*n acntfcfpatron. 



What if he did let the greenhouse plants be- 

 come a prey to the red spider? he was always 

 so good-humored, and accomplished so much! 

 Your short, burly, broad-backed gardeners some- 

 how always work easily and quickly ; they have 

 not so far to bend over; the weeds jump up to 

 them, and they handle a rake as if it loved them. 

 A Mecklenburger for work and an Irishman for 

 blarney. 



The long-awaited change has come at last 

 the promise the wild geese flying north chorused 

 from the upper air. Song-sparrow, bluebird, 

 meadow-lark, plover, and redv/ing have dropped 

 down suddenly and simultaneously from the sky, 

 and from the swamps I hear the croaking of the 

 frogs, eager to drink of the first warm rain. The 

 scarlet maple (Acer rubrum) is bursting into 

 bloom, and one can almost see the grass sprout- 

 ing, so thirstily does it absorb the moisture. 

 The woodcock have already returned to their 

 summer haunts ; I found them on the dry knolls 

 March 25th. Referring to the record of the past 

 eighteen years, the tables show that an early 

 spring occurs about every other year in this vi- 

 cinity. In 1880 the robin appeared February 

 27th ; the bluebird and song-sparrow a day later. 

 In 1874 and 1878 they appeared simultaneously 

 March 3d, compared with March 27th, 28th s and 



