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HE PORTLAND TRANSCRIPT. DEVOTED TO LITERATURE, &c.
gry man; and, after some delay, it was
opened by arough-looking mountaineer,
clad in sheep-skin, who in a surly tone
demanded my business;—a very unne-
cessary question, as] then thought, to
a lonely wanderer by night in the depths
ofa Spanish sierra, Or did he take me
for a brigand? I am sure appearances
considered, I might have returned the
‘compliment; for, take him altogether,
he wore as unpromising a set of features
as ever cried ‘‘stand!’’ to a benighted
traveller.. Keeping, however, these opin-
ions to myself, I gave the desired ex-
planation, backed with the promise of a
handsome gratuity for my board wand
lodging till daybreak. At this intima-
tion his face relaxed into a grim smile,
and he invited me to eater with as much
civility as could be well expected from
his uncouth exterior.
The room into which I was ushered
had probably been the kitchen of the
original building. It was long, with a
high-arched roof, and was , payed with
what appeared’ from the sound ‘to be
stone, but so discolored by the accumu-
lated dirt and stains of many ‘years, that
I could not be certain of the substance
I was treading on. At the farther end
blazed a wood fire, over which was sus-
pended a kettle, ef the size of the witches
cauldron in Macbeth, exhaling a com-
pound odour of garlic and high-kept
game, that to the nostrils of a hungry
trayeller was anything but disagreeable.
Before it stood a heavy oak table, gar-
nished with wooden spoons, and platters
of the same material, for a dozen people,
though there were only five persons
present, in addition to tie old goat herd,
namely, a middle-aged woman, with
features not a whit more promising than
his own, a lad of about fourteen and
three young men, who, from their faces,
all belonged to the same family.
pleasant party was alrcady seated at the
table, impatient, as it seemed, for their |
expected supper, with the exception of
the hag, who was broiling herself before
the fire, in attendance upon the cookery,
“Be seated, senhor,” said the old
goat-herd, placing the only chair in the
room at the head of the table for my ac-
commodation. ‘*You are just, in time,
as you may sce, if you have a stomach
for a plain meal, and are not too proud
to eat with a poor peasant and his fam-
ily,’”
“Ihave plenty of stomach, and no
pride,” said I laughing, and flinging
myself into the' profiered seat; ‘so, pro-
duce your supper when you will, and
doubt not my doing justice to it,””
Again the old goat-herd smiled grim-
ly, and turning to the woman, bade her
delay no longer. :
“Off with your cauldron, Inez, and
let us see what you have done for us to
night.”
“T have done just what you brought
me to do, and nothing else,” replied the
hag crossly. . .
“Better fare I would not wish for,”
said the goat-herd; *s0, once again,
out with it, and don’t keep us starving
here all night. “Lis no fast day, I reck-
on. San Nicolo!” heexclaimed, as the
woman emptied the contents of the ket-
tle into a huge beechen bowl,—‘San
Nicolo! but.his olla podrida has a sa-
vory odor with it. It reeks as if it
came from the queen’s own kitchen.—
Ha, Juan!’"—this was addressed to the
lad,—“‘I see’your mouth waters to be
atthe dish already, But patience, boy,
and shuffle the cards; you must wait
till your elders and betters are served,
for our teeth are not so good as yours;
and you can afford to give us the start,
'Lhis
and still get the largest share of the ol-
a.” .
Saying which, he filled a platter with
the stew, and sent it up to me from his
end of the table. .
‘As I told you ‘before, senhor, ’tis
only mountaineers’ fare; but if you have
been wandering, as you say, for the last
half dozen hours upon our sierras, ’tis
odds that you have got by this time an
appetite that may relish it.” :
‘Indeed have I,”? was my hasty an-
swer, as I fell to uponthe reeking olla.
“Capital!” I continued, after having
assured myself of the fact, by swallow-
ing several mouthfuls, — ‘capital! I
know many farmers ih my own country,
who would be glad to sit down to sucha
mess, even upon a Sunday.”
‘Tam glad to hear you are so well
contented, replied the goatherd. ‘‘Let
me fill your platter again.”
‘Right willing,” was my answer.—
‘Such an offer is by no means to be re-
jected. But can you oblige me witha
glass of water?”
“With a pailful, if you like water,
and don’t like wine.”
‘Not so, my friend. Water may do
very well where nothing better is to be
had; but if you have any wine, out with
it, ray you, and leave the other
liquid till your cellar begins to run
low.”
‘No fear of that, senhor. Juan, go
fetch us up the wine-skin that hangs in
the right hand corner of the vault.—
You'll know it by the size.”
