304 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
1To. 153, 
Above we present an original engraving from I 
a painting by Jerome Thompson, the designer of 
the picture entitled “ The Last Load,” published 
in the Agriculturist last month. This scene, even 
more than the previous one, shows the familiari¬ 
ty of the artist with farm life, and also his happy 
choice of subjects for illustration. An apple or¬ 
chard in full bearing, the tempting fruit blushing 
among the foliage, or covering the ground with a 
profusion of golden “nuggets” such as no mine 
can yield, has a fullness of beauty, which, while it 
charms the eye, appeals not less successfully to 
other senses. The artist has treated his subject 
truthfully. There is none of the hurry and bus¬ 
tle which characterize the labors of the farm ear¬ 
lier in the season ; the work is not pressing, and 
affords employment in which the female part of 
the household may find an agreeable change. 
The introduction of the two figures in the fore¬ 
ground is suggestive ; The one seated upon the 
basket appears to be a visitor, very likely a citi- 
ten who has escaped from the tiresome din of 
the town to enjoy a season of rest in the country. 
The attention given by the group near him, 
seems to indicate that they are much entertained 
by the marvels he is relating, the younger fe¬ 
male, particularly, being so engrossed as to en¬ 
tirely forget the workman above, who seems 
rather impatient at this interruption of his work. 
Perhaps he is uneasy at the interest she mani¬ 
fests in the stranger. 
The light hazy clouds overspreading the sky, 
and the smoke slowly ascending from the quiet 
farm-house in the back ground, tell of those deli¬ 
cious Autumn days when the softened sunshine 
tempered by the Autumn breeze, both soothes 
and strengthens the physical frame, so that but 
to live, is a luxury. 
The farm-house with low gable and double por¬ 
tico, the long well sweep and “ old oaken bucket" 
present little to attract the eye of the architect, 
but the ample wood-house adjoining, the tidy 
farm-gate, and the adjacent orchard are indica¬ 
tions that it is a home of comfort. The ample 
rooms, well filled cellar, and capacious fire-places 
(the lungs of the house) give a breadth of simple 
and natural enjoyment, which make the wander¬ 
er, however successful, sigh for his old “New- 
Etigland Home.” 
A full supply of fruit for Winter use adds im¬ 
measurably to family comfort. Who does not 
enjoy sitting around the fire on a Winter even¬ 
ing, eating nuts and apples and telling stories'! 
The housewife too, finds it easy to furnish the 
table with delicacies when apples are plenty. 
Many who have abundance of this frnit in Fall 
and early Winter,fail to keep a supply until Spring, 
simply from want of proper care in gathering and 
storing it. The apples are shaken from the trees, 
picked up and laid in heaps, or put in barrels or 
bins in the cellar, the bruised and defective ones 
left with the rest, and sorted over only when it 
is discovered that a large part of them are decay¬ 
ing. A bruise on an apple is a fatal injury, sure 
to result in its loss. All fruit intended for keep¬ 
ing should be hand picked, and sorted, only sound 
specimens being allowed in the general store. 
The remainder should be kept separate for imme¬ 
diate use. Apples when first gathered have a 
superabundance of moisture, being part of the 
sap, not appropriated by the fruit. This in a few 
days passes to the surface, and the fruit is said 
to sweat. If they are barreled up before this pro¬ 
cess is complete, rot will be speedily induced, 
and the fruit lost. They should be spread thin 
in some cool place under cover until dry, then 
placed carefully in barrels without straw, and 
kept in a dry place at as low a temperature as 
may be, without freezing. Some prefer placing 
them in barrels at once, leaving one head out un¬ 
til the sweating is complete. Treated in this 
manner, they may be preserved through the en¬ 
tire season until Spring fruits come in. 
—--' «B # — *-•**- 
Plant Fruit Trees. 
Plant them new, as soon a3 the frost has nearly 
stripped them of their Summer foliage, and in 
three or four years golden rewards may he reap¬ 
ed, in yellow, juicy apples, and luscious, mellow 
pears, to say nothing of the stone fruits. The lat¬ 
ter are more safely planted in Spring; bat do 
not wait until Spring to set out apple and pear 
trees. The present is a more leisure sea¬ 
son, a better selection can usually be made, and 
the tree is in its place and ready to start into 
growth at the ordinary leafing time in Spring. It 
can also better withstand the drouth of mid¬ 
summer than when planted in Spring. Perhaps 
the only exceptions to successful Fall planting 
are, first where the soil is wet and the contrac¬ 
tions and expansions of superabundant moist¬ 
ure destroy the root fibers; and second, in the case 
of tender varieties which are liable to winter- 
kill. A tender tree moved in late Fall can not 
withstand the extreme cold and sudden changes 
of Winter like one which has been unmolested. 
On this account it is usually advised to plant 
peach, nectarine, apricot, and sometimes tender 
plum and cherry trees, in Spring. A few of the 
late growing and tender sorts of apple trees may 
also be left until Spring in the northern States ; 
but with the majority of trees, and especially in 
this latitude and southward, Fall planting may 
well be commenced with the fall of the leaf. 
No universal “directions” for setting out trees 
can be safely given. As a general thing, it is 
