Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-05-12


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THE GOLDEN PRoPHET. The first out door
flower of this year | saw at Peter Henderson 3,
ln Bergen, \. }. Ii was dau6eiou. All the
fields were yet brown. The buds were nn-
swollen on tree or shrub. The frost was scarce
ly out of the ground, aud on the shaded sIes
Ut the fence 1t was yet unthawed. But there
was one dandelion that had got out its leaves
and shot up its stem, and had opened its golden
pleated face as brightly as Il there had been no
winter, and as if it had never heard of frost
Ii was at the east end OF long green house
Some seed, last summer, waited by the wind
had struck against the building, fallen to the
earth, been washed in by the rain close to the
sill, had sprouted aud found its root; and now
sheltered from the north, with direct and re-
aeeted rays OF the sun upon it, it had come
forth first of all the volunteers in the new
spring
Not one OF all the dne things contained in
the whole acre Of glass houses OF MIR, Hender-
son gave me so much pleasure. Why should
rot the flowers within blossom early, and finely?
They had no winter TO battle. An artificial
shelter aud stove heat created for them q
summer IN WluttI. lucy COulu iOOh tuiOuSu
the glass and see the icy storms which never
chilled them. But this solitary dsndelion had
no nursing no protection. All winter long it
rroze or thawed as the capricious weather
chose. And yet, DO sooner did the March sun
begin TO shine little warmth upon it than it
.prung up, wide awake, radiant with new life,
aud hailed the spring No pampered bantling
was this. 1t owed nothing to care aud kind
ness. 1t pushed its way into bloom by its own
inherent hardihood. OF course, | thought
Of the human dandelions that had seen.-
While hundreds OF favored children, schooled
and petted, give but a tender and late blossom,
now and then some dandelion child shoots up
between the cracks and crevices OF the stones,
and leads all the rest.
But this was not all that my little dandellOn
made me think Of. 1t brought to mind the
summers gone, the meadows, fairly ablaze with
their brilance, the golden cups that on their
slender stems tried to outlook tho dandellonS
in their own color, the beoblink, that piebold
bnffoou of birds, that in motley coat, sang in
the meadows his mocking descent made up of 4
vail and fzzle, all the while teeterlng on the
stem of a golden cup, which was not stiff
enough TO hold him Yes; | saw the meadow
full Of flowers while [ locked in your honest
face first dandelion of the spring | saw the
yvhole summer heard its birds, 1 felt its
winds. And yet not word did you speak.
God bless and multiply the flowers that wear
omen faces and shine forth early before winter
IS fairly gone, to cheer our hearts with prophe-
cies of milder days God bless the men and
women, whose radiant faces drive sadness from
our hearts, and inspire the memories OF happy
days, and kinde the hope OF summer days to
come-faces that have no winter, that carry
within them their own brightness, and k'nd!e II
at the first watch of the yesr-iaces that never
wither, but like the dan1elion, when the bios
som passes, globe forth IN seed form more
iaiIy-ikc andethereal than was the bloom
beautiful in youth, and yet more beautiful 10
agel-N. L. Ledger.
DESTRUCTIVE BUGS. Since The war the
farmers and gardeners around Petersburg have
suffered not little from the Invasion OF at least
two strange bugs, the one depredatlug on the
wheat, and the other on cabbages. Specimens
0t the former, takent.C wheat held IN Ches-
teIfeld, were sent last year TO the EntomOogis.
Of the Agricultural Department. They made
their appearance in myrladS at the time the
wheat was iu ear, and destroyed its truitiul-
ness, apparently 1y sucking the uiceS OF the
plant Mr.. Glover, the EntomolopiSt, referred
TO these insects in his Report, and expressed
he wish that some careful person should note
their habits on their reappearance this year,
and the precise manner in which they infIct
injury on the crop. We advert to the subiec,
al this time, in view OF the near approach oI
harvest, for the purpose OF calling the attention
Of our friends to the subject, and requesting
them to report the result OF their observations
to the office of the ludex. Mr. Glover thinks
they might have been engaged in feeding on
tie nudge, which is sometimes tOuCd in vast
numbers in the heads Of wheat While We see
no reason for such supposition, seeing that
the midge has not been Troublesome here, yet
It would be well to bear the suggestion in mind
4 the time OF making observations, which
should te daily during the appearance Of the
| yuemy.
The other plant bug is beautifully marked,
4td yariegated with red and black, veIv numer-
Jus and sometimes ruinous not only to the
iabbage crop, but TO all other cruciform plants,
'dch as radshes, turnIpS, mustard, Ne. Ii
might nave been noticed last tall at the marle
houses On almost every lot Of catbaees offered
i1r sale They have not yet become ss uumer-
us here as 10 other localities, but unless some
steps are taken to arrest their progress they
nav get to be % at an early day.-RtcrsJurq
Lot.r
sf., The stesuar WAW ASET will