58 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



{February ^ 



and stumps were still blazing and trees had 

 fallen across the way. All this time my little 

 irirl was trotting happily along, unscared, chat- 

 ting about the bright leaves, and moss, and but- 

 ter-flies' wings she had found, and I answered 

 cheerfully, though rather briefly, for I would not 

 cloud her little soul with fear if it could be 

 avoided, and to her remonstrances at my speed, 

 I only said " we must get home before there is 

 any danger." 



A quarter of a mile from home the road turned 

 north, at the top of a hill, but here the prospect 

 was worse than ever. I could now see the fire 

 coming fiercely from the east through dead in- 

 stead of green timber. The smoke and heat 

 were suffocating, the air full of flying leaves and 

 ashes, and the very small portion of the road 

 that I could see, strewn with brush, and burning 

 fragments from the dead "stubs" that were 

 blazing around. But my husband was at home, 

 and would come if he could. But what if I could 

 not make him hear above the roar of the flames ! 



I called at the top of my voice, a peculiar cry, 

 that is our family signal •, three times I called 

 before there was any answer, but at last it came, 

 and soon my husband came at his utmost speed, 

 and in a few minutes we were at home and safe. 

 He had supposed that it was known that the fires 

 were becoming dangerous, and had no idea we 

 were on the way. Half an hour after we reached 

 home that last quarter was utterly impassable, 

 and no doubt much of the last mile. 



That night we had fire works to celebrate our 

 safe return. On all sides we heard the roar and 

 crackle of the tlames, and the fall of great tree 

 trunks near and remote. It was a grand, and 

 even terrible sight, but I could survey it calmly, 

 and enjoy its grandeur, thankfully that it was not 

 the smoke of homes and temples that was ascend- 

 ing, and human life at least was safe. More than 

 seventy tall trunks were burning quite near. 

 Some smouldering sullenly, some blazing at top 

 like a torch ; some, often the tallest, flaming 

 from base to summit, and over others again the 

 flames flickering in a way that made them look 

 like hollow tubes full of fire, escaping at many 

 perforations. Green trees and bushes writhed 

 and tossed their arms in the strong draught of 

 the flames like living things seeking to escape, 

 and this the fires seemed determined not to allow, 

 sweeping eveiy way in turn, and scorching every 

 green thing. After this it became rather mono- 

 tonous. For nearly a week the fires raged un- 

 aljated. The smoke became so thick that it con- 



cealed the fires almost wholly. We could gaze 

 on the sun at noon-day ; the mocn was a copper 

 instead of a silver orb, and the stars were hidden 

 save in the zenith. Our heads were water, and 

 our eyes fountains of tears. 



Well fire is a good servant. This week of fire 

 has done more clearing for many persons than 

 they could have accomplished in a year. But,, 

 oh ! the blackness and desolation of the prospect 

 about us. No bright Autumn tints for us this 

 year, and the vine maples were hanging forth such 

 beautiful scarlet banners. There are heaps of 

 ashes, and of fallen trees which yet leave scarcely 

 a gap among the many more that remain stand- 

 ing, thrice blackened. The undergrowth is 

 scorched and bleached, the young firs scathed 

 and brown. Well, perhaps there must be chaos 

 at the beginning of every new creation, even of 

 our homes in the wilderness. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



ISTatural History and Science. — This de- 

 partment the reader will find particularly rich in 

 contributions this month, w^hich shows the wide- 

 spread interest which is taken in intelligent study 

 of nature. We are glad that this so. We neglect 

 no item of progress that is at all likely to interest 

 the nevvest novice in horticulture, or that may 

 tend to put money in the purse of those who fol- 

 low horticulture for a livelihood, but even to these 

 there is an additional pleasure in knowing how 

 the flowers blow and the birds sing, and it is 

 gratifying to us to find by so many contributors 

 to this column, that the world is coming to think 

 more so as it grows. Besides, knowledge is power. 



Influence of the Scion on the Stock. — 

 In reference to what we have said about "credit" 

 in another column, we will be particular in say- 

 ing that the following is an "original" editorial 

 paragraph from the New York Tribune: 



" One can't most always tell the extent of the 

 influence of scion on stock, or in what direction 

 it operates. Professor Beal gives the results of 

 some experiments made on this interesting point. 

 A pelargonium grafted with a variegated scion 

 became variegated. A tomato grafted with a 

 potato scion set small tubers in the axils of the 

 leaves. A sunflower grafted from an artichoke 

 produced tubers under ground." 



We are tolerably familiar with the good work 

 of Prof. Beal, but have not at hand that we know 



