OUR COUNTRY HOME 



of them that he has even sacrificed his patriotism to the extent of 

 buying his seeds in England. Button's " Best-of-All " certainly 

 quite justifies its name. It is perfectly sound, rich scarlet, with 

 firm pulp and, as the catalogues say, " a good cropper. " The 

 cascade tomatoes hanging like grapes in long racemes have a deli- 

 cious flavor, and are very pretty when the fruit shades from green 

 to crimson. We also grow the yellow pear, delicate and dainty. 

 Every morning at breakfast, a dish of tomatoes is placed before 

 the Constant Improver; indeed they tell a story that in ordering a 

 dinner once, in some form or another tomatoes appeared in every 

 course ! 



One of our city guests, clutching her skirts tightly, looked over 

 the gate into the kitchen garden one September morning, and wish- 

 ing to say something pleasant and seemly, asked : " What are 

 those ? " 



Now we had planted some French artichokes before the trellises 

 of trained tomatoes so that as the leaves were stripped to permit 

 the fruit to ripen, the spreading green foliage of the artichoke 

 might cover all deficiencies. 



The Constant Improver answered: "Those are artichokes, 

 - French artichokes." 



"What, those red things?" 



"Oh, no! those are tomatoes." At which we all, herself in- 

 cluded, burst into irrepressible laughter. 



In the early Spring this sheltered sunny hollow is an ideal 



