54 THE HOME ACRE. 



will keep the acre free of them. Treading the 

 snow compactly around the tree is also practised. 



Do not let the reader be discouraged by this list 

 of the most common enemies, or by hearing of 

 others. After reading some medical works we are 

 led to wonder that the human race does not speed- 

 ily die out. As a rule, however, with moderate 

 care, most of us are able to say, " I 'm pretty well, I 

 thank you," and when ailing we do not straightway 

 despair. In spite of all enemies and drawbacks, 

 fruit is becoming more plentiful every year. If 

 one man can raise it, so can another. 



Be hospitable to birds, the best of all insect 

 destroyers. Put up plenty of houses for bluebirds 

 and wrens, and treat the little brown song-sparrow 

 as one of your stanchest friends. 



A brief word in regard to the quince, and our 

 present list of fruits is compiete. 



If the quince is cultivated after the common ne- 

 glectful method, it would better be relegated to an 

 obscure part of the garden, for, left to itself, it 

 makes a great sprawling bush ; properly trained, 

 it becomes a beautiful ornament to the lawn, like 

 the other fruits that I have described. Only a 

 little care, with the judicious use of the pruning- 

 shears, is required to develop it into a miniature 

 and fruitful tree, which can be grown with a natu- 

 ral rounded head or in the form of a pyramid, as 



