144 THE APPLE. 



cupants, many of the birds of the deeper forest find 

 occasion to visit it during the season. The cuckoo 

 comes for the tent-caterpillar, the jay for frozen ap- 

 ples, the ruffed grouse for buds, the crow foraging for 

 birds' eggs, the woodpecker and chickadees for their 

 food, and the high-hole for ants. The red-bird comes 

 too, if only to see what a friendly covert its branches 

 form, and the wood-thrush now and then comes out 

 of the grove near by, and nests alongside of its cousin, 

 the robin. The smaller hawks know that this is a 

 most likely spot for their prey, and in spring the shy 

 northern warblers may be studied as they pause to 

 feed on the fine insects amid its branches. The mice 

 love to dwell here also, and hither comes from the 

 near woods the squirrel and the rabbit. The latter 

 will put his head through the boy's slipper-noose any 

 time for a taste of the sweet apple, and the red squir- 

 rel and chipmunk esteem its seeds a great rarity. 



All the domestic animals love the apple, but none 

 so much so as the cow. The taste of it wakes her 

 up as few other things do, and bars and fences must 

 be well looked after. No need to assort them or 

 pick out the ripe ones for her. An apple is an ap- 

 ple, and there is no best about it. I heard of a quick- 

 witted old cow that learned to shake them down from 

 the tree. While rubbing herself she had observed 

 that an apple sometimes fell. This stimulated her to 

 rub a little harder, when more apples fell. She then 

 took the hint and rubbed her shoulder with such 

 vigor that the farmer had to check her and keep an 

 eye on her to save his fruit. 



