FIELD NOTES IN SEED TIME. 211 



eat sparingly at these tables. The cows wander 

 by and pick a few ; their eyes have not the half- 

 shut, tranquil appearance seen when crushing a 

 toothsome morsel, but are wide open and sparkle 

 as the pome cracks under the pressure of their 

 jaws, and the soiir, acrid juice falls on the tongue. 

 These creatures are now the real planters of apple- 

 trees in out-of-the-way places, and some day by 

 chance may drop a seed that shall take root and 

 bear apples such as the world has never seen or 

 tasted, and which the nursery men would go a 

 long way to obtain. 



The old, neglected orchards still found in almost 

 every New England town, are interesting spots to 

 visit at the harvest time. Much of the fruit is 

 half-civilized, as it were, but the trees are hon- 

 ored with appropriate names. I recall such an 

 orchard, where every tree in it was spoken of as 

 kind of out-door members of the family, by the 

 household, as the horse or dog might be. 



The Boundmarks, as its name implies, stands 

 close to the wall that divides the lots ; a large, tall 

 tree bearing diminutive but well-cooked pericarps, 

 with green and maroon skins, and half-sweet and 

 half-sour flesh. 



The sour crabs is a smaller tree with large, 



