The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-11-12

fruit-raising part Of IT, into something
more like an exact science than the lot
Under the head of general information
IS given the climate of California and Its
local notifications, ranging from the tor
rid region about Indio where the sun ever
shines on burning sands and the date
palm and pineapple grow with the banana
in the GASES, to the edge OF the glaciers
lest apples and kindred northern fruits
can ripen. These, of course, are only the
freaks of climate. The great bulk of the
State is temperate and produces the fruits
of both extremes Why the California
climate is so specially favorable to the
growth of fruit is shown to be largely by
allowing the full benefit of the suns rays
to act upon the leaves and fruit.
Fruit soils of California make an impor-
tant chapter for the man who has still
his selection of land to make and in a
lesser degree to the man who has not yet
planted his fruits and can get those which
best suit the soil already owned.
The chapter on wild fruits of California
shows the natural tendency of the State
to fruit production and takes Caltfor-
Man back to the time of boyhood, when
he climbed over the green carpeted ridges
of the SterraS picking wild plumS and
cherries to make marmalade-and black
berries, raspberries and strawberries for
jam.
An interesting description of the Mission
fruits, those planted by the Spanish mis-
sionaries, concludes the historical part Of
X,
work with grubhoe. pillow and spade. The
cultural division of the volume is very
complete and is full of new wrinkles for
old hands as well as for the beginner.
Its sub-neadings are as follows:
Clearing land for fruit.
The nursery-budding and grating.
Preparation for planting-planting the
trees.
Pruning orchard trees and thinning
fruit.
Cultivation fertilizers for fruit trees
and vines.
Part third is devoted to a description
and habitat OF each of the many Cali
fornia fruits with all their advantages
ard peculiarities.
Grape pagation-planting and care
occupies division by itself:
Semi-tropical fruits-the date, fig, olive,
orange, lemon and Iime-are treated at
length, and in shorter space the banana,
guava. jujube loquat, persimmon, pine
apple, pomegranate, prickly and alligator
arouse an intense desire In the reader to
get land and tools and set to work.
Economy is given, prominent place all
through, for in a business as large as
Embarrassing, with its many ramifications
becomes. small economies are source OF
large profits. Five acres under cultiva-
ton as illustrated by Mr.. Wickson would
in most cases pay more net profits than
100 acres planted to hay or grain in the
old way.
The book is treat for every one in
tereSteO IN nature, WnelQeT from the
standpoint of practical money-making
scientific investigation or mere romantic
interest, and will be a standard library
book. Pacific Rural Press, San Fran
cisco. 81 SOD
Mr. Sebastian Evans has translated into
English the earliest record of the activity
of St Francis of Assist from the rather
recently discovered Latin manuscript of
the Mirror of Perfection, by the saint 8
beloved companion, Brother Leo. No
where else is there so clear a picture of
st. Francis simplicity, of his whole-heart-
edness. of his freedom from the fear Of
man that maketh a snare. The simple
energy of this record is such that it
strikes a reader as very inappropriate for
Mr.. Evans to translate it into an artificial
old English, speaking of the sick and
heal instead of the sick and well; call
artifcializing Brother Leo's quaint but
grabbed and honest Latin into a pseudo
quaint pretended old dialect which affords
no pleasure to any but a sentimentalized
lover of affectation. The effort though
made on false basis, is carried out with
very great skill and some scholarship. IL.
c. Page & Co., Boston)
There is no social force more subtle and
therefore more powerful than art. Not
merely in subject but in manner it exerts
an influence more profound than would be
supposed by those who have not thought
to say that the quality of a line, the plac-
ing of patches of light and shadow the
cadences OF a line of poetry or the turn
or phrase may tend to elevate or debase
a whole character, 1t is certainly true
Art neglected or taken lightly will have