Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-07-03
Putting knowledge TO Il Good Use.

\ certain nobleman. very proud of the
extent and beauty of his pleasure-grounds,
CHANGING one day to call on q small squire,
whose garden might cover half an acre,
vas greatly struck with the brilliant colors
Of his ncighbors flowers. Ay. nay lord,
the flowers are we'll enough said the
squire bur permit me TO show YOU nv
grapes" Conducted into an old-fashioned
little greenhouse. which served as u winery,
my lord eazed. with modification and envy
on grapes twice as fine as his own. Ny
dear friend said my lord. " you have
Jewel ot q gardener; let me see hun :
The gardener vas called-the single gard
euer-a simple looking man under thirty.
Accept my compliments on Your flower
beds and your grapes, SAID my lord. d" and
tell me if you can, why your flowers are
So much Brighter than mine and your
grapes So much finer. GU must have
studied horticulture profoundly " Please
vour lord~hip. said the man. - have not
had the advantage of much education.
bent no scholar: but as to the flowers and
tue vines. the secret as TO treating them
just came to me. you see, by chance
Bv chance 2 explain
Wen. my lord three Years ago master
sent me 10 Lunnon on business of his'n :;
aud it came on to rain, and took shelter
in news, YOU see"
Yes; YOU took shelter i'll news =
what then
And there were two gentlemen taking
shelter too; ; and they were talking to each
other about charcoal
About charcoal 70 on.
Mud one said that il had done deal
of good in many cases OF sickness, and
specially in the first stage of cholera. and
| took a mote on my mind OF that. because
we'd had the cholera i'll our village the
year aiorc And guess the TWO gentle
men were doctors and knew what they were
talking about
5. Dare say thcv did bat flowers and
vines don't nave the cholera, DO th ,y?"
Ne. my lord; but they have com
plants Of their own; and one of the gen
tlcmen went on 10 say that charcoal had {
special good effect upon all vegetable life
and told q story of 4 vine-dresser, III Ger
many. | think. who had made :, very sicklv
poor vineyard one OF the best in all thos'
parts. simply by charcoal dressings. So
naturally prcked up my ears at that, TO
our vines were in 50 bad way that maste
thought of doing away with them altogeth
en- Ay.' said the other gentleman, arl,
See how little sprinkling of charcoal vii
brighten up flower bed
The rain was now over, and the gen
temen left the news: and | thought
.'Wel. but before | try the charcoal upo
my plants I'd best make some inquiry o
! them as arnt doctors. but gardeners 80
went to our nursery man, who had dea
OF hook-learning. and ! asked him if he
ever heard OF charcoal dressing being goo
= for vines. and he said he'd read in boo
that it was 50, but had never tried 1t. I'll
l kindly lent me the book. which was tran:
! lated from some torren one And after
p had picked out of it all [ could | tried III
q charcoal in the way the book told me I
k try it; and that's how the grapes and tn
iower-beds came TO please you, my lore
. 1t was a lucky chance that ever L hear
=. these gentlemen talking in the news, pleas
= your lordship.'
. "Chance happens to all" answered II
:. peer, sententiously: :" but to turn chant
/ to account is the gift of few
IN Ills lOrUSnlD TtiuTHtu uOIlit. EdLtO Stooh
: ily on the hues Of his vast parterres
s visited his wineries. and scowled at Il
n clusters; he summoned his head gardener
= gentleman Of the highest repute for SC
h ence, and who never spoke Of a cowsl
4 except by its name in Latin. To tn
N learned parsonage my lord communicat,
% what he had heard and seen of the beni
:. nant effects Of charcoal. and produced
" proof magnificent bunch of grapes, whi'
he had brought from the squires.
"a My lord said the gardener, scarce
a elancing at the grapes, Squire -
T. gardener must be poor Ignorant creatu
. TO fancy he had discovered a secret in VIII
r is so very well known to every profession
,r horticulturist. Professor Liebig, my lor
q. has treated Of the good effect of charce
of dressing, to vines especially; and it is to
as explained on these principles, ,"-therewi
s the wise man entered into "a profound d
fe putation of which his lordship did /
ST understand a word
fe We'll then,'' said the peer, cutti
to short the harangue, since you know
v. well that charcoal dressing is good for vii
H. and flowers, have you ever tried it
to mine?''
in a. can't say have my lord /; it did
,s. chance TO come into my head"
.es Nay" replied the peer, g chance put
be into your head, but thought never took
TO out of your head