The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-07-21

1t was the night Of the choir re-
hearsal and in driving by the church
he saw Mary Mead, Miss Kezia,s,
niece, going up the steps. He sud,
denly whipped up his, sleepy old
mare and drove home at a break
neck rate of speed.
"Now's yer time Solomon Pinch"
he muttered to himself; 1t mebbe
a long while afore Yell hav' SIGH a
good chance ag'in. She'll be sure to
be alone Tor couple O. hours or So
hi, old lady no stoppin' here to-
night" he added giving the lines a
sudden twist as Mary Jane showed
an inclination to stop before Mrs.
Betsey Hills house, "we've other
fish to fry now, old girl"
When he reached home he drove
the mare under the horse-shed and
tied her there, instead of unharness-
ing her as usual. Then he entered
the house, and hastily swallowing the
scanty supper which tie hired
woman placed before him, donned
his best clothes and drove off again
at rapid pace.
/. Law sakes' exclaimed the
woman, amazed. THE deacon's got
suthin' on his mind, sure It's the
first time | ever knew him to disre-
member to ask a blessing"
Ever since the death Of his wife
Deacon Pinch had looked on Miss
Kezia as her probable successor.
For years he had gazed with covet-
GUS eyes on the fine Mead farm with
its substantial buildings, but he
never could screw his courage up to
the point OF facing the swapping
black eyes of its owner. OF late he
had been seen several times knocking
at the door OF Mrs. Betsy Hills little
brown house, and the worthy MILL:
ner was overjoyed at the opening of
this brilliant prospect before her.
But the news OF the sudden rise in
western lands caused Mrs. Hill, with
her small possessions, to sink into
inslgnifcance by the side of this rich
woman with her weil.tilled acres, her
overfowing barns and her prospec.
tive thousands OF dollars.
n The idea OF failure in his matrimo-
NAL venture never for an instant en-
tered the deacon's head. ''The way
afore we is as plain and straight as a
pipe-stem, Solomon RincA," he, muir
ua 4e F pfsHp that sAs HmslI6sa vines
did not suffer from the phylloxera
lay in the fact that alter one or two
seasons OF disease the vines were
seen to recover full strength in a
season which provided advantageous
conditions. This was not 1.-THE case
in Europe, where a vine once at.
tackled by this insect was doomed to
destruction. The grating OF the
delicately favored vines of France
upon American stocks had been con-
Quoted with great success by several,
the advantage of the combination
being that the excellent qualities of
the foreign plant were reaped from
vine whose root was proof to those
attacks so fatal to the plant in is ma
tive home.
Mr.. Charles d. Zimmerman, of
Buffalo, New York, read paper on
the "Protection Of Trees from the
Sum-" He urged that they suffered
more from the direct and indirect
effects Of the sun than the average
e-planter was prone to acknowl-
edge. Very often the unhealthy
condition of trees was attributed to
various causes, such as poor stock,
soil, and insects, whereas the first
cause was improper exposure to the
sun. Young trees were trimmed by
cutting off all the side branches in
order to give the trees a good APP
pearance, which was very well as
long as they remained in the nursery,
where they were protected by each
other; but when set out in orchards
the long uncovered stems suffered
greatly from exposure to the sun, and
unless well staked were prone to
lean over and grow crooked. In this
condition the suns rays struck the
stalk more directly than ever, causing
the bark to decay and rendering the
tree open to the attacks OF insects.
Apple trees in this condition were
always affected by worms and the
fiat headed borers soon ruined what
had cost much money, care, and toll
to partially raise. 1t would be bet
ter it tree planters would copy more
closely after Nature. 1t AN apple
tree was grown from seed it was
busny, needed no support, and was
not affected by worms. II in good