182 



The HorllcuUniiHl and Journal 



work among the branches of the tree, cutting 

 and slashing at a rapid rate. Branch after 

 branch fell to the ground. In the meantime 

 the rumor of the great California pruner had 

 quickly spread among the immediate neigh- 

 bors, who hastened to the spot. 



Carriages passing along the avenue, at- 

 tracted by the crowd gazing up into the tree, 

 stopped immediately in front of it. Ladies 

 and gentlemen making selections of house and 

 garden plants, flowers and shrubs, when they 

 saw what was going on, hastened to join the 

 crowd. Stimulated by the presence of so 

 many spectators, the branches and boughs fell 

 faster than ever. Glancing rapidly over the 

 contour of the tree, the fellow, who evidently 

 intended to give it a globular shape, com- 

 menced at the lower limbs, close to the body, 

 and gradually lengthing out as he ascended 

 higher to the middle of the tree, and again 

 tapering in toward the top. He had now 

 reached to the height of about fifteen feet, 

 when the tree, from the numerous stiff project- 

 ing branches which had been sawed squarely 

 off, looked as bristling as an abattis, or the 

 distended quills of a fretful porcupine. De- 

 spising all aid of the ladder, the fellow skipped 

 from branch to branch with the recklessness 

 of an old sailor aloft in a storm. Visions of 

 the hero of Chappaqua loomed up in the minds 

 of the eager spectators, as the chances of a 

 misstep might prove a disaster. But our hero 

 was not aspiring to be pressed out. He was 

 busily engaged in the laudable occupation of 

 earning his bread, and teaching old nursery- 

 men a new idea. But catastrophes will some- 

 times happen to mar the aspirations even of 

 modest men. Our California hero was no ex- 

 ception, for just as he was in the act of spring- 

 ing from one large projecting branch to another, 

 his foot slipped, the knife and saw flew out of 

 his hands, and with a somersault that would 

 shame an experienced equestrian, he careened 

 to one side, the rear of his pants caught on 

 the stub of a limb, and in a moment the 

 champion pruner was seen dangling in mid 

 air, held only by the fragile substance com- 

 posing his pants ! To all present it became 

 evident that a catastrophe was inevitable. 



Striking out in every direction for a chance 

 to relieve himself, the fellow kicked and 

 plunged desperately, but to no effect. His 

 only safety lay in the stability of his pants. 

 Gyrating one way and the other, only had a 

 tendency to hasten the disaster. 



A lusty German gardener who was present 

 screamed out at the top of his voice, " Mein 

 Got im Himmel, bring a ladder gwick ; the 

 man will break his neck I " 



The excitement became intense. A scram- 

 ble was made for the ladder. The fellow up 

 the tree, trying to perform a new trapeze per- 

 formance not laid down on the bills, struggled 

 in vain to extricate himself, but before the 

 ladder could be elevated to a sufiicient height 

 to reach him, his pants gave way, taking out 

 the whole seat, and ripping them down to the 

 tops of his boots. There he hung with his 

 head downward, suspended only by the heavy 

 binding on the bottom of his pants. It is 

 needless to add that the affair now became ex- 

 tremely critical. Mr. Barry drew down his 

 hat, the ladies dropped their veils and turned 

 to go. The carriages in the streets moved on. 

 The giggling among the young folks was im- 

 mense. The gardener ran to the rescue of 

 the unfortunate pruner, and with a cloth used 

 for gathering leaves, tried as well as he could 

 to conceal his embarrassment. With the 

 "assistance of another man, he succeeded in 

 taking the pruner down, not, however, until 

 he had fairly scorched his shirt collar with 

 blushes. Mr. Barry was perfectly satisfied 

 that the fellow had earned a new pair of pants 

 and a whole shirt, with which he was soon 

 provided. As to the new points of observa- 

 tion gained in the modus operandi of pruning 

 a giant California tree, Messrs. Ellwanger & 

 Barry are thoroughly satisfied that the old 

 method of pruning is the best. 



The big evergreen was ordered to be re- 

 moved immediately, so that the only vestige 

 left to mark the spot is an open space upon 

 which the sunlight had not shed its genial 

 rays for nearly ten years. As to the famous 

 California pruner, with a ten-dollar note and 

 a new pair of pants he was allowed to go on 

 his way rejoicing. 



