540 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. JULY 29 
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GROWING OLD. 
At six—I well remember wlien— 
I fancied all folks old at ten. 
But, when I’d turned my first decade, 
Fifteen appeared more truly staid. 
But when the fifteenth round I’d run, 
1 thought none old till twenty-one. 
Then, oddly, when I'd reach that age, 
1 held that thirty made folks sage. 
But when my thirtieth year was told, 
f said, " At twosnore men grow' old !" 
Vet twoscote came and found me thrifty, 
And so 1 drew the line at fifty. 
But when I reached that age, I swore 
None could he old until threescore! 
And here I am at sixty now, 
As youug as when at six, I trow ! 
’Tls true, my hair Is somewhat gray 
Aiul that I use n cane to-ilay ; 
’Tls true, these rogues about my knee 
Say *' Grandpa !” when they speak to me ; 
But bless your soul. I’m young as when 
X thought all people old at ten ! 
Perhaps a little wiser grown— 
Perhaps some old Illusions flown. 
But wond’ring still, while years have rolled, 
W hen Is It that a man grows old ? 
— Vandyke Broun. 
WALTER'S TREACHERY. 
“Halloo, Walter Halloo, Marcus,” 
thus the boys exchanged salutations, and 
then came a full stop. When, after a pause, 
Marcus resumed— 
“ Kathleen’s goin’ to have a party to mor¬ 
row.” 
“ What for?” 
“Oh, a birthday. Girls are always up to 
nonsense. I wanted a new bat the other day, 
and mother wouldn’t give it me. Said she 
couldn’t be always buyin’ batsand balls;much 
as she could do to keep me in books and boots. 
As if I wanted her to keep me in boots! I’d 
sooner go without a jolly rig, wouldn’t you?” 
“I don’t know,” said Walter, thoughtfully, 
“its right enough, sometimes, but—” 
“Well, I’ll bet you now,” said Marcus, in¬ 
terrupting, “ mother‘11 spend twice as much 
on lollies and stuff, and ouly a lot o’ girls to 
eat them—not a single boy!" The party 
wasn’t much, you see, as it was to consist of 
girls; but about those Iollie3 and cakes—it was 
a dreadful pity not a single boy to get a taste! 
“If 1 was her,” said Walter, with great de¬ 
termination, “ I wouldn’t have one girl, I’d 
have all boys, I’d have-” and here Walter 
enumerated some couple of dozen boys. 
“ Couldn’t we have a jolly game of cricket 
and prisoner’s bar, and—” 
Marcus sighed, regretfully, “Wouldn’t it be 
fun! I say, Walter, you come and tell Mal¬ 
colm, and I’ll ask another chap. I’m not go¬ 
ing to be the only boy.” 
“What’ll your sister say?" queried Walter, 
doubtfully. 
“Oh, she won’t say nothing,” replied Mar¬ 
cus, with very little lcgard to Lindley Mur¬ 
ray, “I won’t tell her ill just before, and 
tnen she won’t have time to bother. I expect 
I’ll have to keep friends with her though,” he 
went on, dolefully, “she might make me give 
her hair my marbles. “Look,” said Marcus, 
“displaying a glass alley, “she wants that 
awful bad.” 
“My, isn’t it a beauty,” said Walter, ad¬ 
miringly. “But she can’t play marbles, 
can she?” 
“ Can’t she play?” said Marcus, scornfully, 
“you just try her for nicks. See that,” and 
Marcus held out a stumpy not overclean hand 
with the akin knocked off in more than one 
place, “she did that the other night, an’ I 
only got one shy at her and missed.” 
“ What a fool you were to Jet her hit you so 
hard.” 
“ I wouldn’t only she said she’d make me 
give in.” 
“ And did she?” 
“No, that she didn’t; catch me givin’ a girl 
best,” was the scornful reply. “ But you’ll 
come, won’t you? ” 
“ Ye-es,” said Walter, hesitatingly, “ but I 
say, don’t say anything about it to Malcolm.” 
“ Why?” and Marcus turned full round and 
stared. “Why?” be repeated, for Walter 
was sileut, shifting about uneasily. 
“ Can’t you speak?” he asked impatiently. 
Malcolm can’t come.” 
‘ Why eau’t he come? ” 
“ We can’t both go; if he comes I’ll have to 
stop at home.” 
“ Ohl ” said Marcus, with a look Walter did 
not like, “ that’s it, is it?—well please your¬ 
self, I’ve asked yon aud I can’t unask you, 
I suppose, but suppose 1 can go over and ask 
for you?” 
