Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-10-14
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From, the .Amerlcaa .qgricultuSaiisi.
OCTOBER.


"Distant woods and hills
Are fun OF echoes, and each sound that strikes
Upon the hollow air, let's loose their tongues.
The rippes creeping through the matted grass,
Drip on the ear, aud the far partridge drsm
Rolls ike low thunder. The last butterfly,
Like winged violet floating il the meek
Pink colored sunshine, sinks his velvet feet
Within the piliar'd mullein's delicate down,
And shuts and opens his unruffied fans.
/ azily wings the crow with solemn croal1
From tree-top to tree-top. FGebly chirps
The grasshopper and the SPIDERS tiny clock
Ticks from his creYice. .''-STREET.
1t has been we'll said that aNature loves to
die in bright cclors." The frost has FASTENED
the maturing of the leaf harvest, and the
foliage, that began to look "sere and yellow"
in the last month, is now all afame with the
brilliant hectic flush that heraids the closing
scene. Look out upon these sOctobor woods,
SO sadly beautiful, and yet never more full of
promise and life, than when life seems to be
departing. Here stands grand old maple,
every green leaf faded, as we say, but really
frightened with all the cheerful hues in the
whole circle of colors-fanling scarlet, erim-
son, pink, violet, and yellow. 1t seems to
have caught all the graees Of the sunset hour,
and like the god of day to make the last scene
the most glorous of all. The pepperri3ge is
net less brilliant, though less varied in is
colcring. The deep scarlet prevails over all,
and tue Virginia creeper that eIings to its
mossy trunk aud limbs, rivals the gauGy color
ing Of the tree it has oyergrown. Wherever
We see tAiiaaAhaii2g plant now, csiRging to
trees, climbing up the face of perpendicular
rocks, or winding through deep assures in the
lodges, it wears the same lich, attractive dress.
Though common Wild plant, aud widely dis
tribuled, it is too generally overlooked in our
ornamental grounds. Nothing can form
more beautiful contrast, at this season, than
this plant trailing over walls, along with the
European ivy.
Here is a hickory grove, REFUSING in the So
teger tints Of brown and yellow, aud masking all
our young frienGs rsjoice in It's harvest nuts.-
What boys heart does not leap up at thsgood-
~ sight of the shellbarks, dispensing their
treasures by the bushel Here they come,
whole troop of boys and girls, with bags and
storm has dislodged from the loaded boughs.--
There the nuts lie in bright contrast to the
brown shucks that enclosed them. One of
them has ladder and pole. lie will climb
into the tree-top, and save the next storm the
trouble of beating off the nuts for his brothers
and sisters. Possibly, toe, he has heard of the
old proverb ga bird in the hand is worth two
IN the bushs,'' and thinks that these nuts will
be great deal safer, in these days, 10 his bag
than n the tree TOP.
Tie butternuts ere close by ON the hillside,
stretching out their broad limbs nearer the
ground, and are easily shaken and gathered
These nuts are much larger tLan the hickory,
and, though less known 10 the market, are by
many preferred to the shellbsrk. But are i'm
proved BY cultivation, aud We are glad to see
that our gardeners are turning their attention
to them. New seedlings have been procured jim
proved in size and quality. Il is not improbable
that this field of Improvement, when properly
cultivated, will give Us as brilliant results, as
have been attained in the orchard and vineyard.
1t is hardly twenty years since the improve
ment of cur native grapes has been generally
attempted, and already we have numerous
seedlings, promising candidates for public fa-
vor. These nuts, TO our taste, are quite equal
to any thing imported, and are worthy of the
best efforts of our amateurs for their improve
ment.
The chestnut Is more magnificent tree than
either of the former In the forest it attaips
great height, and is particularly valuable for
its timber. Iu the open pasture, where it has
ample room and good soil, it forms broad ex-
pansive head, making striking object ia the
landscape. The ground is row covered with
its barrs, and the brown nuts thatshave ratified
cut Of them, one, two, and three. from each
prickly eucasemeDt.
In the southern part Of our country The chiu-
capin, or dwarf chestnut, Is now shedding its
nuts. The tree is not more than fifteen or
twenty feet high, and tue nut is smaller than
the chestnut, but has the same delicious favor.
Here also The stately pecan, Carga 0Itretormis,
is scattering its treasures. This tree belongs