202 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



June, 



of the Mint, may lie raised from seerl obtainable 

 from any <>f the principal seedsmen, and the seed 

 may be sown under ghiss or in the oi>en. As you 

 are anxious to obtain phmts stning enough to 

 furnish su]>pliesas (|uickly as p<issible. the best 

 eoui'se will be to obtain strong plants of the Sage 

 and the C'omraon and Lemon Thyme, roots of the 

 mint, and to sow the seed of the Basil, Marjoram 

 and Savory under glass, the seeds of the other 

 kinds to be sown in the open. Other kinds can 

 be added to the selection given when yon find 

 that they are likely to be wanted. 



Fruit for the People. Each member of every 

 family should have, on an average, one pound of 

 fruit daily— some will eat more, some less, either 

 tresh or cooked. How many pounds will that be 

 in each day? There are 40,000.000 persons in the 

 whole country old enough or well enough to eat 

 f ruit-which would be 40,000,000 pounds or :>0,000 

 tonsdaily cQnsumi)ti<in. Taking the year through 

 it would amount to 7,000,000 tons. Thissupply of 

 fruit would fill .500,000 freight cars, and would 

 require a railway train reaching once around the 

 world. The daily consumiition of fruit would 

 prevent many persons from eating or imbibing 

 what is much woi'se, and at the same time it 

 would contribute greatly to health and prevent 

 disease. We want more enterprise, skill, calcula- 

 tion and management, to raise and properly dis- 

 tiibute these 7,000,000 tons, for we have hardly 

 yet reached the jierfcction of the work.— 

 Country Gentleman. 



A Torch for Insect Nests. For burning the 

 nests of such insects as the orchard caterpillar 

 and fall web-worm, take a piece of soft brick 

 known as salmon brick, and trim it to an egg 

 shape; then take two flexible wires, cross them 

 over the brick, wrap them around it, and twist 

 the ends together. Then attach it by the wires 

 to a long stick, and soak the brick in coal oil; 

 light it with a match, and you are armed for the 

 work. Asbestos may be used to advantage; and 

 a little thorough work early enough in the season 

 will ob\iate the necessity of more expensive 

 remedies at a later time. Soaking in oil may be 

 repeated as required to maintain the flame.— 

 Bulletin (No. 10) Department of Agriculture. 



Does Not Use a Filter. I have been building 

 cisterns for several years and never had but one 

 filter. I think they are a nuisance. Better use 

 two cisterns alternately, cleaning out once a 

 year. Save water in winter— snow water is best. 

 Let the housetop be well rinsed off before allow- 

 ing water to go into the cistern. I have used 

 cistern water for ten years for my family, and 

 have not paid $10 doctor's bills in as many yeai-s, 

 with eight in the family. When using from coal 

 roof, run water from barn or outbuilding in two 

 inch tile with cement joints instead, of pipes.— 

 Prairie Farmer. 



Potatoes in Trenches. The well-known Potato 

 grower, Alfred Rose, accordingto the New York 

 World, opens trenches eight inches deep; then he 

 grades to full six inches deep. He then drops 

 two eyes for each hill and covers two inches 

 deep. The four inches still left open are filled up 

 as the \ines grow. Mr. Rose cuts his seed and 

 leaves them awhile to sprout. When ready to 

 plant all seed not sprouted is rejected. This, he 

 says, must be done t() insure a full stand, as one 

 hill should not get the start of the other hills, or 

 the yield will be lessened. 



Alfalfa. Remember it is a poor fighter. It 

 should be sown in the spring after settled weather 

 without any other crop, on well prepared land. 

 Sow in drills eight inches apart, and hoe or culti- 

 vate once or more to keep the weeds in check. 

 It is a favorite for irrigated fields. It is not, so 

 far as known, a favorite north of Kentucky. If 

 sown broadcast, use not less than 15 pounds to 

 the acre. When carefully treated, Lucerne has 

 endured the winters on the College Grounds at 

 Lansing, while it beats all to endure prolonged 

 droughts.— Prof. Beal. 



The Best Grapes. The Rural New Yorker has 

 been tryuig to ascertain among its correspon- 

 dents what the three most popular Grapes are. 

 For the best three white Grapes, Niagara re- 

 ceived 1:J votes out of lt>; Lady 10 votes; Empire 

 State and Pocklington .^ each; Duchess and 

 Martha 4 each; Hayes 8; and 1~* othersone or two 

 votes each. For best three red Grapes Brighton 

 stood first, Delaware second, Ulster Prolific third. 

 For hhte or h^a^/c, Worden stood first. Goncord 

 second. Wilder third, an<i Moore's Early fourth. 



