secretary's budget. 387 



than he has from his one hundred and sixty acres in wheat. The past 

 year he sold from two hundred plants, six bushels of raspberries at 

 twenty cents a quart, making thirty eight dollars and forty cents; 

 from seventy five bushes he gathered five bushels currants, which were 

 sold at fifteen cents a quart, or twenty four dollars. He also sold 

 sixty-five dollars worth of rhubarb, all from the same plat. Receipts 

 from one-eighth of an acre, one hundred and twenty-seven dollars and 

 forty cents. The family, himself snd wife only, were supplied from 

 the same garden. — No. Dakota Farmer. 



HOW TO TELL A RIPE MELON. 



The rinds of melons when left on the vines to mature, generally 

 hecome hard and the pulp brittle, and when, under pressure, you hear 

 the inside crack or give way it may be reaiarded as a sure sign that the 

 melon is ripe, and has matured well on the vine. 



If a melon remains on the vine until properly matured the side 

 that lays on the ground will be found to have changed from white to a 

 pale yellow, and upon close eximination numerous small pimples will 

 be noticed on the surface, particularly on the outer edge. These pim- 

 • pies never appear on those that are not ripe or have been prematurely 

 pulled. 



Sometimes the desirable pale yellow color is produced prema- 

 turely by turning this pait of the melon to the sun for a day or two, 

 but the yellow thus produced is of much deeper shade. This in con- 

 nection with the absence of pimples will readily tell the experienced 

 eye how the color was produced. 



If the skin will readily peel, leaving a hard, shelly appearance, 

 it is a good indication that a melon is ripe ; and also if it has a dull 

 brown appearance. All these signs are rarely seen at the same time, 

 but the presence of any one is sufficient to indicate the ripeness of the 

 melon. — Thos. D. Baird, in American Garden, 



li: seems strange that fruit growers will not learn that neatness and 

 taste in packing are sure to be rewarded. We see this fact illustrated 

 every day. Where fruit is tossed promiscuously into a box or barrel, 

 without regard to size, shape or color, it simply will not command an 

 extra price, no matter how good it may be. Even the retail dealers 

 appreciate this fact. Two apple stands are often placed near each 

 other. One sells little, while the other does a good business. On one 

 the fruit is thrown into a confused mass ; on the other, the apples are 

 sorted and arranged as regards color, shape and size. It is needless to 

 say which one does the business. 



