SPRING MOVING. 



the well-being and prosperity of his favorite and long- watched trees, than the good man was 

 anxious for the comfort and happiness of his family. The mute but grateful objects of his 

 scientific care, all unconscious of domestic changes in contemplation, were still uninfluenced 

 by the late spring, while the doctor from time to time, among friends, referred sadly to his 

 difficiilty of parting with his trees, &c. : he could readily send them to the country, and 

 have them in good care, but then he would be deprived the pleasure of seeing them daily, 

 and of prosecuting his experiments — of patiently watching the fruit buds each spring as 

 they slowly developed, and gave hope of a new variety — a seedling, perchance, that would 

 deserve a name and high rank in the calendar of American pomology. It is but justice to 

 say here, that such would be no new event in the useful life of our medical pomologist, as 

 is testified by his seedling raspberries and strawberries, the " French," the " Gushing," the 

 " Orange," the " Wilder," &c. &c. &c. 



Among those whose privilege it is to hear the good practitioner let out the simple wishes 

 of his heart, there was one who early thought to ofler the use of his goodly-sized garden for 

 the reception of the favorite trees and plants ; the proii'er was unexpected, and though very 

 agreeable, was accepted with great hesitation. Tliere was evidently a modest, delicate 

 doubt in the mind of the doctor, as to how he could have free access to fhe garden of his 

 friends, and, no less, how far it was consistent to accept what he regarded as a rare favor. 

 But these impediments were soon removed, and the proposal was definitely agreed upon long 

 before the proper period had arrived for the " spring moving." 



The accepted city yard possessed some advantages of space and exposure over that in 

 which the doctor's nursery had thus far struggled into existence, but with increased dimen- 

 sions, and a fine southern exposure, there also came drawbacks. A very large locust-tree 

 had long-standing possession of one end of the ground ; its far reaching roots, and over- 

 shadowing branches, were no friends to the health of fruit-trees, and a considerable grape- 

 vine arbor occupied room at the other end. lu their leafless condition, at the period of the 

 friendly arrangement, but little heed or thought was taken of these impediments to an act 

 of intended kindness, certainly not by the owner of the premises, at least, and a delicate 

 sense of propriety would not permit the subject to come from the doctor. But, when the 

 time of tree moving was near at hand, a mutual friend, listening to the design, impulsively 

 exclaimed : " Oh, if that big locust was only out of the way, no spot could be more suitable !" 

 It was not difiicult to read in his countenance the sympathetic thought passing througli the 

 mind of the doctor, and though little else was said, the question of cutting down the locust- 

 tree at once seriously occupied the thoughts of its owner. And this was no light subject for 

 consideration ; the old tree had its peculiar history, and one which deserves to be told here, 

 if the patient reader will permit such an episode. 



The city lot, now the scene of our story, had been purchased and built upon, many years 

 before, by a Scotch gentleman — afterward a Unitarian clergyman — who, faithful to cherished 

 associations, planted in his yard a young locust-tree sent him by a friend. When the growth 

 of years had made his tree of goodly size, a severe winter storm came upon it with such 

 unfortunate violence as to separate its forked trunk through the centre, and to the very earth, 

 each half falling in an opposite direction, and making sad havoc with the dividing fences 

 of neighbors. The storm over, our Scotchman sought such aid as was required with strong 

 ropes, to bring the split divisions of the trunk together, and, as in surgery, the edge? of the 

 wound being closely in contact, a strong bandage was needed to keep them so ; a hoop or 

 band of iron was soon prepared, and, with the blacksmith in lieu of the surgeon, the iron 

 bandage was applied three or four feet above the ground, and the locust-tree was again up- 

 right and firm. Thus it prospered for a few years, until the injury to the bark by the iron 

 band, gave symptoms of general disease in the tree ; the bandage was in consequence re- 

 moved, and placed about three feet liigher, and again the locust flourished for some years. 



