The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-05-11

Then you'll not lack friend
IL Hnurgca9i Sc 70 aefends 0s ysGtk ve'
When Star-fiSh rolls into your view
ay-Gcprge g.sWeostsr.. IN. s.. sNicholas. d
FRED'S FRUIT.TREEs AND sGARs
yoai81 assgL DEN. sslf .axw
IL think, there never. was a boy who
did not love to eat every kind of frnit!''
This sage remark was made BY Fred
Garfield to, his elder brother as they
looked wistfully over the fence between
their own ffuitless garden and Mr.
Black 4, very tempting orchard, which. in.
the proper season produc abundantly
apples, pears, grapes, peaches, Epluins,
apricots and all the small fruits known
to the intelligent gardener. Just at that
moment MIR. Black himself aappeared
among the trees, and Fred, forgetting
his usual modesty, called out: MI.
Black, may ] take some of these apples
that hang over the fence?" .a@
For some understandable reason The
gentleman spokenssto was not in his
usual mood Of generosity, and. answer
ing the boy quite roughly, replied:
sWhy don you grow apples for your
self?" Poor Fred, who was. already
moving towards the attractive tree.
turned quickly away and the tears
started in his eyes. $50. ..4s.
IT told you not to ask him. said his
brothers, lreproaehfully, 'sbnt you paid
no attention to me; you will mind me.
next time, I Think sisess9R IN ? TIT
.tIwin have fruitaof nav own.yuext
time!n said Fred, suppressing sob and
drying his tears lest any one might see
his mortificationse for . spirit Of indie
pendence- bad ,1 been ava: awakened sD by the
..There is not a tree in our garden .
said his b. other, t"sand you know the
place is not our own; if you were to
plant trees you might never eat the
fruit. % ut viii be good for other bows
then, 'ssaid Fred. with determination in
his tone. II will plant them, and 4
may eat Of the fruit, too!'i u<-ssssss- III
his brother lar ghed sat this 4 newly.
formed resolution; but it only fixed
more firmly Fred's manly ana iadepen-
dent decisions and he began atsencerto
learn the season for planting the differ
ent kinds Of fruit-tre Without losing
y days. be was soon at work laying oufa
bed for strawberries. The plants were
procured from q neighbor, who VAS
diggingTup some of his and who said
that any one who wanted them might
have them g 'fiifsfa sTaEsao 9Yssa 81 =
81 Fred next found two nice apple, trees
growing wild in the wood AS they
were just the size for transplanting,
when November came he j removed
them to his little garden. A. Young
plum tree was dug up from the fence,
with his neighbor's permission, and sew
eral peach trees, which came up of
themselves the spring before, and stood
in cluster in the back yard AL were
transplanted to the new garden. Some
grapevine cuttings were carefully
planted in a damp corner near a hich
wall, and cherry tree from the road
side found its place in Fred's orchard in
the early spring. 500 90 70 iasssIsilI
Our little gardener was more and
more interested day by day, as he
watched the growth of his trees. His
delight was sboundless, however, wlef,
he saw the strawberries put forth ablos.
SONS. n Now,'' said he, - & shall saw
nothing about them till they are ripe.
and then surprise mother with a dish, OF
strawberries and cream. - as''sei
Fred was not sparing with the water
ing pot, and when other bows were
romping along the street. he was found
in his garden, pulling up weeds, train
ing his grape-vines, or, after sunset.
sprinkling the young plants withawater.
In the. meantime heg learned how, to
graft. and. bud his trees and, when an
opportunity offered, he added another
tree or picked up some new INFORMATION
about the cultivation of fruit. v,gi. 2 g
The fourth of July had come, bright
and lovely, after q heavy rain Of the
night before. Fred was out In his. gar
den at sunrise, for he expected some
thing of interest," there. Imagine his
delight when he saw his Strawberries
red with ripe clusters. He gathered
some OF the finest, and by the time
breakfast. was ready he had q dish 81
beautiful berries placed by his mother !
plate. She. too, was delighted, and
praised the fruit. All the family tasted
them, of course. and his little sister
clapped her hands and saids allow
nice, to have fruit growing in our own
garden z ~y.ss ',..,s...'-' -. - -
| Fred's vines bore. some, lunches of
grapes the second year, and the gratis
which he set in the young trees all did
well His garden was source of great
pleasure to him, and he never tired 81
showing to his friends his thriving and
promising orchard. In few years be
had apples and pears, cherries and
| plums, apricots and peaches, and differ.
ent kinds of small fruit. No wonder the
boy was proud to hear his mother tell :
friend from distance: 1--WE seldom
buy fruit now; Fred grows it all in our
own garden,