The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-05-22
Pruning and Spraying Young Folks

When we plant peach or apple
tree, no matter how good the sort nor
how fertile the soil, nor how good the
cultivation, il will need pruning. The
very vigor of the tree and the choice
environment will make il grow in Il
sort Of wanton way, throwing out
limbs that interfere with each other
to the ruin of both, and marring the
looks Of the tree. If let alone, it will
grow too high and throw out too many
limbs. II needs pruning to keep the
fruit within reach, to keep back the
water-sprouts, to let in the sunlight,
that il may give the fruit the desired
colorinE.
No matter how good the boy is, nor
how worthy his father and mother nor
how perfect the home life the very en-
ergy of the boy, the wild wantonness
Of his strength, will make him develop
habits and manners that need check
ing or changing. He needs pruning
He needs training, so that each branch
so to spcak--of his character, will
develop tremendously and without in
reference with, some other branch,
some other trait, Il worthy trait, too,
the worst is merely an eXaggeration
of our best Our very virtues turn to
vices if they are not under control.
either self-control or otherwise. The
boy, like the tree, needs pruning.
No matter how good the tree, how
well cultivated or how we'll pruned,
enemies will attack it about the time
of fruit formation. The codling moth
will get into the apples, the scab will
fasten upon them. Enemies will at
tack the leaves, the branches, the bark
and the trunk; and until we learn how
to take full advantage of the birds
that help us in our perpetual warfare
against insect pests, the tree will need
spraying.
And so does the boy He needs it
particularly about the time he is de-
veloping from boyhood to manhood.
ticular spray, and applied at the right
time, so in the case CT boys-they
need particular advice and instruction
and warning and help to protect them
from enemies that lie in wait for
them. CAN this applies to girls as
well MS to boys.)
We need not go into particulars on
this point. We can tell them, if they
will ask US. how to use arsenate of
lead or Bordeaux mixture, or and 9th
err insecticide or poison used to kill
off insects. We can not go into de-
tails as to the particular methods for
spraying boys and girls.
A good home life is one of the best
spravs for childhood Sound teaching
in school, and in a school with enough
pupils 70. afford healthy and moral
play life, will help to keep away the
pests that are apt to dwarf and blight
young womanhood and manhood. A
good church life is perhaps even bet
ter preventive than a good school life
although both should go together. Any
moral spray Of any kind, that devel-
ops more vigorous life within, that
gives the boy or girl an opportunity
to develop the higher ideals that come
with budding manhood and woman
hood, will be immensely helpful The
influence and example Of a good COM
panion, a good teacher, a wise pastor
or Sabbath school teacher, will often
make severe spraying unnecessary.
At the first opportunity you have,
look ut we'll sprayed tree or orchard.
Get the ideal. Then the first time you
pass an old, neglected dilapidated or
chard, stop and look at 1t carefully.
1 Think what this might have been, had