RING DEM CHARMIN’ BELLS. 
As Sung by Uncle Remus. 
Oh, sinner! don't take yo’ time, 
Dar’s a road we all mus’ clime— 
Hit’s a road full er faintin’s spells; 
De way mighty iong, 
Bur soul git strong 
W’en she year dem charmin’ bells. 
Oh, sing, my soul! 
Oh, ring en roll! 
Ring-a dem charmin’ bells! 
De road mighty full er dus’, 
But sinner kin quench his thus’ 
By drinking fum de Jacob wells; 
En de soul git strong 
W’en she year dat song— 
Oh, ring dem chai’min’ bells! 
Oh, Jerdun, roll! 
Oh, sing, my soul! 
Ring-a dem charmin’ bells! 
Oh, sufferin’ sinner, rise, 
Lif’ up dem ’umbel eyes, 
Lissen wa’t de Speret tells; 
Oh, do git strong 
En sing dat song— 
I year dem charmin’ bells! 
Oh, sing, my soul! 
Oh, ring en roll! 
Ring-a dem charmin’ bells! 
W’en de night git dark and col’, 
En you year dat Jerdun roll, 
Dat de place whar John befels; 
Oh, soul, git strong, 
En sing dat song— 
Oh, ring dem charmin’ bells! 
Oh, sing, my soul, 
Oh, ring en roll! 
Ring-a dem charmin’ bells! 
My Lord, be done onroll 
Dat shinin’ clof uv gol’, 
En de heav’ms dey sinks and swells! 
Oh, soul, sing strong! 
Des shout dat song— 
Oh, ring dem charmin’ bells! 
Oh, sing, my soul! 
Oh, ring en roll! 
Ring-a dem charmin’ bells! 
—Atlanta Constitution. 
PRUNING. 
BY W. D. BOY^NTON. 
There are almost as many methods of 
pruning as there are practical horticultu¬ 
rists. Some prune much, some little and 
some not at all. Some prune at one season, 
’some at another, and some prune at any 
and all times. Many wait until the top has 
become fully developed, others do all their 
pruning while the tree is young, and still 
other classes prune a little each year at all 
stages of growth. As to the form of top 
to which a tree should be pruned, the va¬ 
riety of ideas and their execution is almost 
infinite. 
Upon this question, as upon most others, 
a medium course should be adopted, so that 
the evil effects of either extreme may be 
avoided, and still retain the good points of 
each policy. 
The time of pruning should first be con¬ 
sidered, and the most popular plan at pres- 
sent is to prune trees just after they have 
reached the stage of full foliage, say the 
last of June or first of July. By so doing, 
the tree has an opportunity to recover from 
the effects of the mutilation before the 
winter sets in, and upon the other hand it 
is better than extremely early pruning, for 
the reason that the rising sap is not ob¬ 
structed in its upward course or thrown 
out of its natural way. 
As to the particular period of growth in 
which a tree should be pruned, the happy 
medium may again be profitably adopted. 
By this I wish to be understood that mod¬ 
erate training and pruning should com¬ 
mence with the first year’s growth and bo 
kept up until the tree is several years old, 
or rather until it has attained its natural 
growth, after which it will need very little 
attention in the way of pruning. I do a 
large share of my pruning with the pocket 
knife, and by having a definite idea as to 
what I want in the way of a top, and then 
working to that plan every year, I find the 
work of pruning comparatively light. A 
low compact top is probably the best in 
this country, as the tree is then in better 
shape to protect itself against the cold 
weather and sudden thaws of winter; but 
the top should not be left too thick, for the 
fruit will be small and slow to ripen. In 
pruning, the cutting should be done mostly 
from the inside of the top, the center twigs 
of the large limbs being left in order to 
broaden the top. This plan should be fol¬ 
lowed, especially where the limbs are in¬ 
clined to run up straight, as is often the 
case. I very often tie, or weight such limbs 
down until they attain a more horizontal 
position. 
