Practical Orcharding On Rough Lands. 23 



THE APPLE ORCHARD. 



"Of the great beauties of the farn^- 

 The one that has the foremost chaim 

 The apple orchard leads them all, 

 From early spring to latest fall. 

 The budding trees of pink and white, 

 The whole world shows no fairer sight. 

 An apple tree's full bloom will stand 

 Beyond all rivals, broad and grand. 



The honey bees, rejoicing find 



Its blooming sweetness to their mind, 



They come from far, they come from near — 



The early harvest of the year. 



At length the baby apples show 



Amid the green leaves, growing slow ; 



A promise of a tempting treat. 



Which rain and sunshine kindly greet. 



Those red-striped apples, tempting, rare; 



No golden orange quite so fair 



Though tropic trees have long been mine — 



For apple orchards still I pine. 



That orchard to my childhood known. 



No tropic fruits can half atone. 



The early bloom — the red-cheeked fruit, 



Are visions which my dreams salute." 



— Coleman's Rural World, 



