XXVIII 



JERRY THE KINGBIRD 



THERE was a Red June apple tree just back of the 

 house that was a favorite with us children. It was 

 different from any other Red June tree I have ever seen. 

 It was larger and thriftier, and grew in as perfect a cone 

 shape as any hard maple. Even when the other trees did 

 not bear, we could find apples on this one, but they ripened 

 four or five days later than on the other trees. They also 

 lasted two or three weeks after the others were gone. In 

 flavor they were identical with that king of early apples, 

 the Red June, but in size were really giants. It was 

 not imcommon to get apples off this tree that were as 

 large as the Ben Davis or the Delicious which we often 

 buy now-a-days on the fruit stand at a high price. In my 

 boyhood days we did not think of price. We helped our- 

 selves to all we could eat and as often as we wished, gave 

 to the neighbors who happened not to have plenty of their 

 own, and even then had abundance to can, to make cider, 

 jelly, or apple butter, and to feed the pigs. I can almost 

 taste those wonderful mellow apples yet! We used to get 

 a dozen or so, peel off the skin, mash them in a dish, mix 

 them with real cream, and have them for breakfast — all 

 one could eat and no one to think we were extravagant. 

 But I must get back to my story. Jerry the kingbird 



199 



