THE PARLOR GARDENER. 79 



Yes, shoots that will bloom and produce their 

 fruit, while the vegetation of the potato is run- 

 ning its career and continuing to form its tubers. 

 On closing the account, you will gather potatoes 

 enough for a dish, and tomatoes enough to make 

 a sauce for the beef stew, to be served with the 

 potatoes. I will lay a wager, madam, that this 

 tomato sauce will have a more exquisite flavor 

 for your palate than any your cook ever pre- 

 pared before, let her be the very best of all possi- 

 ble cooks. 



When you procure an aquarium, you may cul- 

 tivate rice in it, which will come to perfect ma- 

 turity. You must graft shoots of this rice upon 

 seeds of the species phalaris ; and you will see 

 that they will not grow the less healthily, nor form 

 their ears the less perfectly for being grafts. I 

 tell you all this beforehand, in order that you 

 may at once form an idea of what it may be pos- 

 sible to accomplish by grafting, even when re- 

 stricted to the narrow limits of horticulture in 

 the parlor. 