Juan nodded assent, and in a few
minutes -returned with a wine-skin from
some hidden nook, which, though not.of
the first quality, proved something more
than passable, and tended not a little to
promote the harmony of the evening. —
Seldom in my life ‘had I spent a more
thoughtless, happy hour, than here
among the Spanish mountains, and, too,
in company with her wildest peasantry,
men whose manners were altogether as
rude as their attire. But just now,
when the general mirth and good fellow-
ship were at the highest, an event oc-
curred that all at once gave my thoughts
a very diferent complexion.
The old goatherd was leaning over
the table to fill the cup of one of the
young men, when a miniature, set in
diamonds, dropt from his bosom. Ata
single glance I recognized in it 2 minia-
ture that Corlos constantly carried about
him, and was not very likely to yield to
any one except with life. It was the
picture of his deceased mother, to whose
memory he was devotedly attached. In-
voluntarily I exclaimed,
“That miniature belongs to my friend
Carlos!”? The whole party could not
have looked more unpleasant!y surprised
had a thunderbolt dropped amongst
them. Was it the confusion of guilt? or
only of fear lest they should be suspect-
ed? These doubts hastily swept through
my mind, making me seem scarcely less
embarrassed than themselves,
“It belongs to a friend of yours, does
it??? said the old goatherd, with an effort
to break up this awkward pause, which
had now lasted for several minutes.—
“Well, it may beso. I found it: this
morning on one of our sierras, close by
the torrent-head; you know _ where I
mean, Pedro?” he added turning to the
companion on his right hand.
«*T should think so,”’ replied the other.
“'There’s not a more dangerous spot for
the traveller in all Spain.” .
The old goatherd looked uneasily at
this remark, which, indeed, might bear
a double meaning; but though he casta
reproving glance at the speaker, he said
nothing. Asiouch to turn the conversa-
tion as from any other motive, I asked,
“At what rate do you value the min-
iature? I should like!to buy it, that
when I meet my friend again 1 may re-
turn it to him.”
‘‘At what rate do I value the trinket?”
repeated the old goatherd doubtingly.—
‘I think the question rather is, what
are you disposed to give for it?”
“Now, out upon you for a half-witted
fool!” exclaimed the woman, in_ great
wrath. ‘Ifthe senhor wants the bau-
ble, let him have it. What earthly dif-
ference can it make to you?”
There was again an ambiguous
speech, which might bode good or eyil,
asthe hearer chose to take it, and I
must confess it by no means tended to
restore me to my equanimity. It, how-
ever, had the intended effect upon the
old goatherd; for he immediately ten-
dered me the miniature, observing,
“Inez says well, senhor; so take the
trinket. You are agentleman, and vato
de Dios, it won’t be long, Ill be sworn,
before you give it up again—to the right
owner.”” “
“The first moment I see him, rest as-
sured of it,’? was my reply; at Which
the boy Juan burst into a fit of laughter,
greatly to the indignation of his mother,
who requited his mirth with a sound box
on his ears, that made him look grave
enough for the next half hour.
‘You must excuse the lad,” said the
old goatherd, ‘‘if he laughs at the notion
of your giving up this pretty trinket.—
He knows no better.”
Was this indeed what he laughed at?
Irather thought his mirth was excited
by my fancying I should ever look upon
the face of a friend again; but I was
anxious, if possible, to. conciliate: their
good will, and taking out my purse, said,
“Tam much obliged by your offer,
though I cannot accept it without some
return on my part. I must needs repay
you, as far as my present means go, for
the ready surrender of a precious gem,
which, if it be not exactly yours, is un-
questionably, still less ‘mine. Accept
this trifle.””
“Not a bit of it, senhor.”
“Nay, I entreat—”
“Not another word, senhor;
the trinket,
matter.
you have
and there’s an end of the
Another wine-skin, Juan.”
ness in excuse, anda wish to get to bed,
that I might be up the earlier on the
morrow. The fact is, I had been com-
pletely upset by this last occurrence of
the miniature, and longed to be alone;
for in the midst of ny dangerous com-
panions, whose every word and look gave
rise to new doubts and darker apprehen-
sions, it was impossible to grapple with
the difficulties of my situation. Much to
my delight, as well as surprise, but a
very slight opposition was offered,—no
more, perhaps, than a spirit of good-
fellowship would have raised; and then
the lad, lamp in hand, showed mé the
way to my chamber, where he left me
with a brief ‘‘a Dios, senhor,” that had
anything but kindness in it. |
To be concluded in our next.
TRANSPLANTING OFZTREES.
