Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-05-02
Should a Man Plant Trees
After he is 65 Years Old

Good evening, SAM" said Mr.
Brown, as Sam drove up to the store
steps, "who was that old man witt
the Sand Farmer just now? Looked
like city chap ?"
you're right, he was" said Sam
-'but | guess he'll go to plantin' trees
whether he lives in the city or cOun-
try"
ala, ha! That's good" laughed
Mr. Brown, ''but why should he plant
trees at his age?"
well" replied Sam, according to
the Sand Farmer, no one ever gets too
old TO plant trees, and | guess he'll go
TO plantin' all right. Say, Mr.. Brown,
have you ever planted tree ?"
"Me ?" exclaimed Mr.. Brown. "Well,
come to think of it, don't believe
ever have. But l used to be a logger,
and I've cut down a good many"
81 thought So" said Sam. you're
one of those fellows that make the
road dusty"
What on earth are you talkin'
about, Sam ?" asked Mr.. Brown. GLOW
IN thunder do | make the road dusty?"
''If you could have been over to the
Sand Farmers this afternoon and
heard him tell that city chap about
plantin' trees, you would have
known" answered Sam. "That old
chap has lived in the city for sixty
five years, and has now bought piece
of land. and wants to get it ready so
when they throw hin out of his job
he'll have a place to go and he came
out here to ask the Sand Farmer if
he thought it advisable for him to
plant fruit trees at this time of life"
Pretty old" said Mr.. Brown.
Pretty old for WHAT" snapped
Sam.
Pretty old to plant most any kind
of tree and get any fruit, ain't he 2"
said the storckeeDer.
@'I suppose if the only thing he
plants trees for is to get the fruit,
himself" said Sam. abe IS too old. But
if YOU could have heard the Sand Far
rer talk TO that fellow you would
plant trees every chance you got.
Why he just stopped his work when
that citv chan came up to him. and
began asking him to tell him all he
knew about farming. and why he
wanted to leave the city and go onto
a farm to plant trees. and whether
the trees knew him or not, and if he
knew the trees very well. so thew
them. Why I never heard there was
so much to tree. hut they all seem
TO tell the Sand Farmer something.
"He said, pointing to one of his big
pines. with its needles and great TOP
pointing heavenward: That tree is
saying thanks to its Heavenly Fa-
s.her, and keeps telling me to look up
~ and see the clouds forming beautiful
pictures, or the stars, where | may
get "a job bve- and hive, when l IN
ftrongh with this earth, and then on
warm days, when the breeZes sway its
branches to and fro. it swings its CEN
seEs land the beautiful spicv incense
'lt3sasSs out from the air to tell me that
the old pine is worshipping God, and
when | come out under that tree on a
Sunday afternoon. | know what the
B5ble means when it saws: "Remem-
her the Sabbath dav to keep it holy"
Why, man, I think | could be as near
God under that old tree as | could any
place on earth but when | go to
church to Worship, somehow the smell
ot the pine, and the swish as the
hree1es blow through the needles.
make the music and the sermon have
double meaning to me. love that
old tree.
"'Then there's that aspen, or pop
lar. some call it. Always in a hurry,
and never getting anywhere. It's
leaves think thew will go one way,
and then change their mind and 90 the
other. They just keen goino back and
forth, hack and forth, talking about
VI all the time. rustling their leaves
but never getting anywhere, but when
y wind comes IN and looks AS though
It meaps business. they turn up their
white sides, and try to run away like
'uwards.
d" That old oak standing out there
in the lot all alone. with its massive
knarled branches and short, stout
trunk. always makes me feel like
squaring my shoulders, and gettino
under the loads 7 have TO carry. and
thanking God that 7 can carry thenn
and am glad to he like that old oak
Why that old tree just looks at the
West. and when the clouds come w
black. and lightning is shooting out,
con fairly hear the old fellow soy
"Come on, come on. I defv YOU" AnC
then on "A hot day, when 7 want e
rest a hit, I sit down under il.
hranches. and il seems to saw "Come
Nv arms gre stronp. TIL give yo'
shelter and protection from the heat
AN who seek refuge or shade beneath
my limbs. my out-stretched arms
shall never be disappointed"
AND then look at this apple tree
Why that old tree talks to me, am
sometimes 7 get the bows out here. an
tell thnm what that tree says. for i
talks RI bows a good many times
especially when its fruit is ripe, 70
Won see it's pretty near the road. |
rust keens bobhing its big red apDle
uu and down. like bow with 2 float
when he's fishing. inst keeps IL NOV
ing, so as to make the fish think the
the bait is alive. 7 don't suppose !
means 70 tempt those bows, hut thos'
rcd apples do look nice. and so ! to-
Fhe bows what the old tree saws. !"
am often blamed for bringing trouhl
into this world" saws the old ami
tree, "and some have said if there ha'
been no apple trees in the Garden o
Er,top thare would NOT have been an