PREFATORY NOTE. 



'"'' And so you are really going f said Walter^ 

 as he settled himself in an easy chair in front of 

 my study fre. 



" Ye^," / answered . " / am. / have decided.'' 



Fy'alter reflected a moment. Then he observed, 

 " / dont know but what you are right." Yet his 

 tone was not the tone of absolute conviction, as his 

 next remark showed. " But dont you think, all 

 the same, that you could grow fruit in England? 

 Many jjeople do. You know that hundreds of 

 acres are being planted with apple trees in Not- 

 tinghamshire and Lincolnshire.'' 



" Yes : I am quite aware of that. But what 

 are the prospects? Consider the j)rice of the land 

 — £100 per acre, anywhere within easy reach of 

 London — perhaps more. Then, suppose you plant 

 your orchard. After waiting the eight or ten 

 years while it is growing up, you may at the end 

 of that time find it is spoilt by the erection 

 of factories, belching out smoke and other im- 

 purities, poisoning the atmosphere all round your 

 trees." 



" T'rue, that might happen" admitted Walter, 

 thoughtfully. " But," he added, after a pause, 