Upon this greatly interesting subject, we are
pleased to see in the last North American Review,
in the article on Landscape Gardening, a reference
to the methods of Sir Henry Stewart, the distin-
guished Scotchman, who his done so much in this
way. Among ourselves—so much of oar settled
country, having been stripped of its original forest
—it has become very desirable in many places to
restore a growth of large trees, for ornament or for
shelter as speedily as possible. To obviate the de-
lay of the slow growth of sinall trees, we very
touch need the practical rules, that have been found
But this I declined, pleading weari-|'t’
efficacious in planting trees of large size, and the
limits in the following extracts may be found use-
fal, especially if they should lead any Persons to
study the original work of Stewart. Advertiser,
** Tho operation of transplantiag trees, that have
attained a sufficient size to produce an immediate
effect upon the scene, has ina greater or Jess de-
gree, dccupied the attention of
laiprover of eminence or ability.
means that have been adopted for this end, and
innumerable the expedients that have in turn sup-
planted each other. So little success, however,
has in most cases been met with jing large
trees, that it is often supposed by intelligent persons
to be of no use to attempt. It is often found, that
a young tree from the narsery, when placed side
by side with one transplanted after it had grown to
eight or ten inches in diameter, has shot up so
tuch more rapidly as in a very few yeurs to be-
come the finer of the two. ‘The results of trans-
planting depend on causes so occult as only to be
discovered gradnally, and by observation and tram-
ing of a very peculiar kind. When the greatest
pains, therefore, have been taken to insure success,
the ignorance of'a single particular, or the omission
of what might seem a slight and trivial prerequisite,
thus discouraged and baffled the niost persevering
planter, when the object of his labors seemed to be
just jwithin his reach. Of late yeurs, bowever,
very successful experiments have been made abroad,
‘The knowledge that has been brought to bear upon
this subject, and the degree of perfection to which
the system has now been carried, would scarcely
be believed by any one who has never lost himseif
in the enticing pazes of Sir Henry stuart, of Al-
lanton, Lis numerous experiments led hin to the
adoption of a system, which he has given to the
world in.“ The Planter’s Guide,?’—and which a
distinguished committee of the Highland Society,
after a thorongh examination, declare to be attend —
ed with canplete and almost miraculous success,
In several important respects, the’ method of pra
tice recommended by him ditlers from any which
had before been known. Bat it appears to have
teen taken up after a most patient and systematic
series of trials, to be founded on sound and obvious
the habits and the demands of nature.
Sir Henry Steuart begins with the assertion, that
suecess cannot be expected unless upon priaciples
of selection, determining the subject to be tens.
planted with relation to the soil to which it is to be
transferred. "Lie soiland sub-soil must be con-
genial to the nature of the plant, and the species of
trees selected must receive as much attention,as is
given to the farmer in adapting his crops to the soil
of his furm. ‘Lhe condition and Properties of the
individual trees are also tc be nicely considered. —
It is well known, that the greatest diflerence exists
between trees which have stood in exposed situa-
tions, and those which have grown imsuch as are
sheltered, * * * *
‘The size of the trees that can be subjected to
the process of transplantation is stated to be a mere
question of expense. A large tree can be removed
with the same certai: ty of success as a smaller
one ; but the expense, it is material to add, is
found to. increase in a rapid]
a
=
a &
8
g
are considered hy our author as a medium, size,
being easily manageable in their removal, and large
enough to produce an immediate efteet upon the
landscape, and to Oppose suilicient resistuace to
the storm, +
‘The roots of the tree to be removed having first
been carefuily laid bare to their minutest eatrenii-
ties, the cominon transplanting machine, consisting
of a strong pole mounted upon high wheels, is thea
attached to it, and it is carefully pulled out of the
soil. Both the roots and branches are ticd up for
fear of injury, and so balanced against each other,
thata nice equilibrium is preserved. It is then
removed with but little trouble to the pit prepared
for its reception In Placing it in the ground, the
former position of the trees in regard to the weather
side is reversed,—that is, the lee side, where its
branches have shot out more freely, and in au op-
now to be turned towards them, so xs to correct
any irregular or side-long shape which they may
have acquired, and thus restore the balance and
symmetry of the top. ‘The practice of mutilating
or prunning the renioved tree is condemned in the
strongest terms, as almost sure to prove fatal to its
vigor ; and the most delicate nicety is recommend-
ed, in the work of Teatranging the roots in their
original position in the ground. ‘This is only a slight
sketch, indeed, of the Process, but suiticient, per-
haps, to give a general idea of the points in which
it differs from those which have ordinarily been
pursued,”?
ee
No one sees the wallet on his own back,
says theold proverb, alluding to the fable of
the traveller with two packs, the one before
stuffed with the faults of hig neighbors—the
one behind with his own.
has brought ill luck upon the whole scheme, and,
reasons, and to proceed upon a nice adaptation to
posite direction to. the prevailing high winds, ig -
f
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