Shade for Fruits. The most of the small fruits 

 are less inifavorably infiuenced by a shadj' loca- 

 tion than are vegetables. Protection fi-om too 

 much sun seems to be a decided advantage. This 



is especially the case with Gooseberries, Currants, 

 and Blackberries. The largestand most luscious 

 of Blackberries are generally to be found hidden 

 under the densest foliage.— Orchard and Garden. 



Charcoal is invaluable as a manurial agent; eat-h 

 little piece Is a pantry full of the good things of this 

 Hfe. There Is no cultivated plant which Is not bene- 

 fitted by havinK charcoal applied to the soil In which 

 it is rooted.— Journal of Horticulture. 



Bagging Grapes. It is a vast trouble but has all the 

 advantages claimed for It— Including one more, that 

 you can then let hens run In your vineyard to keep it 

 clear of Insects. However, go slow and experiment — 

 E. P. P., in Independent. 



Sweet Potatoes fertilized with chemicals are fairer 

 in appearance and better in quality than are those 

 grown with stable manure. They are also less liable 

 to black rot and yellow rot.— Weekly Press. 



The Golden Stream. The man who allows the riv- 

 ulets to get his manure is always sure that the Gov- 

 ernment is robbing the i)eople.— Kansas Industrial. 



Have a Note Book, The most valuable agricultural 

 notes are those made by the farmer one season to be 

 put in practice the next,— Massachusetts Plowman. 



Scabby Potatoes. The Rural New Yorker after four 

 years experience advises all whose Potatoes are usually 

 scabby to sift sulphur flour over the seed pieces. 



Keeping Ahead of the Work. Work Is hard to drive, 

 but if you will put yourself ahead of It It will follow 

 without any trouble.— Rural and Workman. 



Nothing win add more to a market gardener's popu- 

 larity than the fact that his vegetables are always neat 

 and clean.— Mirror and Fanner. 



The journal that causes you to think most is worth 

 most.— Farm Life. 



Vegetable Products on the Table. 



The firmest jam is not always the nicest. 



Carrot Pie. Scrape, slice, boil tender and rub 

 through sieve or collender. Take one table- 

 spoonful of Carrot, one egg, one cup of milk and 

 sugar, salt and spices to taste. Ginger and cinna- 

 mon and nutmeg are the best spices to use. 



Fruit Trifle. Put Raspberries and Strawberries 

 together with any other fruit into a dish, cover 

 with sugar. Next put a layer of macaroons, pour 

 over them a nice custard, which should be cold, 

 place on the top the whites of three eggs beaten 

 to a froth with some white sugar, and serve. 



Baked Bananas. Strip a narrow piece of skin 

 from the flat side of the Banana. Place them in 

 a baking-pan, this side up, sprinkle thickly with 

 granulated sugar and bake in a moderate oven 

 until soft and tender. It usually requires about 

 thirty minutes. Wateh carefully, as they burn 

 quickly. Serve hot, plain, or with lemon syrup. 



Green Pea Griddle Cakes. One pint of green 

 Peas, boiled and mashed, a little pepper, a salt- 

 spoonful of salt, one table-spoonful of butter, one 

 pint of sweet milk, half a teaspoonful of soda, 

 one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, two eggs, 

 beaten light, about two cupfuls of flour, or 

 enough to make a batter of medium thickness. 

 Mash the Peas while hot, add the pepper, salt and 

 butter, then the milk, in which has been put the 

 soda, pre\iously dissolved in a little water. Put 

 the cream of tartar into the flour, lastly the eggs, 

 adding a little more flour, if the eggs have 

 thinned the batter too much. When all these 

 have been added, the batter must be well and 

 \igorou8ly beaten before baking. Serve hot. 



Preserved Cherries. Use Morello or other sour 

 Cherries. Wash and stem the fruit, and allow a 

 pound of sugar for every pound of fruit. To 

 each pound of sugar add a teaspoonful of clear 

 cold water; put the syrup in the preserving- pan 

 and to every three pounds of sugar add the white 

 of an egg, slightly beaten. This egg should be 

 added when the sugar is just melted, before the 

 syrup gets hot. Let the syrup boil rapidly for 

 fifteen minutes, skimming carefully. Put in the 

 Cherries, cooking a few at a time, and fill the 

 jars with them as fast as they are cooked. When 

 all are done, skim the syrup and strain it over 

 the Cherries in the jar, filling each. Let the jars 

 stand with the covers off in a cool place till they 

 are cold— it may be for 48 hours. Then put on the 

 covers and make all air-tight. 



