OCR Text |
Show I HORTICULTURE THE "CROWN OF WILD OLIVES." -' . - . .' .1 Provision for Old Age. ByJos. Hyrum Parry. , g v , , I Whilc still jiti the hcydaV oft youth or the vigor of niidUjc life, every man should plan and do some work that 4 will give him returns in his old age and make his declining years independent indepen-dent and happy, says nn observant Southern farmer' in Rural Ncw-York-er,and never was a better thought pur on paper. The writer continues: Many of us, remember Ruskin's account ac-count of the beautiful old Greek custom cus-tom of the "Grown of Wild Olives," a period of rest and peace, even in this world, after the hard battles of life arc over. And all of us, now while we arc young, sliQtild prepare for our crown of wild olives. While in his youth the writer quoit- . cd above looked nrotind him to find something to do that would bring independence in-dependence and peace in his old age. Mc was the son of an extensive Mississippi Mis-sissippi cotton grower and of all occupations oc-cupations that nrc most fdlcd with worry, the calling of the cotton planter plant-er talfcs the lead. He chose for his crown of wild olives a pecan grove, which he planted about twenty-five years ago, amid the ridicule of the whole community. The Southern people never planted for more than a year ahead, and anyone who was willing to wait ten years for his returns re-turns was considered nothing moic than a fool. They prophesied every imaginary disaster. The disasters all came, but the pecan grove stood them all, and the "fool" who planted the grove was not such a big fool after alj. For, twenty-five years after, af-ter, the very men who laughed the loudest arc now planting groves for themselves, while the first "fool." planter is reaping -u golden harvest from his ioo acres of pecans. Th'e whole South is now planting pecans and) there will be need for all. The Titer would fain convince every young man in Utah, within the pale of his influence, that the best provision for old age, the best crown of wild olives in this section, is a well planted commercial orchard of any size, fr.om five acres up. There is nothing that promises so certain and steady an income to its owner and no calling which will give greater pleasure in its pursuit than the ownership own-ership and care of a bearing orchard or vineyard, or both combined. There is at this writing a great boom in life insurance; the woods are full of insurance agents who arc urging young mien to take out policies for the benefit of their families and a possible provision against old -age, in the event that they themselves live to mature their policies. Insurance s pointed to as a dHity a man owes his family, to provide them against want in case of his death. All of which is true" w gospel. But the question arises as to what arc the best means of making this provision for old age, or, to come more to the point, what is the best and safest insurance policy? From careful observation the writer writ-er has com'c to the conclusion that of all the many insurance policies of-fcrcdl of-fcrcdl tp select from no one offers so many advantages as the growing of a good orchard. The man who se-49$t,vjiy se-49$t,vjiy policy handles Jiis own money all the time and doesn't have to. wait twenty years or more before he has nny returns, meantime aug-menting aug-menting the wealth of rich ' foreign insurance companies'. Tyhc safety of the gilt-edged insurance companies cannot compare with that of a good commercial orchard, if it is as faithfully faith-fully "nursed' and protected as the life insurance policy must be. Many a man has impoverished his family and made life miserable for himself and his family through carrying the burden of a heavy life insurance policy, poli-cy, and to get from under the load the policy too often is allowed to lapse and -all his savings are forfeited. Whereas if a man purchases a piece of, land and plants it to fruit trees, he can look after their growth himself him-self as ehcaply as he could pay his annual insurance dues. He lives on his land and1 it saves him rent. The members of his family can all help in caring for it and he wM get some returns from it the second or hird year. It increases in value very ya., the land also increases in value, iwd by the time the orchard is six years old it s -more than paying for itself, and after twelve years planted the orchard is capable of rQUrning $200 to $500 per acre per annum as long as the man lives or his family aftfcr him. , - w ' J 'itut- supifcsingflfc man (lies leap- I ing his family unprotected and un- '',,"11 1 provided for? In this dire event Hi there is nothing better as a pcrma nent provision for their present necessities ne-cessities and future needs as a well , established orchard or vineyard. "f, as would naturally be the case, the l;oys and girls have been helping ' father to grow the orchard, they will be able to carry on the work when he is gone, and thus arc provided with a useful and paying vocation for which they have been well trained from their youth. On this showing the writer con tends that one of the best and! safest insurance policies fqr the family's protection, the best provision for an independent peaceful and happy old age, and the best crown of wld olives, . is a well' selected and cared for orchard or-chard plantation. n |