of Rural Art and Taste. 



181 



(Sequoia gigantea) planted by these gentlemen 

 about fifteen years ago. Some of them have 

 already attained a height of thirty feet, while 

 the diameter of one or two of the largest sized 

 trees is nearly twenty-five inches. It is well 

 known that these trees grow to an enormous 

 size in their native State, and with proper 

 care are also successfully grown in this section. 



Last week, a fellow fresh from California 

 who said he had had a good deal of experience 

 with the giant trees of that State, learning 

 that the Messrs. Ellwanger & Barry had some 

 fine representative specimens iu their grounds, 

 applied at the office of the Mount Hope Nur- 

 series for a situation as a pruner. Said he, 

 "I see you have some big trees in your yard 

 from California. I am a native of the golden 

 State. I know all about the nature of trees. 

 I notice some improvements that might be 

 made in the shape and looks which will help 

 them mightily. I came east this spring to 

 visit some of my mother's relations, but not 

 being able to find them, and being a little short 

 of funds, I thought I would apply to you for a 

 job. I can tell you something you don't know 

 about them big trees." 



By the time this fellow had finished his in- 

 troductory speech, Messrs. Ellwanger & Barry, 

 who were busily engaged in opening and 

 reading their large volume of orders and cor- 

 respondence, had thoroughly taken in, and 

 comprehended the situation of the California 

 adventurer. 



Mr. Barry smiled when the fellow said : 

 " I can tell you something you don't know 

 about them big trees." However, having a 

 good deal of the humorous in him, and seeing 

 a chance for a little joke, Mr. Barry said, 

 " My dear sir, those large trees you refer to, 

 were propagated in our nurseries, and trans- 

 planted where you now see them, fifteen years 

 ago. They were not, therefore, brought from 

 California proper, although they are the same 

 variety as the famous tree which grows there 

 three hundred feet. We propagate all varieties 

 of trees, shrubs and plants here in Bochester 

 that are to be found in any part of the world. 

 We have succeeded admirably with these 

 giant trees which have made your State so 



famous. We think we understand all about 

 this genus, both here and in California, for 

 we have seen them growing in both places." 



"Yes," said the fellow, "but don't you see 

 they ain't shaped right." "I can prune the 

 trees to make them grow faster and look per- 

 tier." "How do you propose to do it?" 

 asked Mr. Barry. " They are evergreens 

 and don't require much pruning. We some- 

 times clip the ends of the lower branches, and 

 give them more shapeliness, but as to cutting 

 ofi" the larger limbs, which I understand you 

 propose to do, is all folly, and we can't think of 

 it." "But," said the fellow, "you don't un- 

 derstand how to prune a California tree. There 

 is a certain way of cutting the limbs, and if you 

 don't do it that way, the tree won't do well." 



Mr. Ellwanger, who had till now listened, 

 but said nothing, here facetiously remarked 

 that there was one of the trees in the lawn the 

 fellow might experiment on if he had anything 

 new to introduce in the art of pruning. Now 

 there happened to be one among the large 

 trees, which suffered severely by the extreme 

 cold of two years ago. As it was evident 

 that the tree would die any way, Messrs. 

 Ellwanger & Barry, always on the qui vive 

 for novelties as well as a good joke, consented 

 to let the self-constituted California pruner 

 have a chance to display his skill. Ordering 

 a large pruning knife, a saw, and other 

 necessary implements, Messrs. Ellwanger & 

 Barry, all the clerks in the ofiiee, and gar- 

 deners about the place, who by this time had 

 their attention attracted to the strange look- 

 ing fellow, proceeded to the tree, which stood 

 but a few rods from the street fence extend- 

 ing along Mount Hope avenue. 



" There," said one of the distinguished nur- 

 serymen, " if you wish to show your dexterity 

 or teach us something new in pruning, you 

 may try it on that tree. The Californian, glad 

 for an opportunity to distinguish himself, and 

 also of earning something to build up his de- 

 pleted exchequer, stripped off his outer cloth- 

 ing, which revealed a soiled shirt and a pair 

 of pants rather the worse for wear. Nothing 

 daunted, however, he tripped up the ladder 

 like a squirrel, and in a moment he was at 



