396 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
and alfalfa fields. The apple trees are very 
heavily mulched, even beyond the spread of their 
branches, with waste fresh from the vats, and 
once a year a light dressing of muriate of potash 
is applied. The trees have grown as fast as 
could be desired, and all of them are now in 
bearing. The apples from these young trees sold 
- for enough last year to net ninety cents for each 
tree, which is more than the trees have ever cost 
me. 
In 1898 these orchards yielded $38; in 1899, 
$165; in 1900, $530; in 1901,$1117. Seven years 
from the date of planting these trees, which were 
then three years old, I had received in money 
$4720, or $1200 more than I paid for the fifty 
acres of land on which they grew. If one would 
ask for better returns, all he has to do is to wait; 
for there is a sort of geometrical progression in- 
herent in the income from all well-cared-for or- 
chards, which continues in force for about fifteen 
years. There is, however, no rule of progress 
unless the orchards are well cared for, and I 
would not lead any one to the mistake of plant- 
ing an orchard and then doing nothing but wait. 
Cultivate, feed, prune, spray, dig bores, fight mice, 
rabbits, aphides, and the thousand other enemies 
to trees and fruit, and do these things all the 
time and then keep on doing them, and you will 
win out. Omitall or ayy of them, and the chances 
are that you will fail of big returns. 
But orcharding is not unique in this, Every 
SE ee 
