138 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



April, 



came acclimated, and now have attained quite a 

 good size. Visitors can see them on tlieir left as 

 they approach the entrance. They are still 

 objects of great curiosity.— Hort. Art Journal. 



Flowers in London Markets. The sale of the 

 flowers by auction is one of the sights of Covent 

 Garden. The visitor who attends these purely 

 trade functions has the advantage of a very 

 charming flower show, covering something like 

 three-(iuarters of an acre of space, upon which 

 are arranged tier above tier of blossoming 

 plants, sometimes extending up and down, in 

 and out, to a total frontage of TOO yards. The 

 flower girls cannot afl'ord to trade until the 

 general customers have had their pick of the 

 choicest wares but, taught by a sharp experi- 

 ence, they are able to drive very smart bargains, 

 and know precisely what to purchase.— Good 

 Words (England). 



Utilizing Barnyard Liquid. It is best to pre- 

 vent as far as possible the removal of washings 

 from the barnyard. During the heavy rains in 

 spring when the ground is thawing there will 

 most likely be an overflow. The problem is to 

 divert this from its course to the neigboring 

 stream and turn it upon a field near by. A very 

 little labor will probably suffice for this, as a few 

 shallow channels can be hollowed out with the 

 shovel or one-horse plow, and these will collect 

 the surplus liquid and conduct it to a point 

 where the slope of the ground will allow it to be 

 discharged under the fence into the field or 

 truck patch.— Stockman and Farmer. 



Preparing the Seed Bed. A little tender deli- 

 cate seed is as helpless as an infant. It must 

 have a well-prepared bed fine, soft, even, and if 

 it does not, it will wake up prematurely some 

 time in spring, and not finding things congenial, 

 will turn over and go to sleep again ; it never 

 wakes up the second time. Land must be plowed 

 up deep, be manured with fine (not lumpy) 

 manure, be evenly mixed through, and allowed 

 to settle three or four days before the seed is put 

 in. This finely prepared seed bed is the founda- 

 tion of the crops and no after labor can rectify 

 any carelessness.— Germantown Telegraph. 



Effect of Soil on Color of Bloom. It is a curious 

 fact that the Weigelas by using two entirely 

 different soils, show a marked difference in the 

 color of their blooms. For example, by using 

 two-thirds loam and one-third charred veget- 

 able matter, lime rubbish and silver sand, the 

 flower will be nearly white ; while by using two- 

 thirds peat and one-third charcoal-dust and 

 potshreds smashed fine, the flowere will come of 

 a beautiful rosy-pink, which color in my opinion, 

 is preferable to the former, as there is a prepon- 

 derance of other white flowers in the autumn 

 and winter.- Gardener's Chronicle. 



Mistakes in Frnning Trees. Nothing in the 

 shape (if ornanicntal trees h.is a more awkward 

 appearance than one of loiig-leg.ired form 

 trimmed up with a bare stem as high as a man's 

 head or a house-top, especially if it is an ever- 

 green Standing alone, they should be perfect 

 specimens feathered all the way down to the 

 ground ; or it the trees are old, large and stately 

 in growth, possessing the magnificence of broad- 

 spreading Oaks or magnificent Elms, the foliage 

 and branches should approach so near the 

 ground that the huge stem would be barely 

 visible.— Country Gentleman. 



Tomatoes after Tomatoes. It is certainly a 

 mistake to grow Tomatoes in the same place 

 again and again. We flnd those planted in the 

 old spot slow to ripen, smaller, more liable to 

 decay, and the vines produce less fruit than 

 those of the same age and variety planted where 

 Tomatoes were never set before.— Mich. Karm'i-. 



Planting Peas. Begin to sow .as early as the 

 soil can be worked. Sow all sorts at once. Nine 

 kinds from very early to very late, will give 

 continuous pickings from .June 1 to end of sea- 

 son. Late planted Peas always mildew from an 

 excess oE heat.— Germantown Telegraph. 



Bemoving Bust. To remove rust from plows 

 or tools nothing is better than a mixture of a 

 half-pint of oil of vitriol poured slowly into a 

 (|uart of water, and apply this to the rusted 

 metal. Wash off with water.— Far'ers Advocate. 



Arbor Day in Australia. English jouruala say that 

 the cuatom of tiee-plantlng by school children ou a 

 certain day In each year has tieen imported from 

 America Into Australia. There, as here, the day will 

 be known as .\rbor Day. 



Sweet Potato Diseases. In a late bulletin Issued by 

 the New Jersey AKTlcultural experiment sration. 

 Prof . Halsted describes nine distinct kinds of Kungus 

 which attack the Sweet Potato and cause it to rot. 



