Ready for IVinter 207 



of young growth, where birch, maple and poplar 

 saplings felt the first breath of fall, and glowed in 

 brilliant beauty. And later the oaks, last and 

 strongest in their robust dyes, were all the more 

 magnificent for the lack of rivalry, or were richly 

 set off by the generous golden chestnuts. The 

 chestnuts gave no fallacious promises in their toss 

 ing summer plumes ; for there surely was never a 

 more satisfying season for chestnuting parties. 

 The glossy, full and healthy nuts are so abundant 

 that the squirrels will have great store this fall, after 

 all the children and many of the grown folks have 

 helped themselves. The rustling covering of the 

 earth is brown with them still in unfrequented 

 woodlands, and the squirrels scamper on every 

 hand at a stranger s step, and seek the trees and 

 watch him as he pokes the leaves over and opens 

 the rare reluctant burrs. If in such search you 

 come upon one of Bunny s cunningly hidden 

 caches, let us hope you have the conscience to let 

 it alone, for there are rights of property that are 

 not expressed in human title deeds. 



It is a curious matter, by the way, that nobody 

 ever thinks of the owner of the land whereon nut 

 trees grow as having any property in their fruit. 

 He cuts down the trees without anybody s ques 

 tion, but if he tries to reserve the fruits thereof 

 to his use and behoof, there is an instinctive re- 



