the home garden was gradually 

 given up. 



Fortunately now, we have come to take a more comprehensive 

 view of the situation and have begun to realize that we can grow 

 fruit near a market as cheaply as it can be grown three thousand 

 miles from that market; that we can control insects, diseases, and 

 other pests; that our fruit is of higher equality, and before all that 

 there is a profitable income to the person who will make a business 

 of fruit growing. In the house garden we have found that while 

 it may cost us a little more to grow our fruit, we can get better 

 quality, have varieties we cannot buy, have the pleasure of seeing 

 the trees in flower, leaf, and fruit; in fact, getting in close personal 

 touch with an occupation which is at once healthful, beautiful, 

 and practical. 



Many of us are restricted more or less in our choice of soils, 

 location, and exposure; our gardens may be small, too dry or to 

 wet, wind-swept, or exposed to the hot scorching rays of the sum- 

 mer sun; yet these conditions should not deter us from planting 

 our native hardy fruits. A wet soil can be drained; a dry one 

 improved by cultivation and the addition of some form of humus; 

 windbreaks can be planted on exposed places; and where there is 

 too much shade trees can be cut out. 



The apple will thrive on almost any soil provided it is not too 

 wet. Standard apples should be planted commercially and in 

 gardens where there is plenty of room; in small gardens dwarf 

 apples can be grown, and if necessary trained in almost any shape. 

 Dwarf apples on Paradise stock make smaller trees than those on 

 Doucin. The apple should be used more often as an ornament 

 on large estates, for what could be more beautiful than this tree 

 full of pink and white blossoms in the spring, and fruit of all shades 

 of red and yellow in the summer and fall? As an ornamental tree 



