"The Real Reason.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 79

"The Real Reason.

C. waa cvuite a genius and a perfect know-all. No -subject could be broached ir his presence on which he did not p~resen,t himself as an authority. On a certain Sunday aftetnoon John Rice and a party of his friends were sitting in the garden of his house listening to the marvellous experiences of C. when the host, getting tired of these wonders, exclaimed : "C. you seem to be an authority on most things. Loolk at that api.le tree over the fence. You see it has no apples on it, and all the rest of 'the trees are full ' of fruit ; now. how do you" account for that?" C. rose from hi 6 seat, slowly mounted the fence, and let himself down on the other sid<- with a fcentific air, and going down on his knees besjan to examine the roots of the barren tree. He then cut off a piece of the bark, wiped his eye-glasses, and examined the specimen with great care. At last he exclaimed, witn triumph, "Ah! I thought go." Climbing the fence he returned to the group who had been watching him, and . said: "Now, observe. You see that grey colour on the edge of the bark?" They did. "Well, that is called fungi mortem, and whenever that deadly sign appears at the foot of an epple -tree, it never bears fruit." "I don't think you are quite right about it." sa-id Rice, "for that tree was full of' apples yesterday, bitt the gardener came thie morning and gathered them." It was a dreadful blow, and had the -effect of curtailing the scientific discourses of *' C. for some time.