2IO 



CRAB APPLES. 



stroke, and trusted to its reminder at one to return to 

 their labors. And a few minutes later a very amusing 

 sight met our eyes, for we came upon a party of pickers 

 enjoying their luncheon, which is always taken out of 

 doors during the apple season. The belle of the party, 

 in sailor hat, sat perched on a barrel eating a sandwich ; 



At Lunch. 



the "lone packer" was social with one of the small 

 boys over some shell oysters, and altogether they seemed 

 as happy as a party of gipsies. Further along were 

 "Pierre" and his mother, typical Canadians, resting 

 after their lunch of pea soup and black bread. The boy 

 excited our sympathy by a limp and one-sided gait, and 

 we learned that he had been gored by a bull, but still 

 persisted in living in spite of a sore that would not heal. 

 "He can't climb much, but he picks low branches and 

 works steady," said Jim, one of the sons, who proved 

 himself the sportsman of the family by his enthusiasm 



about a flock of wild geese that passed over the orchard, 

 their quacking cry plainly heard. " Oh, if I only had 

 my gun !" he said, with real regret. Mr. October called 

 Pierre to us and inquired how much he would ask to 

 row us down to the village in the flat-bottom boat. After 

 putting a thumb in each vest pocket and thinking pro- 

 foundly for several momentous seconds, he said, very 

 modestly, "five cents," if the time required was to be 

 allowed from his nooning and not deducted from his 

 wages — a bit of shrewdness that brought him a five-fold 

 fee from Pomme. I remarked on the freedom from 

 insects and diseases, when the owner told me that his 

 boys and girls and the birds looked after that. ' ' We put 

 up boxes to protect the wrens and swallows and all in- 

 sectivorous birds," he said, " and the children look after 

 the greatest enemy, the tent caterpillar, that lays 

 rings of five hundred eggs on the branches. These the 

 youngsters search for on snow-shoes in winter, and I pay 

 them a cent a dozen for the rings. They don't take 

 long to earn a quarter at it some seasons." He told us 

 Montreal was their chief market, and that the oldest 

 orchard had been planted forty years, still bearing good 

 crops, the only treatment it receives being the grass 

 which is cut in June and left as a mulch. Here the 

 trees are interlocked through and through in many 

 places. Sometimes a giant falls and ends its life as 

 incense on the old-fashioned hearth that boasts brass 

 fire-dogs and fender. We found the odor of the wood 

 pleasantly spicy when a kind hospitality led the way to 

 the quaint dining-room and feasted us on creamy milk, 

 home-made buns and luscious grapes. ' ' We only lunch 

 at noon," he said, "it saves the women-folk trouble." 

 We murmured our thanks as our pockets bulged out 

 with red-cheeked apples, and followed the grinning 

 ' ' Pierre " to the boat, looking back now and then to the 

 sunlit orchard, silent just now in the noonday rest. 



K. 



CRAB I 



DESCRIPTIONS ."^ND FIGURES OF SOME O 



CHERRY CRAB.— Fruit very small; form 

 roundish ovate-oblate, slightly ribbed ; color 

 light yellow, blushed with red ; dots small, 

 scattered, light ; stem very long, slender ; 

 cavity rather narrow, shallow, sometimes 

 russeted ; calxy small, closed ; segments short, recurved, 

 often wanting ; basin narrow, very shallow, slightly fur- 

 rowed ; core large, wide, closed ; carpels small, closed ; 

 seeds small, ovate, dark brown; flesh yellowish, rather 

 firm, juicy, sprightly, brisk sub-acid, some astringency ; 

 quality good ; season, August. Tree thrifty, upright, 

 straggling, productive, ornamental. This is one of the 

 best of very small crab apples. 



Bryant (BiyanV s Favorite). — Fruit large for a crab ; 

 form roundish ovate ; color light waxen yellow, half cov- 

 ered mixed splashed, and faintly striped with crimson 



the best kinds {See plate, page 20g). 



with a bloom ; very handsome ; dots small, scattered, 

 light or yellow ; stem long, slender, yellow ; cavity rather 

 narrow, shallow, waxen yellow, regular; calyx medium, 

 closed; segments long, erect; basin narrow, shallow, 

 furrowed ; core large, roundish oblate, closed ; carpels 

 small, scarcely hollow ; seeds small, plump, ovate, dark 

 brown ; flesh yellowish-white, firm, juicy, sprightly, sub- 

 acid, very slightly astringent ; season, August and Sep- 

 tember. Tree symmetrical, early and abundant bearer ; 

 originated with Bryant & Elder, Derby Center, Vermont. 

 This is one of the very best and showy crabs we have, 

 worthy a place in every garden. 



Fay {Fay's Cetn). — Fruit large for a crab ; form oblate 

 conic, obscurely ribbed, regular; color rich clear, light 

 yellow, distinctly blushed and obscurely striped with 

 fine rosy red, handsome ; dots small, scattered, indis- 



