The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-04-15
ZsAISING HIS OWN FRUIT.


81 think there never was boy who
did not love to eat every kind of fruitr'
This sage remark was made by Fred
Garfield to his elder brother as they
looked wistfully over the fence between
their own fruitless garden and Mr..
Black very tempting orchard, which in
the proper season produced abundantly
apples, pears, grapes, peaches, plums,
apricots and all the small fruits known
to the intelligent gardener Just at that
moment Mr.. Black himself appeared
among the trees, and Fred, forgetting
his usual modesty, called out: "Mr.
Black, may take some of these apples
that hang over the fence?n 7'i
For some unaccountable reason the
gentleman spoken to was not in his
usual mood of generosity, and. answer
ing the boy quite roughly, replied:
"Why don't you grow apples for your
selfP" Poor Fred, who was already
moving towards the attractive tree,
turned quickly away, and the tears
started in his eyes.
81 told you not to ask him" said his
brothers, reproachfully, "but you paid
no attention to me; you will mind me,
next Time, UnlnK.
- will have fruit of my own, next
time!' said Fred, suppressing sob and
drying his tears lest any one might see
his modification; for a spirit of indie
pendence had been awakened by the
late affront.
"There is not tree in our garden, y
said his brother, ''and you know the
place is not our own; if you were to
plant trees you might never eat the
fruit" at will be good for other boys
then" said Fred, with determination in
his tone. II will plant them, and ]
may eat of the fruit, too!'
His brother laughed at this newly
formed resolution; but it only fixed
more firmly Fred's manly and indepen.
dent decision, and he began at once to
learn the season for planting the differ.
ent kinds of fruit-trees. Without losing
a day, he was soon at work laying out q
bed for strawberries. The plants were
procured from a neighbor, who was
digging up some of his and who sale
that any one who wanted them might
have them.
Fred next found two nice apple tree.
growing wild in the wood. AS they
were just the size for transplanting
when November came he removed
them to his little garden. A young
plum tree was dug up from the fence
with his neighbours permission, and sew
eral peach trees, which came up o
themselves the spring before, and stoO(
in a cluster in the back yard all wer,
transplanted to the new garden. Som'
grapevine cuttings were carefully
planted in a damp corner near a higl
wall, and cherry tree from the road
side found its place in Fred's orchard il
the early spring. u. .a .HT
Our little gardener was more ant
more interested day by day, as h
watched the growth of his trees. Hi
delight was boundless, however, whel
he saw the strawberries put forth bios
SONS. "Now," said he, " shall sa
nothing about them till they are ripe
and then surprise mother with a dish O
strawberries and cream" Cd
Fred was not sparing with the water
ing-pot, and when other boys wer
romping along the street, he was foun
in his garden pulling up weeds, train
ing his grape-vines, or, after sunset
sprinkling the young plants with water
In the meantime he learned how
graft and bud his trees and, when a
opportunity offered, he added anothe
tree or picked up some new informatio
about the cultivation of fruit. lH
The fourth of July had come, brigt
and lovely, after heavy rain of tn
night before. Fred was out in his gal
den at sunrise, for he expected some
thing of interest there. Imagine h
delight when he saw his strawberrit
red with ripe clusters. He gathere
some of the finest and by the tim
I breakfast was ready he had dish {
beautiful berries placed by his mother