The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-09-18 00:00:00

THE--STOURBRIDGE 08.4 t

found there. SO it went on till I caught it and let it
fly. It, no doubt, had been bred somewhere near the
house, though I had not seen the old birds about. A
few years ago a pair built under a low bough of a yew
tree close to our drawing room window. I took out
two or three of the eggs, which I have now in my col-
lection, and the mother bird hatched the remainder and
bronkht them safely, off.. She would sit still on the
nest while I looked down on her golden-coroneted head,
as close to me as The Times newspaper when I read it.
Then I have a little tale to tell of the wood-pigeon.
Some years ago a pair built, or rather began their nest,
in another yew tree on the other side of the lawn.
But, though I am sure they were never disturbed, at
east, not intentionally, they forsook the nest for
some reason best. known t) themselves. The same
thing occurred the next, or it may have been the fol-
lowing year, but they again left the place, excepting,
perhaps, for a chance occasional visit. Last year they
again put in an appearance, built a nest, and hat-hod
their dual brood in one of a row of ivy•clad birch
trees near the kitchen windows. So they have again,
this year, in the yew tree first spoken of, and ever
since, day after day and hour after hour, they have
been cooing, first before one window and then before
another, one of the very pleasantest sounds in nature,
to my tmild, and this from soon after daybreak till the
set of sun, and oftentimes—
_

"In answer cooed the eushat dove
Her,notes of peace and rest and love."
While I have been thus writing about them, they have
been close at hand, and they now come down and pick
about in the yard, hardly minding any one who may
be near.

In The Times of the 2nd of September one of your
correspondents spoke of great numbers of golden
plovers and sandpipers as perched in trees in their
migration. It may have been so, but only once have
I seen a bird of this class perched on a tree—namely, a
snipe—showing it, however, to be possible. It was at
a height of some 301 t. from the ground. It was in the
old coaching days, and I pointed it out to the coach-
man at the time, who also saw it as well as myself.
Eheu I fugaces I
"The coach of other days is faded,
And all its glories past,
For steam with envious cloud hath shaded

It hopes, too bright to last."
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
F. 0. MORRIS.
Nunburnholme Rectory, Hayton, York, Sept. 8.

DUCKS AND DRIPPING.

0 whither hie, the heat to fly?
Of course a'sea-side trip 1
Perspiring down we steam from Town,
And dripping take a dip.
To wipe us dry, in vain we try,
For drying makes us drip,
And so again we seek the main,

And strip, and drip, and dip.--Punch.

alarms people, so that they gather' the crop toe toOn,rl
and only thereby complete the ruin that the insects I
would have left unfinished. Suppose out of a thou-
sand apples three htindred fall through the boring o 1,;
the maggot to the core, of the fruit: the " windf4'
'
as we call them, are useful from first to last; and,
there should be at the end of thestoriseven hundre'd
sound apples to store until their proper times arrive
to be eaten. Undue haste in gathering, brought about
by the alarm of a daily dropping of punctured fruit, may,
and probably will, result in the sacrifice of that fine lot of
seven hundred, which should have been a joy to t he house-
hold and &credit to the producer. S uch mistakes are quite
common. We would sooner see the fruit hang until
the frost had brought the leaves off the tree than have
it gathered too soon ; but of course We do not advocate
leaving the fruit out unreasonably late; for, as Paddy
said at Donnybrook fair, "Wherever you see a head
hit it," so we say, Wherever you see a fruit, save it, or,
as the wildings of the world would say, "nail" it, for,
mind you, it represents the very best that rain and
wind and dew and sunshine and moonshine and star.
shine could do, in the great round of one year's work,
to bless in that way the eye and the heart and the im-
perishahle soul of man; and, in so doing, nourish and
strengthen and beautify his perishable body. All thP
elements and forces that the human mind has become
cognizant of are employed in the production of an
apple; therefore let none despise such a gift of Provi-
dence, albeit that apples just now are strewing the'
ground like the "autumnal leaves that strew the
brooks in Vallombrosa.
In gathering fruit there are two points to be borne
in mind. Take it down tenderly, touch it with care,
with a view to avoid bruises and abrasions. In every
process of removal and handling avoid rough concus-
sions. Of course, if you have a lot of fruit to deal
with you cannot pack them separately in cotton-wool;
hut in proportion to the value and the length of time
they are to be kept, you must regulate the handling
and the basketing with a view always to the least in-
jury possible. Rough cheap apples must be poured
like water from one basket to another, as may be need-
ful, and must take their chance of a knock or two;
but if you have some handsome (Wyllie Blanche or
Emperor Alexander, worth sixpence each, you will
not use them as skittle balls, but will perhaps not
grudge a bit of sweet hay in the basket, as a nice bed
for them to rest upon as gathered. Duly impressed
with these remarks, you will of course take care that
the people who gather your fruit will season their
work with common sense, and keep in mind from first
to last that the fate of your perishable property is to a
great extent in their hands; for if they cannot add to
its ctb initio value, they can certainly knock all the
money out of it by a reckless mode of managing the
business.
In storing fruit three requisites are to be secured as
nearly as possible:—ls low and equable temperature,
'darkness, and dryness. It does not matter where or
how fruit is stored if these conditions are fulfilled. All
loftsland upper floors are objectionable, because a few
days' -sunshine renders them, injuriously warm, and
under-ground cellars, though usually of equable tem-
perature, are commonly damp, and for that reason
objectionable. But a cool loft will answer as well as a
dry cellar, and it may not be possible to supersede
either withs. costly fruit room built for the purpose.
It al depends, and individual judgment must settle
the ease at last. Pack your fruit in smallish parcels,
sort Over occasionally, and ventilate at the same time,
and remember everywhere and always that dark, dry-
ness, and an equable and comparatively low tempera-
ture are of the utmost importance in keeping fruit. In
respect of the final ripening of choice pears we shall
speak anon.
- &nal quantities of very choice apples and pears
may be kept in the most perfect manner in glazed
earthen pans fitted with close lids. No fruit room in
the world can equal these pans for small quantities
of large handsome fruits, such as would be selected for
exhibition' or for dressing the dessert on a day of high
festival. The fruits should be dry, but should not be
wiped, and should be as little handled as possible when
packed in the pans; and of course the pans should be
put in a cool room and the covers always kept on to
exclude air and light. They should be occasionally
looked over and carefully packed again al quickly as
possible