Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-09-17
SEPTEMBER.
By Lue F. Vernon.


apple trees knew it by the weight of
their heavily-laden branches; the
hazel trees growing in the orchard
hedge. because their fine nuts had
just been gathered, and the brambles,
which mingled with the foliage of
the hazel trees, had already dropped
many of their over-ripe berries.
There were other occupants of the
orchard who knew, too, that autumn
was close at hand. Many of the
caterpillars were wandering about
seeking a secluded spot in which to
spin their cOcoons, while others were
burying themselves in the ground. S
that they might change to a chrysa-
lis.
The apple and hazel trees had
watched the development of one
anothers fruit in grave silence
they had not been on speaking terms
for nearly b month, and all owing to
silly little quarrel as to who bore
the best fruit! They had had four
whole weeks in which to think over
their silly behavior, and during that
time they had grew older, and, 1 am
glad to say, wiser. it was a bramble
who at length ventured to break the
uncomfortable silence by exclaiming:
Whatever is the beetle doing on
the top of the gate pOst?"
am basking in the rays of the
sun, replied the beetle himself, for
can feel chilly autumn coming; but
please don't talk to me, for conversa-
tiOn interrupts my enjoyment"
Dear me!' said the trees and
brambles, and then they all laughed; !;
and the laughter blew away the last
traces of ill temper, so that the trees
felt quite friendly towards one an
other again.
What splendid crop of apples
you bear this year!" said a hazel
tree, addressing the biggest tree in
the orchard.
My dear friend" replied the
gratitied tree, Il positively envied
you your fine nuts; and Us for your
neighbor. the bramble, | never saw
"a bush with larger blackberries."
The brambles, who had a very
modest opinion of itself replied:
Its very kind of you to say so.
but l am only a wild bush and
am afraid my berries are almost
worthless, for nobody has picked
them this year, and now they are
fast dropping to the ground.
/ don t think ever noticed you
before. " replied the apple tree.
dare say not" said the bram-
bic, for it is only during the Sum-
mer that l have succeeded in climb
ing to the top of the hedge, where
my berries have ripened in the bright
sunshine. When people gather my
fruit they always grumble at my
prickles, but | am very thankful for
them, for Just as the wild convolvul-
US supports itself by its twining
stem, and the vine $50 l have heard)
by tendrils, so climb by means OF
my hooked prickles. "
L hope you won t catch hold OF
me, said the hazel tree rather cross
ly, because | have quite enough to
do to support my own nuts, which
are always very plentiful. l"
L noticed what large ones they
were when they were being picked a
few days ago." said the bramble.
" How very different your fruit is to
mine, and how very strange that
your nuts, the apples and my berries
all grew from little flowers
Well" said the hazel tree, my
flowers, which bloom early in the
year, are of two kinds, both of which
are rather curious. Some of them
form those catkinS of which children
are SO fond, and the others, which
grow on the same stem as the cat
kins, are clustered together in a lit
tie head, but are so insignificant that
they generally remain unnoticed,
though it is in them alone that the
fruit is formed"
What very pretty leafcups your
nuts are seated in, said the big ap-
pie tree.
Well" answered the hazel tree,
we call them cupules, because they
are so cup-like; but you are Il little
wrong in saying they are composed
OF leaves. You see, their arrange
ment as well as their shape differs
from that Of the leaves, SO we call
them tracts. "
Thank you," said the bramble
politely; but the apple tree. | am
afraid, was not attending to the last
part of the conversation, for he was
watching with great interest the
swallows collecting on the telegraph
wires previous to their journey tc
the warmer countries.
And really there was some excuse
for his inattention. rs being So muct
taller than the hazel tree and BRAN.
bic, he found it rather tiring to
bend down to listen.
lT looks as if Alabama upon second
tbpunbt ,ril laava n faty eprawS lnnS,