ON THE IDEAL PLUM 



look over a catalog and order half a dozen of this 

 or half a dozen of that, without asking any ques- 

 tions or gaining information as to whether the 

 varieties selected were adapted to the region where 

 they were to be grown. 



And the old way for the grower or nursery 

 man was to accept the form of the tree as it tended 

 to grow, with little or no attempt to change it. 



But the new way is for the intending orchardist 

 to select his varieties with the utmost care, paying 

 careful heed to questions of soil and climate, and 

 introducing only such fruits as are adapted to the 

 conditions that must be met. And as to the trees 

 themselves, when they begin to grow, the modern 

 plant improver is by no means content to leave 

 everything to Nature. He takes a hand from the 

 outset, and largely determines the form of the 

 tree. 



Moreover, the up-to-date orchardist will look 

 beyond the existing variety, and recognize that it 

 requires both imagination and labor to produce 

 the ideal tree. 



Building an ideal plant of any kind is like 

 building a house. Each must be planned in accord- 

 ance with a clearly conceived idea. But there is 

 this great difference : In the case of the plant you 

 must wait for Nature to supply you with the 

 material with which to build. 



[169] 