Fruit Juices. Fruit juices, with just enough 

 sugar in them to reli(!\e their sharp tartness, 

 seem much nicer than jelly with its fifty per 

 cent of sugar. One of our little girls, who has 

 frequent billions attacks, when her stomach will 

 bear only certain kind of food, thinks so. I heat 

 the berries— Raspberries or t^urrants— press and 

 strain as I would in making jelly. Bring the 

 juice to a boil, after adding one cujt of sugar to 

 three pints of juice. Can the same as berries. 

 Freed of seed?, fruit juices are invaluable in 

 con-ecting deranged bowels. They relieve con- 



stipation and check diarrhrea. This seems a 

 contradiction, but personal observation justifies 

 the statement. A pint of red, ripe Currant or 

 Raspberry juice, tart, thick as cream, with flavor 

 and sunshine, and fresh as when swelling the 

 ripe berry on the stem, is just the gift to send an 

 invalid or convalescing friend who is heartily 

 tired of her molds of insipid, sweetish jellies.— 

 Good Housekeeping. 



HOUSE PLANTS. 



Azaleas to go into the open air for the summer, 

 keeplug them in a sheltered shady position, as under 

 lath shutters, the lath nailed an Inch apart. The pots 

 should be plunged (see below) t^> prevent worms get- 

 ting in. 



Begonias, Tuberous varieties that have sprouted 

 can safely be moved into the simimer borders, If done 

 with care. Plant in warm, moist, half-shaded situa- 

 tions. Plants of the other section, for next winter's 

 flowering, may now be propagated If not yet done. 

 An inverted glass tumbler placed over the cuttings 

 aids in rooting, as It provides desirable moisture. 



Cacti, after blooming, all summer well plunged in a 

 warm, sunny border, here to complete their growth. 



Calceolarias, and plants of similar requirements, do 

 better for winter flowering if sown now than if this Is 

 put oft until the hotter raontlis of July and August. 

 The seeds germinate more freely now, and the plants 

 will, besides, have a longer period for growth before 

 flowering begins. It is not the easiest feat In floricul- 

 ture to raise Calceolarias and the like from seed, for 

 these are so fine as to bear neither covering or watering 

 from overhead well. Directions for managing such 

 seed was given on page 116. 



Callas. During the summer bed them out In good 

 soil. They will receive a check, losing most of their 

 leaves soon after going out, but new and stocky ones 

 will appear later. Early In September the plants 

 should be lifted and potted, preparatory' to their season 

 of bloom. 



Chrysanthemums. These, whether in pots or bedded 

 out, shoxdd now be making good growth. The final 

 pinching back should, with most classes, be done be- 

 fore this month Is out. They like plenty of food and 

 molstxue, and should have sunshine at least four or 

 five hours a day. 



Cinerarias. See directions given for Calceolarias. 



Hibiscus. Plants that flowered In the house last 

 winter may be set out In the garden for the sunuuer. 

 Strike cuttings now for next year's bloom. 



Oranges and Lemons. Treat as for Azaleas. 



Plunging. It will save much labor in watering the 

 house plants during summer to plunge the pots up to 

 their rims In earth, sand or coal ashes. Two things 

 must be guarded against in doing so, viz.; preventing 

 the roots from growing out the dT-alnage holes, and 

 angle worms from entering the pots through these. 

 There Is one sure way for doing this, namely, to place 

 an empty pot, some smaller than the one containing 

 the plant, into the plunging material down so far that 

 the latter will be at the right depth, when standing on 

 the former smaller one. Of course with a vacancy be- 

 neath the larger pot (the interior of the smaller one), 

 neither roots nor worms can pass through It, and the 

 drainage will be improved. 



LAWN AND FLOWER GARDEN. 



Antirrhinums. It no seeds are allowed to form dur- 

 ing the summer the plants will bloom the finer, and 

 besides will throw up young vigorous shoots, making 

 thrifty plants by autumn, wlUch will safely endure the 

 winter. We must not forget that profuse fiowering Is 

 exhaustive to plants. 



Annuals. Most kinds may yet be sown. Transplant 

 and thin out the early sown ones. 



Bignonia radicans, or Trumpet Vine, may be trained 

 to a weeping shrub form, by stopping first the stem at 

 a proper height, and then the laterals. 



Bulbs that are done flowering maybe lifted as soon 

 as the leaves begin to wither. laying them in clumps In 

 a shady place, with some soil over their lower parts, to 

 ensure perfect ripening. 



Calceolarias and like plants. See " House Plants." 



Dahlias and similar plants having heavy tops should 

 be tied up betimes, as sudden storms of wind and rain 

 may damage them much. 



Gladiolus. See directions above for Dahlias. 



Hedges. Shearing these, whether they l>e of decidu- 

 ous or evergreen kinds, just as the present season's 

 growth liegins to turn hard, has the elfect of checking 

 the growth without injury, and this is desirable. 



Hollyhocks require thinning when standing close. 



