Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. FRUITS. An important element in the enjoyment of country life consists in the cultivation of the various fruits adapted to the climate. The adornment of the grounds with ornamental trees and flowers may be considered, by many, to be more important than products which involve care and constant watching, and which can be purchased at less cost, perhaps, than we can raise them. Yet the advice given by Gerarde, two hundred and fifty years ago, needs but slight modification in our day: " Forward, in the name of God, graffe, set, plant, and nourish up trees in every corner of your grounds, the labour is small, the cost is nothing, the commoditie is great, yourselves shall have plenty, the poore shall have somewhat in time of want to relieve their necessitie, and God shall reward your good mindes and diligence." Every one who engages in this occupation will testify to the strong and healthy interest awakened by theprocesses of planting, nursing, and bringing to successful maturity of the manifold fruits with which this latitude is favored. There are difficulties and dangers enough in the way to stimulate, but not to discourage, ? to keep alive an anxious interest which will add much to the zest of an abundant harvest. And beyond this, the aim should be to make the quality of the home products superior to that which can be obtained at the markets. Fruits freshly taken from the trees or vines, with no injury from keeping or from transportation, are much more appetizing and health-giving than those which are usually exposed for sale. It should, therefore, be the ambition of every owner of land to cultivate fruits to some extent, without regard to the question of pecuniary profit. And if an interest becomes awakened sufficiently to induce a study of the best methods, it wil...