The Mahonia. I think if I were to select one shrub 

 out of all that I have or have seen, it would be the 

 Mahonia. It is beautiful at all seasons.— E. P. Powell 

 In R. N. Y. 



Provide Pollen. Cherries will bear to some extent 

 from self-fertlllzation, but a full crop cannot be ex- 

 pected without the aid of insects.— Bulletln;o. Station. 



Waste in Gossip. If a strict account were kept of 

 wasted minutes would they not soon grow Into hours 

 and even days?— Elmira Husbandman. 



The Olive Industry. Two hundred acres wUI be 

 planted in Olives in the Rotterdam Colony, near Mer- 

 ced.— Cal. Fruit Grower. 



Vegetable Protducts on the Table. 



Fig Cake. Three pints of flour, one cup of 

 butter, one cup of sweet milk, two and one-half 

 cups of sugar, whites of sixteen eggs, three 

 teaspoonsful of baking powder, one and one- 

 half pound of Fig flavored and cut in strips. 



Boiled Beets. Old Beets require four or five 

 hours' boiling. Do not scrape or cut them, sim- 

 ply wash perfectly clean. Put them on in cold 

 water. Slip the skins off in cold water quickly, 

 with the hands, when done. Slice thin with a 

 sharp knife, sprinkle with salt and rub a little 

 butter on each slice. 



Apple Fritters. Sift together a cup of flour, a 

 teaspoonful of baking powder and a pinch of 

 salt. Add two eggs, beaten separately, a cup of 

 milk, half a pint of chopped Apples and a little 

 Nutmeg. Mix into a batter and drop a spoonful 

 in a place into hot lard when the blue smoke 

 begins to rise from it. Eat with sugar.— F. J. 



Salad Sandwiches Cut some thin slices of 

 bread, butter them rather sparingly; take a 

 suflBcieut quantity of Mustard and Cress, Water- 

 cress well washed and dried, put this into a dish 

 with a little Mayonnaise sauce, toss it lightly 

 about to mix it, spread the salad between the 

 bread and butter, cut tlie sandwiches neatly 

 round, and serve. 



Bbubarb Steamed. Peel and cut in two inch 

 lengths; place in an agate saucepan with enough 

 sugar to sweeten Put the saucepan in the 

 steamer, cover close, and steam until all the 

 .luice is extracted. Lift the Rhubarb out with a 

 skimmer; place the syrup over the Are and boil 

 until thick; return the pieces of Khubarb, boil 

 for a minute and set away to cool. 



Asparagus on Toast. Break it into small 

 pieces. In this way, none but the tender parts 

 need be used. Roil Ih to 20 minutes, or until 

 tender, in slightly salted water. Then make a 

 few slices of toast, butter them, and moisten 

 with the Asparagus water Place the cooked 

 Asparagus over the toast on a platter, and pour 

 over all a nice cream or butter gravy. 



Delmooico Hashed Potato. Pare uncooked 

 Potatoes, cut them into very small dice. Throw 

 into cold water and soak for thirty minutes. 

 Drain, put into a baking-dish, cover with milk, 

 dust with salt and pepper, add a tablespoonful 

 of butter cut into bits, and bake in a moderate 

 oven forty-five minutes. Serve with roasted 

 beef or broiled steak.- Good Housekeeping. 



Stuffed Mnshrooms, Chop up the stalks of the 

 Mushrooms with one-fourth their quantity of 

 Parsley and White Onions, squeeze dry in a 

 cloth, put a tablespoonful each of butter and 

 brown gravy in a small saucepan, let heat and 

 put the stalks in. Have ready large Mushrooms, 

 fill with the mixture, lay on a buttered dish and 

 sprinkle with sifted bread crumbs ; bake ten 

 minutes iu a hot oven, and serve. 



Pine Apples Peal carefully and take out all 

 the " eyes " in the morning of the day on which 

 it is to be used. Leave the topmost plume of 

 green leaves, and set the fruit on the dish in 

 which it is to be served. Then dust it thickly 

 with powdered sugar and let it stand until it is 

 to be served. Tear it apart with a fork, holding 

 the plume of green leaves with the left hand. 

 This mode of serving insures the retention of 

 the rich juices. 



Glazed Sweet Potatoes. For twehe people 

 use nine Sweet Potatoes of good size, four table- 

 spoonfuls of butter, one tablespoonful of water. 

 Boil the Potatoes 50 minutes; then take them 

 from the flre and pare them. Cut them in halves 

 lengthwise. Season them generously with salt. 

 Place them, flat side down in a dripping pan. 

