246 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



Sepiembir, 



cheap as ordinary wooden siding and certainly 

 much more indestructible.— American Florist. 



Rut Planting. Nuts tor planting, says the 

 Pomologist of the Department of Agriculture, 

 should invariably be selected for superiority of 

 size, flavor, or thinness of shell. As early as pos- 

 sible after their maturity they should lie placed 

 in bo.\es of soil, the conditions of moisture and 

 depth which are provided being closely patterned 

 after those furnished by nature in the forests. 

 The chief ob,1ect of the box is to prevent mice 

 and moles from disturbing the nuts before the 

 tap-root has begun its growth. The bo.xes of 

 imbedded nuts should be sunk to the level of the 

 surface in some place protected from pigs, 

 squirrels and chickens. In the spring, when 

 bursting open with the growing genn, the nuts 

 may be transplanted to the nursery row or to 

 the spot in which the trees are desired to stand. 



Shade for Raspberries. I have some Rasp- 

 berries growing under Apple trees where there 

 is a great deal of shade, and from their growth 

 they seem to contradict the common belief that 

 shade is injurious to these berries. They are 

 Cuthberts, and they have yielded me good profit 

 every year. Shade prolongs the ripening period 

 of the berries, but it also improves the size and 

 quality of the berries. Now this is a great ad- 

 vantage, for long after the crop, planted in the 

 sun has been gathered, I continue to pick from 

 the canes under shade. In this way better prices 

 are obtained for those grown under shade.— Am. 

 Cultivator. 



To Keep Boses over Winter. Take them up 

 after a good hard frost and heel them in, in some 

 protected place in the garden; lay them close to- 

 gether at an angle of about forty-five degrees. 

 Pack the earth closely around the roots, then 

 cover the whole with newly-fallen leaves to the 

 depth of six inches; over the leaves lay some 

 brush or throw over them suiEcient earth to 

 keep the leaves from being scattered by the 

 wind. The following spring gradually uncover 

 upon the approach of warm weather, and re- 

 plant as soon as the soil is in proper condition.— 

 C. L. Allen in Am. Agriculturist. 



Tar the Cabbage Worms. Two quarts of cold 

 tar are i>ut in an open vessel, which is set in the 

 bottom of a barrel. The barrel is then filled with 

 water. For forty-eight hours the water is im- 

 pregnated with the odor of the tar, although the 

 tar does not dissolve. The water is then sprinkled 

 abundantly on the Cabbages. The odor pene- 

 trates every portion of the head, killing or driv- 

 ing away the worms. As the water evaporates, 

 no stain or odor remains on the Cabbage. The 

 same quantity of cold tar can be made to im- 

 pregnate several successive barrels of water.— 

 Weekly Sun. 



Pleasure in the Garden. The garden furnishes 

 a source of ever increasing and never ending en- 

 joyment, yet there arc houses without gardens. 

 Here may be found an entirely natural recuper- 

 atiim tor body and mind, giving buoyancy of 

 spirit, development of the finer senses, a calm, 

 beautiful view of life, and a relish for living 

 which no other earthly creation can bestow.— 

 Cal. Florist. 



Pruning the Grape. Cut the %'ine and bud 

 higher than it is intended to have it grow, and 

 rub off the bud just below the cut. A cut just 

 above a bud must, in the dying back of the wood, 

 injure that bud (the most important one left on 

 the vine) for the coming year.— Vick's Magazine. 



Stocks of Evaporated Raspberries. I live where 

 Raspberries are grown by the acre, chiefly for 

 commercial purposes, and I do not kuow of a 

 single barrel unsold. I would advise growers 

 not to take alarm and sell at a low figure, as the 

 chances are good for a fair price.— R. N. Y. 



Michel's Early Strawberry. We see that an 



eastern journal is recommending the Michel's 

 Early Strawberry for trial. Our Wisconsin 

 friends seem to be aatisHed with the trial they 

 have made of this plant, and to be willing to 

 consign it to oblivion.- Farmers' Review. 



Bather Dry. "if there's anything sarcastic in 

 nature," observed Mrs. Jimsey, "it's the sight of 

 a huge rainbow telling us we needn't be scared 

 of being flooded out, just after the smallest 

 sprinkle of a shower in a long dry spell, when 

 every one's perishing for rain.— Puck. 



The Difference in Packing and Marketing. A eoi-- 

 respoadent says that tous of Cherrle.s were sold In his 

 village for two cents per pound, while his own crop 

 nicely packed and sent directly to the city, averaged 

 over seven cents net.— Rural N. Y. 



