Rub-a-dub dub, men in a tub, And who do you think they he? The butcher, the baker, The candlestick maker, Sept- 8—I_ have always had my suspicions about that rhyme, and Hhave wondered why such respectable tradesmen should. have trusted themselves to so frail a craft. But this morning I found out all about it, for the time has arrived when the horny water-chestnuts, called by the local' Chinese "Yor-Ling," are ready for picking....and many' coltagers in the country are undertaking, the task In the family wash-tub, a wide shallow wooden vessel, quite water-tight and eminently suitable for navi tion on a quiet pond or creek: 1ew Chinese tillers of the soil own a boat, so it is convenient for them to use the family wash-tub for these annual excursions on more or less shallow waters. The plant of the Trapa notans (to use its scientific name) has a dark green leaf, smallish and shaped ike a broad, flat spear-hea it floats Matty on the surface like a water-lily and throws up a delightful ttle pure-white flower Wwnieh alwa; reminds me of an aquatic snowdrop which has come too soon; the main go chewed liquor ice rools, swallow Ing the tasty juice and spitting out the fibre—(but Oh! Dearly Beloved, don't forget to pare away the outer skin which is as hard as a bamboo). And then "among. these Autumn crops I find that every farmer has FoWs or patches of foxgloves; he wants the leaves as medicine far heart-troubles, or even for a. sedan live, How strange it is to me to seo this' "Digitalis" produced in the fields a crop, when to me those lovely plants stir up only memories of Engish lanes and woods and cottage gardens! And how can 1 approve the modern name of this plant, which owing to two stupid errors links it with the erally fox? The finger-like shape of the flower suggested the "glove", but the first syllable was "Polks"—not Fox; then when the word "Folks" was' used it meant the Little Folks—or Fi just common folks I we called the foxglove "Pairies' finger= stalls" we should be much nearer the mark! for, 22-1 toned tough anes Satie rane sia he aaa [group of floating leaves anchored to the bottom by a long trailing tape oot, which takes in nourishment through many hair-like rootlets. But the main plant, consisting of leaves, Mowers and fruit (ne, the horny chestnuts) floats placidly on the st fee,...and the bold mariners in the Wwastciubs. just pick the submerged nuts of, stow: them inthe tub.+ fand finally paddle ashore with their hands.""And" when. the harvest is safely' gathered, back goes the wash {ub to the drudgery of the kitchen! How sorry 1 feel for that poor tub: Jone day a veritable "Golden Hind" gathering Hieh harvests from the ferent waters; next day back In Kitchen warning the dirty linen. Ro wonder it sings to. itself something "about "niuberdub dub" ers "Turn "em out knaves all three"! and finishes up by saying of ils ow sre i a det itt sit tonic ina atiete Bane Boast tena Sik a eet los Spree are lat, Sa" can sat may nat oda Sept. 11.—Summer tes a-dying, and Autumn now holds sway." Outside the "rleecountry where the main r0p rolls like & yellow sen in ihe Sutuma winds, the folds are vivid freon with colton, beans and sugars feane, 'The cotton' plants stand" thick trid high, and are already being picks ed. by thin though flowers of varied hies.-yellow' with ure yellow, white ita tap aaa tie abe a ae ey ce hes Bye moon ses reac coca Soto ana {nthe breed are merely "land improvert™for th [Chinese know they. take -nitroges nto the soil—they will use the beens for "cake manure" and burn the rooted plants in winter. The sugar janes stand high with tavscled hes, <waiting to be eut'up and chewed "Sust a8 children in Europe yeaer whither © whither 90
"May I'go with you....? were He ie lay makes my old friend Mother Goose ook ike an entry in the Novices! Class.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.