120 ABC OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



any plant could ripen the quantity of green berries that lay 

 around them on all sides. But they did do it ; and as fast as 

 they turned red they increased in size to such an extent that 

 it seemed almost like popping corn. 



The lantern was put away, and we went to bed. I obtained 

 permission to get up at daybreak, and I proposed not to disturb 

 anybody else. The barometer's prediction troubled me a little, 

 and so I was not surprised to hear the patter of the raindrops a 

 little before daylight. The rain let up, however, a little after 

 daylight, and, oh what a beautiful sight met my view ! One of 

 friend Terry's hobbies is keeping things painted. The barn and 

 tool-house and covered barnj^ard had just been treated to a coat 

 of bright new paint. By the way, this covered barnyard has 

 just been enlarged to about twice its former capacity. But I 

 tell you, it is handy, especially where one has as many tools 

 as friend Terry and I have. Friend T. has a knack of combin- 

 ing colors, with a small amount of architectural curves about 

 the covered yard, that makes it wonderfully pleasing to the 

 eye. The fence before the house was also neatly painted, and 

 in good repair ; gates all working nicely. The graveled walk, 

 the shrubbery, and vines by t!-.e porch, tell their own story ; 

 and a row of evergreens on the right and on the left called 

 forth exclamations of surprise from me on account of their 

 regular appearance and beautiful shape. The house, it should 

 be remembered, is on the north side of a street running east 

 and west. These rows of evergreens, therefore, run north 

 and south ; and there is another row, seen in the strawberry 

 picture, just across the back end of the dooryard, thus mak- 

 ing an inclosure. 



When I asked him what he did to the evergreens to make 

 them so even and regular, and of such bright luxuriant growth, 

 he replied that he did nothing at all. They are the ordinary 

 arbor-vitse. For a while I was a good deal puzzled to know 

 why they did not look as our evergreens do, and a good many 

 others' one small, indifferent tree, and then another large one, 