 Put the sugar and water in a soup plate and stir 

 until the sugar is dissolved. Now add the butter 

 and stir over heat until this is melted. Baste 

 the Potatoes with the liquid and place the pan 

 in a hot oven for twenty minutes. The Potatoes 

 should be brown and glossy when they come 

 from the oven.— Good Housekeeping. 



Onion Soup, Ten medium-sized Onions, two 

 large Parsnips, one large Carrot, one small 

 Turnip, one blade of Mace, pepper, cloves, one 

 teaspoonful of salt, three ounces of ham. one 

 small head of Celery, two quarts of stock in 

 which meat has been boiled, one pint of milk. 

 Peel and scald the Onion for ten minutes, pre- 

 pare and wash all the other vegetables, and then 

 cut them all into very small pieces ; chop the 

 ham, and put it and the vegetables into a large 

 saucepan with the stock, and seasoning. Let all 

 boil for a few minutes, throw in a little salt, and 

 skim thoroughly. If these boil fast for about 

 two hours, the vegetables should be suflSciently 

 soft to be passed through a fine sieve with the 

 assistance of the liquid ; then return to a clean 

 saucepan with the milk, and stir until boiling. 

 If not sufBciently thick, one tablespoonful of 

 Rice flour may be mixed with a little cold milk, 

 added to the soup, and boiled for five minutes ; 

 or, if a better soup be required, the yolks of 

 three eggs may be beaten with half pint of 

 cream, put into the soup tureen, and the boiling 

 soup poured upon them. Serve with toasted 

 bread cut in dice.— F. & H. 



HOUSE PLANTS. 



Airing must now be strictly attended toon mild 

 days. All but the more tender plants can be fully ex- 

 posed for several hours at a time. During warm rains 

 they may be left out for a while with good results. 



Annuals now need more air and light. Encourage 

 stocklness rather than rapid growth. 



Bulbs, as Hyacinths, Tulips, Layof-the-Valley, etc.. 

 may now be brought In from the cold-frames, and will 

 bloom somewhat earlier than those outdoors. 



Callas having bloomed during winter to be set out 

 in a rich bed about May 1st. Lift again In August, and 

 pot In very rich well-drained soIL Large plants want- 

 ed for late blooming, to be given manure water. 



Carnations. Young, plants should be placed In 

 frames and hardened off before the time they are to be 

 set In open ground. 



Chrysanthemums must not become pot-bound. 

 Keep growing freely In a cool airy place. 



Climbine Plants. Trim the side shoots of Roses 

 back to one or two buds. Early-flowering Clematis to 

 be pruned in same way ; but Jackmannl and other 

 summer and Autumn bloomers should be cut back to 

 within a short distance of the surface of the soil. This 

 treatment brings out strong side shoots from the base, 

 and plenty of flowers in time. Cobfea scandens, Maur- 

 andia, etc., to be be kept closely tied to stakes. 



Fuchsias. Strong plants for bloom to be given gootl 

 pot room, and occasional doses of rather weak liiiuid 

 manure. 



Geraniums for Summer bloom should now make 

 strong growth. Guard against over-watering, and do 

 not let the.m become pot-bound. Old plants, to gain 

 space, may be set in frames or hot-beds plunged into 

 the soil. Air freely. 



Hanging Baskets. Plants suitable to be increased 

 by dividing or slipping. 



Heliotrope to be given plenty of pot-room and 

 occasional rations of manure water. 



Hot-beds. Watch closely, and air freely In all suit- 

 able weuther. 



Lilies. Water to be gradually withheld from the 

 time the bloom is past until planting out. Then set in 

 rich well-drained soil, 



Mignonette. For pot plants sow seed directly into 

 the pot. It does not take kindly to transplanting. 



Propagation, stock for next winter's flowering 

 should now be provided for by making cuttings, etc. 



Boses to be sprayed or sponged off freely to prevent 

 or check red spider, thrip, etc. 



Verbenas. Cuttings rooted by middle of mouth will 

 make flue plants for bedding out If grown in thumb 

 pots and plunged In frame. 



LAWN AND FLOWER GARDEN. 



Annuals, -^s the soil becomes fit. all hardy annuals, 

 like Candytuft. Sweet Pea, Convolvulus Minor. Mtg- i 

 nonette, Clarkla, Heliauthus.Phlox Drummondl.Portu- 

 laca, Godetla, Zinnia, Marigold, etc., may be sown 

 In open ground. 



Bulbs. Hyacinths, Tulips, Lilies, Crown Imperial, 

 etc., may be left iu the grimnd undisturbed for years. ^ 

 Dahlias, Tlgridlas. Erythrlna and other tender bulbs ', 

 that were wintered Inside, may be planted as soon In 

 warm rich soil as danger from severe frost Is over. 



