All such work must be done while the 
tree is quite young. By early and constant 
pruning, only, can a symmetrical top be 
obtained. That is, symmetrical in the sight 
of the practical horticulturist, whose ideas 
of form do not always agree with Nature’s 
ways. 
How to Keep from Drowning. 
The human body weighs a pound in the 
water and a single chair will carry two 
grown persons; that is, it will keep the head 
above water, which is all that is necessary 
when it is a question of life or death. One 
finger placed upon a stool or chair, or a 
small box or piece of board, will easily keep 
the head above water, while the two feet 
and the other hand may be used as paddles 
to propel the body toward the shore. It is 
not at all necessary to know how to swim 
to keep from drowning in thisyvay. A lit¬ 
tle experience of the buoyant power of the 
water, and faith in it, is all that is required. 
We have seen a small boy, who could not 
swim a stroke, propel himself back and 
forth across a wide, deep pond by means of 
a board that would not sustain five pounds 
weight. Children and all others should 
have practice in the sustaining power of 
water. In nine cases out of ten the knowl¬ 
edge that what will support a pound 
weight is all that is necessary to keep one’s 
head above water will serve better emer¬ 
gencies than the greatest expertness as a 
swimmer. A person unfamiliar with the 
buoyant power of water will naturally try 
to climb to the top of the floating object on 
which he tries to save himself. If it is 
large enough that is all right. But gener¬ 
ally it is not large enough and half of a 
struggling group is often drowned in the 
desperate scramble of a life and death 
struggle to climb on top of a piece of wreck 
or other floating object, not half large 
enough to keep them all entirely above wa¬ 
ter. This often happens when pleasure 
boats capsize. All immediately want to 
get out of the water on top of the over¬ 
turned or half-filled boat, and all are drown¬ 
ed except those whom the wrecked craft 
will wholly bear up. If they would sim¬ 
ply trust the water to sustain ninety-nine 
hundreths of the weight of their bodies, 
and the disabled boat the other hundreth, 
they might be saved under most circum¬ 
stances. An overturned or water-filled 
wooden boat will sustain more people in 
this way than it will carry. It would keep 
the heads of as many people above water 
as could get their hands on the gunwale. 
These are simple facts, easily learned, and 
may some day save your life. 
Hardy Azaleas. 
(SEE FRONTISPIECE.) 
Prominent among the hardy shrubs for 
lawn decoration are the Khododendrons 
and Azaleas which are closely allied. Our 
illustration shows a variety called Azalea 
Mollis which has long been cultivated in 
Japan and is now being introduced into 
Europe and our own country, in both of 
which it proves entirely hardy. It is said 
to grow readily from seed and the seedlings 
blossom profusely when but three or four 
years old. They blossom in early spring 
at the time they are bursting into leaf, and 
are well adapted to growing under the par¬ 
tial shade of large trees. They should be 
sheltered from the north winds and mulch¬ 
ed with leaves and litter during winter. 
We are indebted to Mr. Fred W. Kelsey 
and the Rural New-Yorker, of New York, 
for the fine cut which we show of this 
beautiful flowering shrub. 
EVENING AT THE FARM. 
Down from the hills where the fresh hreeze is blow¬ 
ing, 
Rich with the scent of the resinous pine; 
Up from low pastures where blue flag is growing, 
Where, ’mong the green grasses, brooklets en¬ 
twine, 
Filled with the grasses, intent on home-going, 
Slow-footed cows are all hasting in line, 
the air with their milking-time lowing, 
>iile boldly their forms the last sun rays define. 
Afar in the west the sun lies a-dying, 
Gorgeous his couch as Aurora’s gay bed; 
Homeward in haste the late swallows are flying, 
Dark float their forms ’gainst the sky’s fading 
red. 
Deep in the wood the sad night birds are crying, 
Wails for the day that has past and is dead; 
High in the east where the faint clouds are lying, 
Cynthia glides on her way overhead— Selected. 
