26 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
October, 1917 
A Tale of Mystery, a Fish Tale. 
On a busy day recently there 
came over the telephone the fol- 
lowing interesting news item : 
“President Rasmussen and fam- 
ily spent Saturday and Sunday 
with friends in Madison ; Mr. Ras- 
mussen spent Saturday fishing 
and caught a twenty-three pound 
pickerel.” 
As the informant was known to 
the editor as a thoroughly reliable 
person, the item was filed for fu- 
ture use, and the day’s work went 
on as usual, only the thoughts of 
the blue waves of Mendota, a 
gently rocking boat and the joys 
of deep water fishing would in- 
trude in a most unseemly manner, 
where only canning, drying, and 
Liberty Gardens belonged. “The 
1917 State Fair horticultural ex- 
hibit excelled in extent and,” — 
“twenty-three pound pickerel,” 
— “some fish, I wonder what 
spoon he used,” — variety that of 
1916 by at least — “twenty-three 
pounds, — why that’s the biggest 
fish taken out of Mendota since 
the days of Billy Dunn and Gro- 
ver Cleveland, and not a word in 
the Madison papers. Some mys- 
tery here.” 
Land lubbers who rave over the 
pleasures of golf, knocking a lit- 
tle white ball across lots into holes 
and out again, silly business for 
grown men and women ; baseball 
fans and even hunters really miss 
the real great big fun in life be- 
cause they never go fishing. 
And of all fishing, the deep wa- 
ter fishing is the kind that’s best 
worth while. You sit in the stern 
of your skiff with another fellow 
to row, of course, your steel rod 
and patent reel grasped firmly in 
your good right hand, the glisten- 
ing spoon with its enticing bait 
whirling fifty or one hundred feet 
astern and sending a delightful 
tremor through your arm; there 
you may sit for an hour or per- 
haps for two before anything hap- 
pens to wake you from your de- 
lightful reverie, for you have the 
true fisherman’s patience and 
your thoughts are of how good it 
is to be alive ou this beautiful 
September day. 
A sudden tug awakens you and 
now life is really worth living, for 
you have a strike ! The line sings 
through the reel, sweetest music 
in all the world to the fisherman’s 
ear, the rod bends until the tip 
is submerged and the fight is on, 
for he is a big one. It’s a match 
between your skill aided by the 
patent reel and the instinct and 
strength of this four-foot nurkie 
or pickerel. You “play” him, 
oh, boy, how carefully you play 
him, with thumb on the release 
you pay out just enough line, not 
too hard a pull or you will lose 
this twenty pounder, not too slack 
or, — one snap of those saw 
toothed jaws and your prize is 
gone with your spoon and as 
much of your line as could be 
grabbed in a mouthful. For ten, 
twenty, maybe for thirty minutes 
you play him. You are breathing 
hard, your nerves tingle to your 
finger tips as slowly, inch by inch, 
you reel in until your catch is in 
sight. 
There is no use in telling' you 
land lubbers about it, because you 
don’t know and never will know 
the joy of that minute when you 
are first able to distinguish the 
outlines of your graceful, glisten- 
ing prize. And as in all of life, 
the pleasure is tinged with doubt 
and fear for you haven’t landed 
him yet. For all you know there 
may be just one more figbt in that 
old timer and with what care you 
handle the line and gaff until 
finally the catch is over the side 
JEWELL 
MINNESOTA 
GROWN 
Nursery Stock 
Complete assortment 
of Fruit and Orna- 
mental stock in all 
varieties suited to 
northern culture. A 
specialty of Hardy 
Shade Trees, Wind- 
break Stock, Ever- 
greens ( Conifer- 
ous), Deciduous 
Shrubs, Apples and 
Native Plums. 
AGENTS WANTED 

The Jewell Nursery 
Company 
Lake City, Minnesota 
The Hawks 
Nursery 
Company 
are in a position to 
furnish high grade 
Nursery Stock of all 
kinds and varieties 
suitable to Wiscon- 
sin and other north- 
ern districts. 
Will be glad to fig- 
ure on your wants 
either in large or 
small quantities. 
Wauwatosa, Wis. 
