SHALL I BE A FRUIT GROWER? 



583 



enterprises. This may be advantageous. The young man 

 who has a keen dislike for hens certainly would not be con- 

 tent raising poultry even though there was considerable 

 promise of profit in the field. Undoubtedly, many have left 

 the farm for what appeared to be greater attractions in the city 

 who would have remained in agriculture could they have found 

 a phase which held the necessary attraction for them. 



3. Would I be willing to undergo cheerfully the limitations 

 connected with fruit production? 



In the cultivation of fruit, as in practically all other agri- 

 cultural pursuits, there are times when one has to sacrifice 

 hours of leisure when the majority of the population is at rest 

 to attend to the needs of the enterprise. While fruit growing 

 may not be so confining as dairy farming, there are periods 

 when the hours are as long, the work as hard, and the tasks as 

 repetitious. The finished product may be beautiful and de- 

 lightful, but it involves many hours of labor and sweat and 

 uncertainty. 



It has been said that a good teacher can determine a stu- 

 dent^s aptitude for an enterprise by the manner in which the 

 student appraises its products. Given an apple, the recipient 

 is likely to have one of two things in mind — ^the quality of the 

 fruit and the care used in producing it, or what it will do for 

 his stomach. The man with a love of fruit growing in his 

 heart will see the orchard in bloom and all the various opera- 

 tions that lie between. He will have a fine regard for the 

 finished product. 



The objective to this point has been primarily to assist 

 the individual in determining the origin of and subsequently 

 the soundness of his conclusion as to choice of occupation. 

 With this analysis completed, it is in order to turn our atten- 

 tion to the second consideration, ^^Can I expect to make a 

 reasonable living through the production of fruit crops This 

 may be considered under several headings and from several 

 standpoints. 



