30 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
living in it. This is most emphatically illustrated 
in apple-growing—to which the least skilful attention 
has been given—for the years of crop are years of 
low prices. This means that apple-growers allow 
the seasons and other environmental circumstances 
to absolutely dictate the bearing time of the orchard, 
and when one man has a crop other men may 
have one. Yet there is no fruit which comes so 
near to being a staple commodity as the apple does, 
and none which has a longer market season, or is 
eapable of manufacture into a greater number of 
secondary products. 
Perhaps the last thing which the farmer learns, in 
respect to his own business, is to thoroughly master 
his local conditions. He must feel that his problems 
of soil and exposure, his limitations of capital, and his 
own tastes, are all unique and personal, and he must 
then begin to work out his results in his own way. 
What he can learn from books and teachers are 
principles and truths, he can pick up suggestions, 
and he can, above all, acquire an ability to grasp his 
local problems; but he must solve his problems for 
himself. This is the secret of that close and single- 
minded attention to business which makes for the 
greatest success. 
The most profitable stock in trade of the fruit- 
grower, therefore, as already indicated, is training ; 
and if a good part of this. training is in pure busi- 
ness methods, very much will be gained, for there 
are probably ten men who can grow a given quality 
of fruit where there is one who can sell it to advan- 
