The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-02-04
MORE FAMILIES SHOULD GROW
FRUITS in HOME ORCHARDS
Sufficient Range in Varieties Enables Production
Throughout Large Portion of Country to Provide
Supply in Fresh State and Canned
Through Year
Through Year

The middle-agcd gentleman was
downcast, not to say positively de-
spondent. And it wasn't his nature
at lunch time. Something serious
had happened, clearly. His young
friend, who felt a duty of guardian
ship in a way, asked him what.
"Well, confessed the middle-aged
gentleman, 81 am apprehensive as to
the future of the country. The home
orchard is passing away-a specialist
of the United States Department of
Agriculture told me so. And | don't
see how American institutions as we
know them are going to survive such
a blow. Why, all the memories that
are worth whilc-all the sweet senti-
mcnts that tie us to the divine suffi-
GENTLY to keep US from going wholly
to the brute-conncct jim some way
with the old home orchard. The
thing that brings to me the spirit of
Laster-the coming Of life out Of
death--isn't sermons and lilies. It is
the smell OF plum blossoms, white on
the trees and fragrant long before
the leaves appear. Apple blossoms
after a warm rain-peach blooms
against a saffron sunset-apples
hanging thick on the trees when the
leaves are falling and frost is near,
the visible proof of the faith that
Nature will provide for her children
I through the frozen time! Why, there
/ isn't a day but some memory of my
playtime in the old orchard me me
kinder and more decent to the other
human beings who have to live here
with me. What's going to happen,
/ I'd like to know, when we have bred
race that buys it's fruit from COM
mercial orchards and knows nothing
Of the humanizing influence of the
little orchard that is a part of home,
and if not actually part of heaven
at least bit of the path that leads to
heaven"
Reviewing the Home Orchard
"Well," said the young friend,
"other specialists of the Department
of Agriculture besides the one you
talked to have been thinking about It.
| don't know that they had your par
/ ticular phase of the home orchard in
mind. l believe they we're thinking
more about. saving money in the
home, and about the greater comfort
of the members of the household. But
they have written bulletin entitled
Growing Fruit for Home USE 1t
begins this way. Amore general cul-
turo of fruits in gSWens and in home
orchards would contribute substan-
tally to the health and pleasure OF
the average family, besides furnish
ing a supply of valuable food pro-
ducts at a relatively small outlay OF
money Something, you see, Is being
done to prevent the passing of the
home orchard"
Tm glad TO hear it, said tho
middle-aged gentleman, "What else
does The bulletin say"
"Wcll, it says 40 pages full OF
sound advice about growing fruit in
the home orchard it outlines plar
for an orchard, tells what kind of site
Is best, how to obtain nursery stock
the relative advantages of large and
dwarf trees, season of planting, pre-
paration of the soil, handling the
stock from the nursery, planting, cul-
tural methods, maintaining soil fertl'
lity, pruning and training, control OF
insect pests and fungous diseases, va
rictios of fruit for different regions
description Of the different fruit dis
trcts, comments on fruit varieties
age of bearing, and lists of varieties
II discusses apples pears, ounces
peaches, apricots, plums, cherries
/ grapes, gooaebe1ries, currants, straw
berries, raspberries, blackberries
dewberrics, and possibly, some 9th
ers."
"That"-and the middle-aged gen
tleman let out long breath ano
grew less tense-"is fine, as far as II
goes. 1t tells a man how to grow
fruit at home. But does it tell hin
why to grow fruit at home?"
Eyes" said the young man, III
points out that, in many localities
the difficulty of securing fruit II
pleasing variety by purchase is
strong reason for its home produc-
ton wherever possible 1t says that
throughout large portion OF the
country, sufficient range in variety
of fruits can be produced to provide
a supply in the fresh state for the
tabIe during y LARGE mart of the yeal