“No,” said Walter, moodily, “if we both 
wanted to go we’d both have to stay at home; 
father ’ud be sure to want us to cut chaff or 
some other jolly thing, and that’s what he 
always does, so its no good in asking Malcolm! 
it’ll only just keep me at home. Don’t you 
ask him," said the selfish fellow, “and he won’t 
know anything about it.” 
“ All right,” said poor Marcus, resignedly. 
“ I expect we won’t have much fun any way; 
good-bye!” 
“So long!” and the boys parted. 
“Malcolm’s a jolly sight better than you, 
duffer,” he soliloquised indignantly, as be 
watched him bounding joyously down the hil* 
until he was out of sight. 
Walter, though very quiet, was in an extra 
good humor that evening, for the party was 
to be held the very next day and Malcolm did 
not know; “ I won’t say a word ahout it,” he 
resolved, “not until it is time to go, and then 
be can’t make much of n fuss.” Presently he 
heard his mother tell Malcolm to put on his 
hat to go a message. Ilia hat, where was it? 
it was generally missing. 
“ Let me see,” he drawled. 
“Who’s preventing you?” interrupted 
Walter, mischievously. 
“You’re not, anyhow,” was the good 
humored reply; “better send him, mother; 
he’s so smart.” 
“I think I had,” said mother, with her 
pleasant smile. “Come, Walter, you’ll be 
there and back before Malcolm gets his cap.’’ 
“ Vtrv well.” 
Walter’s unwonted readiness rather sur¬ 
prised his motber.asfrom his sel fish d is posit ion, 
he hated the trouble of going messages, hut 
th*» fact was, he dreaded a meeling between 
the boys. 
“ The little beggar (meaning Marcus) would 
ba sure to tell him all about it, so be can after 
tomorrow,’ and Walter chuckled gleefully. 
He prided himself on his smartness; only his 
mother warned him of the effects of bis utter 
selfishness. 
The next day at dinner Walter said simply, 
“May I go out this afternoon, father ?” 
“ Where ?” 
“They’ve got a party or something on at 
the Glen, and Marcus Culpepper asked me if 
I’d go. May I ?’’ he asked, just the least bit 
anxious. 
“ Yes, I suppose so.” 
“ Who asked you ?” said Malcolm, quickly. 
“ Why didn’t you tell us before ?’’ 
But Walter’s attention was bestowed on his 
plate That was why, I suppose, he did not 
see his mother’s gravely questioning look, nor 
the scorn iti his young brother’s eyes, whose 
previous expeiienco of him fully justified it. 
“Let him go, father; I’ll do his work; he 
can always manage to sneak out of it.” 
“Thank you, Malcolm,” said Walter, flash¬ 
ing a mocking look at him that exasperated 
him to the last degree. 
But now bis father spoke. 
“ I thought of sending you to the salt-pens 
to help with the cattle; but perhaps Malcolm 
would like to go.” 
“ Wouldn’t I, though,” and up went Mal¬ 
colm’s ill-treated cap into the air. “What 
horse will 1 take? Blossom? Hurrah!” and 
Malcolm was off. 
“ Ob, do let me go, father,” pleaded Walter; 
* he can go to the Culpepper’s instead.” 
“You forget, my boy, Malcolm was not 
asked.” 
“ Yes, but he was, though,” he cried, eager¬ 
ly, and stopped in confusion, for his father 
had risen. 
“ I don’t understand. Who asked him, and 
when ? How is it he knows nothing of it ? he 
asked, with increasing sternness. 
“ I thought—I thought,” stammered Wal¬ 
ter. 
“Well, sir, what did you think ?" 
“ I thought that perhaps we could not both 
go, aud—and Marcus said I needn’t say any¬ 
thing ahout it. It’s not much,” he went on, 
disparagingly, now that there was something 
better in view; “ jnata lot of stupid girls, and 
only two more boys, I’d much rather go for 
tie ride, sir. May I'(” he said, gaining cour¬ 
age as his father remained silent, thinking to 
himself that after all it did not sound so bad. 
“ May I, father ?’’ 
“No.” thundered his father, “you may not 
go. I am glad to find that for once you have 
overreached yourself. Let it be a lesson to 
you for the future. I am ashamed and 
grieved to think that a son of mine should be 
capable of such deceit. Go, sir.” 
And Walter went, not quite like Malcolm, 
though, and found the party decidedly slow. 
He kept thinking all the evening how much 
better he would have enjoyed himself after 
the cattle. He came home in very different 
spirits that evening, and the worst of it was 
no one seemed to care or take the least notice 
of him, as he moved restlessly about, seeming 
to disturb everyone, until his father, who was 
reading, sternly bade him to either sit still or 
go to bed. He preferred the latter, taking 
his candle; but as he passed his mother's chair, 
in response to her tender “Good night, my 
son,” he laid his hand for a moment on her 
shoulder, “Goodnight, mother.” m. a. y. 
