DA VET'S PRIMER 



" Gee-wiz ! What a big 'un." 



Sambo, that's a little bit slangy, but we will ex- 

 cuse you, seeing that you have a nature that can be 

 inspired by such a grand, monarch-like spectacle! 



I am not aware that I ever saw an elm that had 

 more top than this. It is situated in the midst of the 

 city of Springfield, Mass. Back of it is the City Hall, 

 which looks like a small building when compared with 

 this mammoth tree. But they told me this was not 

 near as large as one they called " The Queen Elm," in 

 this city, but stupid fellows in digging a sewer cut off 

 its roots, and killed it! Such a tree as "The Queen 

 Elm " was worth ten thousand dollars to so lovely a city 

 as Springfield. The people, however, are getting very 

 much in earnest. You see, children, I am not follow- 

 ing the stiff rules of book-writing, but in a homely and 

 familiar way am telling you what is taking place in 

 America glorious America! where people with a 

 base-ball rush are apt to make mistakes, but where 

 they are just as ready and as anxious to make 

 wrongs right again, and improve by the mistakes of 

 the past. 



Say, children, allow me to make a suggestion. 

 Suppose the girls undertake to gather seeds and plant 

 them and take care of the little baby trees, and the boys 

 begin to clean, prune and dress the old ones. How 

 many favor this? All hands up! That's good! 

 One generation, and American trees will be re- 

 juvenated. 



