THE AUTUMN GARDEN 229 



Poplar. Each year I watch mine with intense 

 enjoyment ; and see how from the heart of the 

 tree the colour spreads out along each branch, 

 slowly, stealthily, without violence, while the 

 ends of the shoots remain a vivid green as of 

 emeralds on golden boughs, until at length the 

 whole tree glows in a garb of exquisite pale 

 gold. It is interesting to observe that the 

 Norway Maple exactly reverses the process, 

 the tips of the branches turning golden first, 

 and the colour spreading inwards. One warm, 

 misty morning, while the fog still hung thick 

 over Finchampstead Ridges across the valley, 

 the sun suddenly flashed out upon a huge 

 group of Balsam Poplars a quarter of a mile 

 away down by the river. The effect of the 

 clear gold against the thick grey Ridges was so 

 astonishing that, longing for sympathy, I cried 

 to an old friend who was hedging and ditch- 

 ing for me, "Look, L , look at the golden 



trees ! " He did look ; remarking calmly with 

 a kind of indulgent forbearance, " They be 

 the paupler trees down athirt the medders," 

 and went on with his work. 



