The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-12-01
HORTICULTURE.


prevalent that the fruitgrower has
nothing to do in the winter but to en-
joy a vacation. If a man can plan his
work properly and leave it in the
hands of men who will do it in the
way he wants it done then he may
be away for two or three months. But
such vacation is far from the one
in the minds of many who have erro-
neous ideas about the conditions that
prevail in a well-regulated fruit ranch.
1t is far from true that there is
nothing to do on the fruit ranch dur
ing the winter season. If a man has
an orchard of perhaps hundred trees
as an adjunct to his other work on
the farm such as grain or stock rails
ing, then he may properly be away
during the winter, but even in that
case the attention that ought to be
given to this little orchard, such as
pruning and spraying and cleaning up
generally, is apt to be neglected in the
the rush of the spring work. | am
writing these lines for the benefit Of
those who are pursuing fruitgrowing
as vocation, not as an avocation.
The orchard of the man whose voca-
ton is grain raising or some other
calling and has his fruitgrowing as a
side calling or calling away as the
word avocation means, is nearly al
ways neglected.
If man wants to succeed in fruit
growing he must put his heart into it
he must delight in it-he must give
it his best thought by day and by
night. I pity the man who goes to
his work, whatever may be his voca-
ton, like the quarry slave scourged
to his dungeon" Some fond fathers
and mothers pick out calling for
their boy, and then try to drive him
into it. They nearly always fail and
sooner or later the boy breaks away
and goes to sea, or enlists in the
army, or drifts into the crowd of
toughs and plunges down to ruin.
There is "a more excellent way" and
that is to get the boy interested in
some pursuit, so that he delights in
it and is anxious to engage in that
line of business; then he will sue
coed.
I have read a story somewhere like
this: A young man called upon an
old minister of the gospel and said:
81 have been thinking seriously Of
entering the Christian ministry, and
l have called upon you for advice. Do
you think I ought to enter the min
istry?" The old man very bluntly
answered: mot if you can help it."
The young man was dazed with sur
prise and said: Don't you want young
men to become ministers?" Certain
ly I do" replied the aged counsellor,
'but what | mean is this-unless you
thot 10 for
the good you can do, unless your heart
is in the work and you cannot be salts
fled in any other calling, unless you
can endure hardships and be content
with quite moderate remuneration or
no remuneration at all, you are like
ly to get discouraged and make a
failure. Let me tell you, young man,
success cannot be secured in any call
ing unless one can put his sou' into
it."
| know nothing about the truth of
this story. An Irishman once said
that rot half the lies told on him were
true, so this may be lie that is not
true, but it is a good illustration OF
the principle that | am insisting upon.
The man who loves his calling and is
deeply interested in his work is the
one who succeeds.
If a mans heart is in his work of
fruit raising, as it ought to be, he will
find plenty to do in the winter. Say
ing nothing about the outdoor work.
he will find profitable employment on
bad days in reading suitable books
and papers. Every fruitgrower should
get the Yearbook issued by the De-
partment of Agriculture. If he will
write his Congressman and make re-
quest for the Yearbook, it will be sent
to him without cost. These Yearbooks
cover the whole field of farm work,
and some of the matters discussed