me 
10 THE FOREST TREE CULTURIST. 
the almost invariable answer will be, “I don’t care for the 
expense, but I can’t wait so long.” I can count many 
such men among my acquaintances who have made th 
same excuse for the last ten or fifteen years, and they have 
not commenced that grove or vineyard yet, and done very 
little toward the orchard. 
There are men, however, with whom to think and to act 
are near relatives, and a letter which I lately received from 
one who is a past octogenarian calls to mind a circumstance 
which happened several years ago; it also illustrates the 
fact, that there is never a period in life in which a man 
may not do some good to somebody by planting trees, and 
often he will gather the blessing himself, although he lit- 
tle expects it. When I was in my fourteenth year, a gray- 
haired uncle of sixty, who had just purchased a new farm, 
requested me to pull up some of the young trees which 
were growing in masses in my father’s garden, and put 
them on a load of goods which were going to his place. 
With the assistance of my father I did so, tying the bundle 
to the body of the wagon, as there was no room on the 
load. I well remember the remark of my father at the 
time : “ Uncle John, you are rather old to think of growing 
an orchard.” “Never mind,” replied my old uncle, “it is 
certainly not too late for me to try.” That uncle still 
lives, and has been enjoying the fruit of those trees for 
many years. It is well that we can not all be sure of liv- 
ing to such a venerable age, for in that case I fear we 
would never begin, as “'Time enough” would become the 
motto, instead of, as now, “ No time.” 
The period has now arrived when this subject of growing 
