Among the Trees at Elmridge

he fruit trees were, as John expressed it, "all a-blow." The peach trees, without a sign of a leaf, looked, as every one sai

ground, Edith declared that it was snowing; but she soon saw her mistake,

no fruit," said Miss Harson. "Let me sho

alcolm; "it's in the par

rew, and explained to her that it was this which, nourished by the sap of the tree, with the aid of the s

would flourish in that part of the country, but there was no orchard; and for this reason Miss Harson had taken the children to see the grand a

ara as they stood looking at the fine trees, n

apples a day, stoutly disagreed with his sister on this

d his governess, when she h

its with this frozen luxury were a constant s

give a good shade, and the long, slender branches are well clothed with leaves of a bright, glossy green. This rich color lasts late into the autumn, and it is then varied with yellow, and often with red and black, spots; so

son, that sometimes Edith and I can have only one pear d

a duchess pear is as much as can

half an apple.--But, Miss Harson, do the

strange custom is confined to apple trees. And there is no

s?" asked Clara. "Do t

ds and has a crimson pulp. It grows in sandy places near the salt water; it is abundant in North Africa and Syria, and

s this evening, Miss Harson?"

en thinking of it--but it wi

ght face; "I'd as soon have it abou

n laughed,

st rest on that. This morning we will go around among the

roaming around "promiscuous," as Jane called it; for the young governess was very caref

s?" asked Miss Harson as they came to som

"because they're so little.

of the tree just for their sake, but the large golden fruit is much prized for preserves, and in the autumn a small tree laden down with it is quite an ornamental object. The quince is more like a pear than an apple. As the book says, 'it has the same tender and mucilaginous core; the seeds are not enclosed in a dry hull, like th

H-BL

reply: "the leaves burst forth from their envelopes as the blossoms pass away; but how beautiful the blossoms are! from the deepest pink to that

ed to hear this, and they looked at

ng that distinguishes them from the other families is the gum which is found on their trunks.--Look around, Malcolm, at the peach, plum and cherry tree

which he shared with his sisters. It had a rather sweet taste, and the children

lady, laughing. "But there is another peculiarity of this family of trees which is not so innocent, and

ng back from the trees as though they

yet poisoned any one. Here are the cherry trees, so covered with blossoms that they look like masses of snow; and the smaller plu

ara, when they were fairly settled by the schoolroom f

ite instead of pink blossoms. Then it is the fruit of the peach we eat, but of

.--BRANCH

but the two chief kinds are the bitter almond and the sweet almond. The sweet almond affords a favorite article for dessert, but it contains little nourishment, and of all nuts is the most difficult of digestion. The tree has been cultivated in England for about three centuries for the sake of its beautiful foliage, as the fru

find it for," asked Malcol

employed to give a flavor to intoxicating liquors, and this is not a right way, as it makes them even more dangerous than before. But we will leave

arch; and Miss Harson explained to them that in that part of the world they do not

estament. In Jeremiah the prophet says, 'I see a rod of an almond tree[13];

Jer.

ccl. x

ng in one place," asked Clara, "like t

ware and Maryland, where the fruit grows in such perfection, and also in some of the Western States. We all know how delicious it is, but, unfortunately, so does a certain green worm, who curls up in the leaves which he gnaws in spite of the

, "to have our best peaches eaten by wretched little worms wh

y given up to their depredations, and farmers will not try to raise this fruit because of these active enemies. The whole almond family are liable to the attacks of insects. Canker-worms of one or of several species often strip them of their leaves; the tent-caterpillars pitch their tents among the branches and carry on their dangerous depredations; the slug-worms, the o

dered it an additional grievance that it should have such a long

lara, beginning to repeat it,

wild species are thorny. The cultivated plums, damsons and gages are varieties of the Prunus domestica, the cultivated plum tree. These have no thorns; the leaves are oval in shape, and the flowers grow singly. The most highly-valued cultivated plum trees came originally from the East, where they have been known from time immemorial. In

son?" asked Edith, who was rather dispose

h-plum, a low shrub found in New England, the fruit of which is dark blue and about the size of damsons; while the other is quite a large tree, and very showy when covered with its scarlet frui

replied Malcolm, gallantly, "be

y insects than others of the almond family. The black cherry is the most common species in the United States, and is both wild and cultivated. The garden cherry has broad, ovate, rough and serrate leaves, growing thickly on the branches, and this, with the height of the tree, makes a fine shade. Some ol

d with her knowledge. "'Umbel' means 'like an umbr

s. The cherry is a beautiful fruit, and one that is popular with birds as well as with boys. The great northern cherry of Europe, which was named by Linnaeus the 'bird-cherry,' is encouraged in Great Britain and on the Continent for the benefit of the birds, which are regarded as the most important checks to the over-multiplication of insects. The fact not yet prope

kill the poor little

ry foolish, as we have just seen, to destroy them for the sake of the fruit,

t down real cherry trees to make the pret

e. It is very close-grained, compact, takes a good polish, and when perfectly seasoned is not liable to shrink or warp. It is therefore particularly suitable, and much emp

y," continued Clara. "I wonde

of the northern hemisphere. They are trees or shrubs with smooth serrated leaves, which are folded together when young, and white or reddish flowers growing in bunches, like umbels, and preceding the leaves or in terminal racemes accompanying or following the leaves. A few species, with numerous varieties, produce valuable fruits; nearly all