452 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



SKYLARK PREACHINa A SBBMOW. 



There is no such thing as a song bird natural to 

 Australia ; there are birds who chatter, birds who 

 shriek, but no birds that sing. Well, there was 

 a young man who went out from England as a 

 gold digger, and was lucky enough to make some 

 money, and prudent enough to keep it. He opened 

 a "store" — a kind of rough shop where everything 

 from candles to coffins are sold — at a place called 

 "the Ovens," a celebrated gold field, about 200 

 miles from Melbourne. Still continuing to pros- 

 per, he, like a dutiful son, wrote home to his fath- 

 er and mother to come out to him, and if they 

 possibly could, to bring Avith them a lark. So a 

 lark was procured, and in due time the old folks 

 and their feathered charge took ship and departed 

 from England. The old man, however, took the 

 voyage so much to heart that he died ; but the old 

 woman and the lark landed in sound health, at 

 Melbourne, and were speedily forwarded to Mr. 

 Wilsted's store at the Ovens. 



It was on a Tuesday when they arrived, and the 

 next morning the lark was hung outside the tent, 

 and commenced piping up. The efl'ect was elec- 

 tric. Sturdy diggers — big men, with hairy faces, 

 and great brown hands — paused in the midst of 

 their work, and listened reverently. Drunken, 

 brutal diggers left unfinished the blasphemous 

 sentence, and looked bewildered and ashamed. 

 Far and near, the news spread like lightning — 

 "Have you heard the lark?" "Is it true, mate, 

 that there is a real English skylark up at Jack 

 Wilsted's ?" So it went on for three days, and 

 then came Sunday morning. Such a sight had 

 not been seen since the first spadeful of the gold- 

 en earth had been turned ! From every quarter — 

 east, west, north and south, from far hills, and 

 from creeks twenty miles away, came a steady 

 concourse of great, rough Englishmen, all brushed 

 and washed as decent as possible. The movement 

 was by no means preconcerted, as was evident 

 from the half-ashamed expression of every man's 

 face. There they were, however, and their errand 

 was to hear the lark ! Nor were they disappoint- 

 ed. There, perched in his wood and iron pulpit, 

 was the little minister ; and, as though aware of 

 the importance of the task before him, he plumed 

 his crest, and lifting up his voice, sung them a 

 sermon. 



It was a wonderful sight to see, that — three or 

 four hundred men ; some reclining on the ground ; 

 some sitting with their arms on their knees, and 

 their heads on their hands ; some leaning against 

 the trees with their eyes closed, so that they might 

 the better fancy themselves at home and in the 

 midst of English corn-fields once more ; but sit- 

 ting, standing, or lying, all were equally quiet and 

 attentive ; and when, after an hour's steady preach- 

 ing, the lark left off", his audience slowly started 

 off, a little low-spirited, perhaps, but on the whole 

 much happier than when they came. — Beeton's 

 Home Pets. 



Lessons of War. — A people in earnest, smart- 

 ing with the wounds of war, and the deeper inflic- 

 tions of treachery, is abroad seeking after a coun- 

 try. It has been repeating with annual congratu- 

 lations for eighty years the self-evident truths of 

 the docvmient which declared its independence ; 

 now it discovers that more evidence of it is need- 



ed than successful training and building can bring, 

 and it sends it forth afresh, with half a million of 

 glittering specialities to enforce its doctrines, while 

 trade, and speculation, and all the ambitions of 

 prosperous men, and delicately nurtured lives, and 

 other lives as dearly cherished and nursed to ma- 

 turity, are sent out with an imperative commission 

 to buy, at all hazards, a real country, to exchange 

 what is precious for the sake of having finally what 

 \\e dreamed we had before — the most precious of 

 all earthly things, a Commonwealth of God. Yes, 

 our best things go, like wads for guns, to bid our 

 purpose speak more emphatically, as it expresses 

 the overruling inspiration of the hour. — Atlantic 

 Montlily. 



THE BEST TIME FOR PLANTINQ 

 EVERGREEN TREES 

 IS IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER. 



Evergreens are always in leaf, and it is therefore 

 important, in planting, to secure a quick action of 

 the roots, in order to sustain the foliage. Early 

 in the spring the ground is cold and wet, and the 

 roots cannot take hold ; and therefore sharp, dry- 

 ing winds are very likely to exhaust the tree of aU 

 its juices before a new supply can be furnished. 

 Late fall planting is still worse — for the roots re- 

 main dormant a much longer time, and evapora- 

 tion from the leaves is going on, to some extent, 

 throughout the Avinter. In May and June the 

 ground becomes Avarm — the roots are ready for 

 action — and, consequently, the time is favorable 

 for removal. 



But the conditions are even more favorable in 

 August and September. At this season the ground 

 is thoroughly warmed through, and as the nights 

 begin to be cool and dewy, the earth gives, as it 

 were, a gentle bottom heat. It is surprising to 

 find Avilh what readiness and vigor the roots now 

 act — often showing signs of growth within three 

 days after planting. There is this additional ad- 

 vantage over May, that the tree has made all its 

 growth for the season, and early matured its Avood, 

 so that it is not in need of such a full flow of sap 

 as Avhen the young groAvth is starting, or is succu- 

 lent, and tlie plant has need of all its energies. 

 During the autumn months, the earth being Avarm- 

 er than the atmosphere, Avhile the Avood is simply 

 maturing, not growing, the roots on the contrary 

 are in vigorous action, and Avill insure sufficient 

 strength to resist the succeeding A\'inter, and also 

 the best possible condition for subsequent groAvth. 



Remarks. — The above came to us in a printed 

 circular from Mr. W. C. Strong, Nurseryman at 

 No7iantum Hill, Brighton, Mass. We print it 

 for the benefit of those Avho are desirous of trans- 

 planting evergreens this fall. We have been 

 through Mr. Strong's green-houses and grounds, 

 and have had plants from them, and feel entirely 

 safe in saying that he has plants in great variety, 

 and that Avhatever he states in regard to them may 

 be relied upon. We shall immediately put in 

 practice his suggestions with regard to transplant- 

 ing evergreens. Mr. Strong is so confident of 

 success in transplanting that he is Avilling to con- 

 tract to do so, and warrant to live. 