NOTES BY UNCLE MARK. 
I am particularly anxious that the members 
of the Club take extra good care of (heir 
melon vines, now that the season for numer¬ 
ous insect pests is at band. I have no doubt 
but that it will be a hard fight that they will 
make, for they like melon vines quite as well 
as the children like melons. Not only should 
the winnen raise larger and better melons than 
the other contestants, but he or she (t wonder 
which it will be?) should raise the best melon 
ever grown! The Horticultural Club does 
nothing by halves! Just think how many 
people will read the names of the prize-takers 
when we publish them in the Youths’ Depart¬ 
ment of the Rural. 
It is very gratifying to hear from Uncle 
Elm that such a wide interest is being shown 
in the huckleberry contest. I thiufe he hardly 
imagined that our Club was so “up and do¬ 
ing” until the names began to arrive from all 
parts of the country. It’s a good thing for 
the boys and girls who take part, it’s a good 
thing for the Club and we hope Uncle Elm 
may be able to say that it is a good thing for 
him and the great interests he represents. 
One of the cousins suggests in a letter that 
each member of the Club have a badge of blue 
ribbon, perhaps, on which should be imprinted 
in gilt letters Y. H. C. of R. N. Y.—the 
Youths’ Horticultural Club of the Rural New 
Yorker. This would, indeed, be nice, but 
there are some objections to it which, perhaps, 
it is not now necessary to state. I have some¬ 
times thought that a neat “ Certificate of 
Membership” might be gotten up and for¬ 
warded to each member on certain conditions 
that would give new interest to the Club. 
Early in the Fall we shall resume our “dis¬ 
cussions” again, and I hope each one will take 
hold with renewed vigor. There is so much 
for young hands and nimble feet to do on the 
farm and about the house during the Summer 
that it seemed best to adjourn the discussions 
until the hard work is over. But now is the 
time to “make notes” and prepare, in a gen¬ 
eral way, for writiug to the Club on the nu¬ 
merous questions that we shall discuss, aud 
we shall be glad to consider any questions 
which the members may submit for discus- 
sioI think it would be a good plan, for as 
many as will, to send in a shortlist which they 
think would make good topics, and wo will 
give them all due consideration. 
Will Florence Conye3, an Iowa Cousin, 
please accept Uncle Mark’s thanks for a box 
of very pretty wild phloxes! They were 
very beautiful and much prized. 
YOUNG QUERIST. 
Oeorge B., Evanston, III., wants to know 
what Kohl-Rabi is, and how it is cultivated. 
Ans.—K ohl-Rabi or turnip-rooted cabbage 
is, as its name indicates, evidently a hybrid 
between the cabbage and turnip, aud partakes 
of the characteristics of both. When the 
Kohl-Rabi is two thirds grown if boiled and 
sliced it will be found tender and of a delicate 
flavor. The plants are transplanted when 
three or four inches high, to rows two feet 
apart and one foot apart in the rows. They 
grow Best on a deep, rich soil. Their cultiva¬ 
tion is similar to that of the cabbage. 
John Banov, Newtown, Pa., asks how 
many farmers there are in the United States, 
and what are the farms worth. 
Ans.—A ccording to the last report of the 
Commissioner of Agriculture there are 7,600,- 
000 persons eugaged in agricultural pursuits, 
and the total value of farms and farm tools is 
estimated at nearly $13,500,000,000. 
Mollie If., Petersburg, N. Y., wants to 
know how the vegetable Scorzonera is used, 
and what it is. 
Ans.—-S corzonera Hispanica is a native of 
Spain; is similar to salsify aud requires about 
the same kind of culture. It is used in soups 
or boiled and served like salsify. The outside 
skin should be removed before cooking. 
Gertie C., Watertown, N. Y., asks how 
many members there are in the Horticultural 
Club. 
Ans.—N ot far from 800. It is a goodly list, 
and yet there is room for more names of 
bright boys and girlB. 
Lorella B., Brownsville, Oregon, sends 
specimen of ferns and asks its botanical 
name. Grows in the woods. 
Ans.—I t is the beautiful Maiden Hair Fern, 
Adiantum pedatum. 
