208 



TJic Canadian Horticulturist. 



this section, and almost all others stand well ; 

 they were sold at a big figure. 



Again the Russian Apricot was sold at $1 

 each, and not one out of scores is living, and 

 this was something "remarkably hardy"; 

 now they are pushing this \wav and plum at a 

 big price. — Walter Hick, Ooderick, Ont. 



The Saunders Plum. 



Sir, — In rei)ly to the question by Mr. 

 Trotter, of Owen Sound, respecting the 

 Saunders Plum, page 168, .June ntunber Cana- 

 dian Horticulturist, you state that the 

 Saunders Plum was first brouglit into public 

 notice at the meeting of our Association at 

 Barrie in 1S84. Permit me to say that I think 

 this is an error on your part, as it was first 

 brought to the notice of the Fruit Growers' 

 Association at our meeting in St. Catharines, 

 commencing 29th August, 1883. The plum 

 was then over-ripe. — Yours very truly, Thos. 

 Bkall, Lindsaii, 19th June, ISSO. 



Note. — Mr. Beall is correct. In the fruit 

 committee's report on page 183, Report for 

 1883, will be found the following words : — 

 " There were very good specimens of a yellow 



seedling plum, grown by John Aris, Belleville. 

 They are of excellent quality, and worth j' of 

 extensive trial." It was not named until the 

 following year at Barrie. — Editor. 



The FoFestpy Report. 



Sir, — In Mr. Phipps's letter in the May 

 number we read, " Such crops of wheat, such 

 weight of grass per acre, etc. A brother of 

 mine writing on last year's harvest, says, " Last 

 summer was very wet and dull, the corn (grain) 

 was very small, for we had veiy little sunshine 

 and the corn did not get fit. With respect to 

 such crops of grass, those who have to be off 

 to the cities or towns, as the writer has had to, 

 and be clear of their limits not later than five 

 o'clock in the morning with the load of nightl 

 manure, know something about what underlies 

 such crops of grass other thaa the planting of 

 trees. And the contrast made by Mr. Phipps 

 between the Canadian and English farmers is, 

 in my opinion, very misleading, for there are 

 any amount of as good farmers in Ontario as 

 are to be met with anywhere. — T. B. White, 

 Clarksburg, Out., June Sth, 1889. 



ORIGINAL POETRY. 



The Crofter's Farewell. 



A torrent of imagining, 



Rise in sorrowful array. 

 As we hear those weeping Crofters sing 



Their wail of Highland melody ! 



See them gather on the strand 



Sighing their farewell o'er and o'er, 



Shall ever that heart-riven band 



Return ? sad waves reply, " No more ! " 



Lochaber ! thy sunny braes shall never 

 Fade from our vision, in weal or woe, 



Death only shall our fond hearts wither. 

 But Freedom beckons, we must go ! 



Away to the land that is owned by the free ! 



Away to the glorious West, 

 Away from all toll-worn penury 



Where lordly power oppressed ! 



Good shepherd lead, with gentle hand, 

 Soothe each wild and wasted soul, 



Guide them in a distant land, 

 Be thou the Pilgrim's Sentinel I 



Ah, see their now deserted cots ! 



Dark and green, their white-washed walls. 

 Casements let in the drowsy bats, 



From chimney clefts the ivy falls I 



See their little " Garden Patch," 



Thorns and thistles usurp their swaj% 



Ripp'd from the roof the cosy thatch, 

 All's desolation and decay ! 



There's where the spacious ingle stood, 

 That yawning ruin, dark and gray, 



Where the old cotters' hajipy brood 

 Were gathered every Sabbath day ! 



Grandsire's chair stood in that nook. 

 And by the light of the crackling log, 



He read aloud from the holy Book, 

 Then raised a loving song to God ! 



Where now is the good old man of God, 

 Who fill'd love's seat in days gone by. 



He sleeps beneath the moorland sod. 

 And the skylarks sing his requiem high. 



The grave sliall keep its hallowed store. 



In mountain, plain or dell. 

 Their quickened clay shall rise and soar 



At th' evicting trump of Gabriel ! 



Grandma Gowan. 



May. 



With floral sweets the air is redolent, 



And beauty breathes a soul through every 



spray. 

 For now is Spring, and Spring's divinest — 

 May. 

 And every sense is eager turned, intent 

 To catch her voice and touch beneficent, 

 Apollo charmed now lengthens much the day. 

 So lover-like he thus prolongs his stay. 

 The coy Queen weds— 'tis Power and Beauty 



blent. 

 Now zephyr gently summer's cradle rocks, 

 The green boiighs waves to part the sun's 

 bright hair, 

 That so his child may sport the golden locks 

 Which warmly fall upon the infant fair. 

 Earth all unconscious that she suffers ill, 

 Sings, laughs and loves as though 'twere Eden 

 still. 



S« P. Morse, Milton. 