Low Heads for North. Pear, Cherry, Plums, and 

 even Apples, we think decidedly more hardy In our 

 cold North with low heads. Give us hardihood at any 

 sacrlflce of tall, naked stems.— F. K. Phoenix in Farm, 

 Field and Stockman. 



Blanching Celery In Hot Weather. I have known 

 successful blanching done with boards, dralu tile or 

 even newspapers tied around the plants. This of 

 course was on a small scale.— HolIIster Sage. 



Animal Taste for G-rapes. Grapes are eaten with 

 great relish by horses, i-ows, sheep, deer, hogs, camels, 

 elephants and sometimes by dogs and many wild ani- 

 mals.— Cal. Fruit Grower. 



Manare vs. Moss on Lawn. Impoverishment will 

 frequently bring In Its wake a growth of Moss.— 

 Gardeners' Magazine. 



Vegetable Products on the Table. 



Peach Custard. Pare, quarter and sugar half 

 a dozen nice ripe Peaches and put them into a 

 pudding dish. Beat two eggs with two table- 

 spoonfuls of sugar, add one pint of milk, pour 

 over the Peaches and bake In a quick oven. 



Boasted Sweet Potatoes. After the Potatoes 

 are done scrapeout the insides and beat them up 

 with a fork, mixing in a tablespoonful of butter, 

 two of milk and a little salt, pile them in little 

 pyramids in a baking pan, brush them all over 

 with milk and put them in the oven to brown. 



Apples and Bread and Milk. For this dish use 

 perfectly ripe, mellow, sweet Apples. Pare and 

 slice thin the uncooked Apple into a bowl of rich 

 milk and bread. For luncheon it is unrivaled. 

 If preferred, bake the Apples unpeeled in a slow 

 oven till soft. Then slice the fruit into the bread 

 and milk. 



Stewed Carrots. Carrots have a medicinal 

 value and should be generally used. In soups 

 they are excellent, and give flavor as well as 

 nourishment. But they make a nice dish by 

 themselves. Scrape, cook tender in salted water, 

 slice, cover with cream or drawn butter, and eat 

 with meat.— Household. 



Crab Apple Jelly. Wash and wipe Siberian 

 Crab Apples, quarter, but do not core, put in a 

 kettle and cover with cold water, cook until soft. 

 Strain twice through a Jelly bag. Put the Juice 

 on and boil twenty-flve minutes. Add a pound 

 of sugar to every pint of juice, with the juice of 

 one Lemon. Boil until it jellies. 



Pickled Onions, Peel small Onions and let 

 them stand three days in strong salt water. Pour 

 off the brine and cover with scalding water. 

 When cold, drain the Onions on a napkin, and 

 put them in glass jars. Add whole Mustard seed 

 and Ginger root to the vinegar; heat it scalding 

 hot and your it over them.— Country Gentleman. 



Canning Damsons. Stem and wash the Dam- 

 sons, and to every five pounds allow three pounds 

 of sugar. Cover the Damsons with the sugar, 

 and let stand four hours or over night. Put 

 them in a porcelain-lined kettle, cooking only 

 sufficient to fill one jar at a time. Bring slowly 

 to boiling point, sinujier until the Damsons are 

 soft without being broken. Skin and can. 



Oreen Tomato Pickles. Pare and slice Toma- 

 toes, i)ut weak brine on them and let stand over 

 night; in the morning put them in a sieve. Let 

 them drain four hours; then take weak vinegar, 

 let it boil, skim (put in a little sugar), put Toma- 

 toes in and boil all nearly done; pour off the 

 vinegar, put the pickles into cans or Jars, warm 

 strong vinegar, skim and pour over pickles, use 

 pieces of Horse-radish, Mustard-seed and Cloves. 



Canning Tomatoes. Scald, skin and slice the 

 Tomatoes, i>ut them into a stewpan or basin and 

 boil them for at least half an hour; then All them 

 into the cans or Jars, screw down the covering 

 tightly, and keep in a cool, dry place. As a fur- 

 ther secui'ity for their keciting, after the cans or 

 Jars are filled and closed tightly they may be 

 placed in a kettle of warm water, put on the fire 

 and let them be brought slowly to a boil; fifteen 

 minutes boiling will suffice; let them remain in 

 the water till it becomes cold, then remove them 

 and keep in a cool, dry place. 



Potatoes Baked in Ashes. These are delicious: 

 nothing is needed but a pinch of salt to flavor 

 them. Clear a space between the andirons of the 

 old-fashioned open fire-place, brush the bricks 

 clean with a turkey wing, kept in the corner for 

 that purpose, put down a pile of Potatoes and 

 heap the hot ashes over them in a big mound, 

 with live coals on top. When done bring forward 

 a woolen hag, and having raked them from their 

 bed, put them in, and give them a vigorous 

 shaking to remove the ashes.— Good Housek'p'g. 



