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THE CANADIAN H0RTICULTUKI8T, 



THE OLD APPLE TREE. 



Here's the old apple tree, where in boyhood I sported. 

 When ray heart was as light as the blossoms it bore ; 



Where ray "old maiden aunt by the parson was courted. 

 In her prim cap and gown, like a dan.sel of yore. 



On that rude oakeii bench 'neatli the bending boughs 

 seated, 

 While the wild bee was liumraing its songs on thu 

 tree ; 

 We youngsters oftimes iu the summer were treated 

 To share with the elders their gossip and tea. 



Look ; here are the names of how many now sleepmg- 

 Of parents and kindred, long gone to the tomb ; 



Yet the old apple tree, like a true friend is heaping 

 Tlie shrine of their relics with beauty and bloom. 



In this season of light that man's spirit rejoices. 

 While the old apple tree looks as gay as a bride, 



I could dream that I heard every one of their voices 

 That so often have sat on tins bench at my side. 



Every rudely-carved name lias some story to tell me. 

 That true-lover's knot I remember it well ; 



It was carved on that diy when my ftrst grief befel me, 

 The day of ray parting from young Isabel. 



Yes, here we two parted, and parted for evei-, 

 I iiave wander'd since then like a pilgrim afar ; 



Aud have loved too again with some fervour, butnevei- 

 Shone love on my heart like its hrst morning star. 



And I'm come back to die in the home of my fathers, 

 And I sit 'neath tht. blossoms that luock my decay ; 



Aud tlius my fond meji'ry the sad harvest gathers, 

 Of fiiendsliips and love that have long passed away. 



Yes, the old apple tree, where in boyhood I sported. 

 And the rude oaken benches, they are still in their 

 place ; 



But the dear household faces whose welcome I courted 

 Tliey have vanished and left me, the last of ray race' 



Cure foe Cabbage Pests. — A gentle- 

 man in West Virgina believes thai he has 

 discovered a simple and effectual remedy 

 for tlie abominable pest, the cabbage 

 worm. It is so simple, and easily obtain- 

 ed, that it should be tried by all who are 

 in any way troubled with the creature. 

 The remedy consists in procuring smart- 

 weed or pepper-weed, as it is sometimes 

 called ; well known to all farmers, grow- 

 ing in and about farm-yards, or sometimes 

 l)y the roadside. Take the weed green, 

 and dry it thoroughly, so that it can be 

 reduced to powder, wliich sprinkle over 

 tile yoiuig plants, or when the worms l>egin 

 to appear ; it will also prevent injmy from 

 the little black Heas that sometimes infest 

 the plants. Possibly if the smart- weed 

 were boiled in water, and that sprinkled 

 on tho pTnnts it would .serve the same 

 purpose. — N. E. Farmer. 



PpiOFiT IN Raspberries. — Twothousand 

 Cuthbert raspberry plants were set in the 

 fall of 1881, in rows, five feet apart in the 

 rows. The soil was a rich loam. In the 

 si)ring the plants started early and grew 

 right along, so tliat by fall the ]ilantation 

 had the apy)earance of a two years' growth 

 The young plants were pinched Ijack when 

 they had attained a growth of two feet, 

 and in the rows between the plants a good 

 crop of cabbage was grown. The planta- 

 tion was well cultivated throvighout the 

 .season of 1882 and not a Aveed allowed to 

 grow Now for the results : The past 

 season there was picked and sold from tlie 

 plantation of a little less than an acre, 

 lUO bushels of fruit that sold for 13 cents 

 per quart, net ; or in round numbers, $384 

 worth of berries. In addition to this, 

 48,000 plants have 1:»een dug from the 

 patch this fall and sold to one nurseryman 

 for §3 per thousand, amounting to $144. 

 Enough plants were kept to set two acres, 

 and the prijspects for an immense fruit 

 yield next season is good. — Neiv E'ii,glanil 

 Homestead. 



Wood Ashes for Okchariis. — For or- 

 chai'ds, says Dr. R. C. Kedzie,in thei^^eit- 

 Yoi-k Tribune, 1 legard ashes as worth 

 more than six times the value of barn-yard 

 manure, ton for ton. When barn-yard 

 manure is composted with wood ashes, the 

 coarse vegetable material and litter are 

 rapidly broken down, and rhe manure is 

 speedily fitted for use ; there is some loss 

 of nitrogen in the form of ammonia, but 

 there will be no loss of mineral matter if 

 kept from leaching by water. Wood ashes 

 represent all the mineral elements of vege- 

 table gi'owtli , and contain everything the 

 farmer must give his crops except combined 

 nitrogen. Wood ashes will vary in com- 

 position and value with the kind of wood 

 and the ])art of the tree. 1 will take the 

 a.sh of the l)ody-wood of the beach-tree as 

 representing the average of wood-ashes. 

 A ton of such ashes contains 320 ]>ounds 

 of potasli, worth $1(>, and 105 pounds of 

 phosphoric acid ^insoluble), worth $5.2."». 

 Omitting all the other ash constituents, 

 which have some value of themselves, the 

 ])otash and pliosphoric acid of a ton of 

 such ashes are worth $21.25, or nearly six 

 times the value of a ton of fresh horse- 

 duno;. 



PRINTED AT THE STBAM PRESS KSTABLItsHMEtiT OF WPP, CLAUK * CO., COLBORKE STREET, TOROKTO. 



