cultivation and the development of high- 

 grade fruit was neglected until very 

 recent times, and this neglect is still quite 

 apparent in some portions of our coun- 

 try. The best results are only obtained 

 when the soil is carefully and wisely 

 tilled. 



Few trees are more beautiful than the 



apple when it is covered with blossoms. 

 Truly has the poet written : 

 Lovely it was when its blossoms came, 



Smiling up to the smiling day, 



A marvel of bloom and sweetness, 

 Just one bountiful, vast bouquet. 

 The pride and glory of later May, 

 No brush could paint it, no pen portray 

 Its perfect and rare com.pleteness. 



FRITZ. 



He was only a little waif. No one 

 knew where he came from or who his 

 parents were. He was found in the road 

 near Los Gatos, California, and carried 

 into the house at Fair View by a kind 

 lady who gave him a drink of warm 

 milk. At that he gave a little bark of 

 thanks and vigorously wagged his tail. 

 He was a tiny creature, so small that his 

 new mistress could hold him in one hand, 

 but he grew rapidly until he was about 

 twelve inches long. He had a silky short 

 tan coat, bright eyes and long ears which 

 were permitted to grow just as nature 

 made them, and his tail was never 

 bobbed. 



Fritz led a happy life in his pretty 

 home. He took his place there as if it 

 were his right, and no one questioned his 

 position. In the morning he lay out on 

 the veranda where the roses climbed, or 

 under the orange trees, breathing in the 

 perfume of their blossoms and watching 

 the bees dart to and fro among the 

 golden fruit and glossy leaves. No crea- 

 ture troubled him. The humming-birds 

 flashing their shining bodies back and 

 forth among the flowers were his friends, 

 and the little lizzards, frisking about in 

 the joyous sunshine, watched him with 

 their bright eyes but never disturbed him. 

 For exercise he chased butterflies upon 

 the flower-enameled hills near by or 

 fetched and carried a ball for his mis- 

 tress. At night he crept into his own 

 soft bed in the room of his mistress, and 

 if it was cool was covered with a gay 

 blanket. Good food and kind words were 

 given him. Indeed he reigned supreme 

 at Fair View. 



Fritz seemed a gentle creature, but at 

 sight of a cat he was transformed. His 

 eyes would flash and he would cock his 

 ears and with a snarl and bark start in 

 pursuit of the offending animal. He dis- 

 liked children and if a child came to the 

 house was bad-tempered and uneasy until 

 it went away. 



One evening as he lay upon the side 

 veranda with dreamy half open eyes 

 lazily watching the golden light die upon 

 the mountains, he heard footsteps on the 

 drive. Instantly he was wide awake, 

 and running to the front of the house 

 began to bark furiously at a lady and a 

 little girl who were coming up the steps. 



''Nice little doggie !" said the child, 

 holding out her hand to him. 



"Take care, Virginia !" cried her 

 mother, for the dog at that moment 

 snapped angrily at her. His mistress 

 coming out just then drove him away. 

 Virginia loved everybody and everybody 

 loved her, so she could not understand, 

 and turning to the lady asked. 



"What makes him act so?" 



"He doesn't like you." 



"Why doesn't he like me when I have 

 never hurt him?" asked the child, turn- 

 ing a pair of wondering blue eyes upon 

 the lady. 



"He's jealous of you," said his mis- 

 tress. 



"What's jealous?" asked Virginia with 

 such an air of surprise that the lady 

 laughed and did not explain. 



Virginia was very sad at Fritz's treat- 

 ment. As for Fritz, he was changed 

 from a sweet-tempered little dog to a 

 snapping, snarling brute. He barked 



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