CHAPTEE ni 



Under the Old Apple-tree 



TF a vote had been taken to determine which par- 

 •*■ ticular place of all places on the old-time farm 

 was the favourite one with the small boys there 

 would have been an unanimity of expression in 

 favour of the apple orchard, that is, if the small 

 boys had been consulted. The girls of the farm 

 household, would, of course, have been in favour 

 of the old-time jflower garden. 



Time was when I could name every tree in the 

 old orchard at home and most of those in many of 

 the neighbours' orchards as well. You see in 

 those good old days there was a form of commu- 

 nity of interests in each other's orchards, in so far 

 as the boys of the neighbourhood were concerned. 



It must be said for the pioneer farmers of 

 Canada, that having disposed of the forest trees, 

 they at once proceeded to plant fruit and orna- 

 mental trees with rare judgment, as to variety, 

 and they cared for and cultivated those nurslings 

 with meticulous method. The results were that 

 in olden days there were excellent orchards on 

 most farms. There were not so many parasites 

 and pests then, and this country had apples, 

 plums, pears and cherries which for flavour, size, 



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