ANNUALS 



Linnaeus and christened it with the more aristo- 

 cratic name of Chrysanthemum inodorum pknissi- 

 mum, which certainly ought to satisfy any flower, 

 however ambitious he may be. I remember on 

 one occasion, when driving through the hills 

 of Maine, I saw a little goldfinch with his 

 golden-yellow and black plumage flying in and 

 out amongst the bushes by the roadside. 



"What do you call that bird ? " I asked of the 

 native driver. 



Looking at it critically for a moment, he re- 

 pHed serenely, " We call that a little red-bird." 



Once a farmer landed his boat at the island 

 wharf and carefully deposited a covered pail on 

 the platform. I greeted him with a " Good- 

 evening, Haines ; what have you got there ? " 



" Plums," was the laconic answer. 



" Plums ! " I said in surprise, adding, " I 'm 

 glad of that," as I tore off the covering, when 

 I exclaimed with still greater surprise, "Why, 

 these are strawberries ! " 



" Yes," said Haines, complacently, " we call 

 'em plums." 



There is a dwarf tree in northern Maine which 

 bears in the fall a minute red plum, and the na- 

 tives all call it a " sugar pear." Now, if any one 



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