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Vigji. A VIII. — Bridge over the Wandle. 



CHAPTER IX. 



MY FRUIT GARDEN. 



" And many homely trees there were, 

 That peaches, coines, and apples bere, 

 Medlars, plummes, peeres, chesteinis, 

 Cherise, of whiche many one faine is," — Chaucer. 



WE are naturally led from the vegetal rhubarb; which under 

 certain circumstances is so useful a substitute for fruit, to 

 the consideration of our fruit garden itself. 



Although in this country we do not practically grow to any large 

 extent the oranges and lemons of the South of Europe, the delicious 

 custard apple of Madeira, the date of Syria, the penetrating-flavoured 

 vanilla of the West Indies, the lychia of China, or the banana of the 

 Tropics ; yet, taking England on the whole, there is no country in 

 the world where the amount and variety of fine fruit are to be found 

 in such perfection as we have them in the gentleman's garden of 

 England, — with his greenhouses and ordinary horticultural appliances. 



THE APPLE. 



Of all our fruits, the Apple is perhaps the most useful, and is 

 appreciated by birds and beasts as well as by man. My bullfinch loves 

 his slice of apple, my horse thanks me by many little signs for the 

 gift of an apple, and my cows delight to be offered one. The pigs, 

 the chickens, the geese, all run to seize the windfalls as they drop 

 and sometimes the chickens get into the trees to procure the fruit. 