-♦ «■ ♦-,- 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Dear Uncle Mark;— Please number me 
with the rest of your nephews. I have taken 
the Rural since last November, and value it 
above any paper I road. I take a great in¬ 
terest in the Cousins’ letters, and hope I shall 
be able in the future to write something that 
will interest some of them. I am living in the 
Sunny South, in Aiken Co., S. C., a few miles 
from Aiken, on a plantation of ours. We 
enjoy the fine climate we have here. Aiken 
is said by some to be the healthiest place in 
the world, and they are very nearly right I 
think. We have two large hotels and several 
boarding bouses, which are filled nearly all 
Winter and Spriug with boarders from all 
parts of the Northern States and Canada, 
mostly invalids, which speak well for the 
health-giving properties of the balmy breezes 
of this locality. We can raise most anything, 
but our lands need to be highly fertilized 
and thoroughly tilled for about three years 
before we can realize good profits, unless the 
place is already well tilled. We have bad 
ripe strawberries since the 25th of March, 
peaches since the 22d of May; huckleberries 
have been ripe for two weeks: plums 
are about half gone; blackberries and rasp¬ 
berries are getting ripe. We generally have 
asparagus in March, and new potatoes and 
green peas in April, then we have plenty of fruit 
and vegetables until frost, and collards and 
turnips and onions all Winter. Our crops are 
looking well despite (he cold snap and rain. 
We are having so much rain I am afraid our 
cotton crop will be badly injured. Our corn 
aud other crops are looking well at present, 
and we have the largest oat crop raised in this 
State so far, I think. Wheat is fair to mid- 
ling. Rye not so much planted. We are 
harvesting our grain as fast as possible. 
Stock is in good condition, and in consequence 
of the stock law passed by the last sitting of 
the South Carolina Legislature, are selling 
cheap. I have some plum pits I picked from 
one of our wild plum trees. They are a 
large, yellow, juicy plum, and I would like 
you to try a few of them, if you think it 
worth the while, and see if they will not 
stand the Northern Winter, and under a good 
nurseryman, (being grafted) make an im¬ 
proved plum. If Uncle Mark says he would 
like to try them I will send him some. Your 
neice, Enterprise. 
Aiken Co., S. C. 
[I should be pleased to receive some of the 
plum pits mentioned, u. m.] 
Dear Uncle Mark;— My brother and I 
have been members of the Horticultural Club 
for some time, and we like it very much. We 
have takeu the Rural New Yorker for a 
number of years. My youngest brother’s 
name is Bertie, and we are trying to raise 
some watermelons; we are going to have all 
we make off of them. Each of us has a flowtr 
bed, and mother gives us seed to plant in 
them; we have a very large gardeu in all, 
and it is full of flowers. All of the fruit 
trees are blossomed very full. We have a 
great many apple trees—nearly a thousand 
in all. We also have got a Eeedling, and 
it is about the nicest apple we have got in 
the whole orchard. We have a few pear trees 
and some cherry trees. We like the old Wil¬ 
son strawberry the best of all. We don’t 
know much about raspberries, only the Phila¬ 
delphia. I would like to correspond with Louis 
Kurtz, if she will please send her address. 
Waukesha Co,, Wis. Maybell Park. 
Uncle Mark. —It has been quite a while 
since I wrote you. You gave us all permis¬ 
sion to speak of anything we wanted to. I 
have thought of something that I think would 
be nice and that is a badge for the members 
of the Club. A badge that would cost ten or 
fifteen cents would do well enough. I have a 
plan which I will enclose in this letter. Of 
course if you do get up one you may take this 
one or one of your own, just as you choose. 
Where there are a good many cousins living 
in one place, I think it would be nice to have 
some badge to wear. Please say something 
about it. Your niece, 
Armstrong Co., Pa. Bertie Alford. 
[Thanks for your suggestion. I will think 
it over. Am glad the cousins take such an in¬ 
terest in the Club. —U. M.] 
Uncle Mark, —We live on a farm in Colo¬ 
rado, way up in the Rocky Mountains. I am 
16 and my sister is 12. We are going to try 
and raise some Bowel’s here this Summer. 
There are lots of wild flowers here of all colors. 
Some x>laces on the sides of the hills are white 
like snow, with flowers. We have water¬ 
melons and musk-melons growing nicely. We 
have now (June 4) oats up six inches high. 
Father has about 10 acres of garden stuff in. 
If garden seeds are scalded first they will come 
up more quickly The hollyhocks that we got 
with the Rural seeds are coming up and the 
wheat is splendid. Your Nieces, 
Amanda and Maggie Blanchard. 
Chaffee Co., Col. 
Dear Uncle Mark. —My watermelons have 
not come up yet. Pa gave me a piece of land 
and I sowed it to oats and wheu they were 
about ten or twelve inches high I cut them 
down and took the rooti out aud put cab¬ 
bages in their place. I sowed some early rad¬ 
ishes and after I pulled them, I transplanted 
lettuce in their place. Your nephew, 
Union Co., Iowa. Juddik Child. 