Pop-corn Balls. Put a quarter of a pound of 

 sugar and one gill of water in a saucepan. Boil 

 Hve minutes, skim. This should form a rather 



thick syrup. Pop the Com, turn into a bowl and 

 pour the syrup in a fine stream over the Corn, 

 stirring all the while. A few drops of Lemon 

 Juice or Vanilla may be added to the syrup. 

 Grease your hands lightly, take about two table- 

 spoonfuls of the Corn and press gently in the 

 form of a ball. Stand these balls on a greased 

 paper to dry and they are ready for use.— Cali- 

 fornia Fruit Grower. 



Tomato Figs. Allow one pound ot sugar to 

 two pounds of Tomatoes, which must be the 

 small round or egg-shaped Tomato, either dark 

 red or yellow. Scald them and remove the skins, 

 being careful not to break them. Put them in a 

 preserving kettle, and sprinkle the sugar (having 

 reserved one-third of it) between the layers. 

 Stew them slowlj* until transparent, lift them 

 out very carefully, one by one, and spread on 

 large dishes in the sun to dry, sprinkling them 

 with the reserved sugar and turning several 

 times while drying, which may take several 

 days. Be very careful not to leave them out in 

 the dew, or when it is cloudy, as the dampness 

 will injure them. When they are perfectly dry, 

 pack them away in boxes or jars, witha layer of 

 sugar between each layer of Tomatoes.— Ex. 



HOUSE PLANTS. 



Abutilons In plunged pots to be taken up and re- 

 potted. Border plants to be kept over winter should 

 be lifted before freezing. 



Agapanthus Umhellatus. This Is a gross feeder 

 and rapid grower, and the chief point in Its cultivation 

 is to know when to divide. If plants are allowed to 

 wait too long, and over fill their pots or tubs, thev are 

 liable to dwindle away. 



Amaryllis. Treat as directed for Cyclamen. 



Aspidistras may now he divided, potting off each 

 separate pai-t. Sponge off leaves before plants are 

 brought Inside. 



Bulbs of Hyacinths, Tulips, etc., for earlle^ winter 

 flowering to be procured and potted as soon as po.sslble. 



Cactus to be taken up from outside and potted. 



Oestrums. After flowering the supply of water to 

 be gradually reduced. 



Cyclamens should be repotted In rich, sandy soli, 

 with the bulb or corm nearly above ground. Water 

 but little until they commence to grow. Shift the 

 young plants, so as to keep them in a vigorous, grow- 

 ing condition. 



Forcing for Flowers. Inexperienced persons pre- 

 smne that plants may be taken out of the open ground 

 at any time that frost permits and placed In strong 

 heat at once. To succeed with most hard-wooded 

 plants, they should be placed in a cool apartment to 

 enjoy a season of rest before forcing. The roots must 

 form first, which will sustain the new growth of leaves 

 and young branches. Many shrubs bloom very early 

 in spring, and these, as a rule, are preferable for forc- 

 ing operations. As their flowering season is of short 

 duration. It is advisable to keep a stock on hand to 

 draw from, as a lot has ceased forming flowers. All 

 bulbous, tuberous and fibrous-rooted herbaceous plants 

 are governed by the same laws, and after potting must 

 be preserved In a cold pit or cellar until needed for 

 forcing. Having such a stock to draw from every 

 fortnight or so, succession of bloom may be kept up In 

 our greenhouses or living-rooms all winter long. Roses 

 are especially sensitive regarding strong heat soon 

 after removal from open air; they must be permitted 

 to form roots first. 



Fuchsias. As the summer bloomers cease growth, 

 bring them to a state of rest by gradually reducing the 

 supply of water. Winter bloomers to he taken up and 

 potted. 



Geraniums. After repotting take a sharp knife and 

 prune, cutting every branch olT within three or four 

 Inches of the main stem. After watering set In the 

 shade a few days, then sink the pot In the ground in a 

 sunny spot. Properly grown, that old Geranium will 

 produce more flowers another winter than tw-o young 

 plants— If the plant was a good one to start with. The 

 tips of the branches will make g(.od cuttings, If they 

 look green and hard, but If they look &oft and watery 

 tlirow them away. A fine plant cannot be grown from 

 a poor cutting. 



Ivy. Lift the bedded plants by the end of month. 



Jasminnm grandiflorum to be given liquid manure 

 ouce a week . 



Oxalis. Repot and start Into growth. 



Frimnla. The old Chinese Primroses to be thrown 

 away, unless they are choice double ones. Young 

 plants started from seed In June should take their 



