1 886. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



ouNGjfepPLe 



Treeclimber's Talks. 



THE PINEAI'ri.E. 



^ There are several reasons why I open my 

 talks to the yonng gardeners of America this 

 month by alluiliug to the Pineapple. One of 

 these is that the fruit is American, being a 

 native of the countries from Mexico southward 

 to Brazil, hence it is well for us to know 

 all we can about it. We may feel'that we 

 have little to do with, and are far from 

 Mexico and South America, and this as 

 regards most readers of Popular Garden- 

 ing, is true. But if 3-0U were to travel 

 abroad, and talk with foreigners about 

 Pineapples, Orchids and like plants that 

 are peculiar to some parts of the Americas, 

 you would very likely find, as I did, that 

 they would quite naturally 



EXPECT TOU TO KNOW 

 all about these things, precisely as if they 

 grew right about your home. This places 

 one, under such circumstances, in an 

 awkward position, if he knows little or 

 nothing about our noted American plants. 

 To blunder out, as some most likely would 

 have to, that you never knew the Pine- 

 apple was American, would at once show 

 you to be very ignorant, in a well- 

 informed foreigner's estimation. 



Another reason for speaking of the 

 Pineapple here is, that this delicious fruit 

 of the tropics quite readily submits to 



OnLTIVATION UNDER GLASS 



in northern regions. This can not be so well 

 said of all tropical fruits. Not only is the 

 raising of the fruit under gla-ss not very diffi- 

 cult, but the product here is far superior in 

 size, quality and beauty to the fruit we meet 

 in the markets. This is to be accounted for in 

 two ways: first, the imported fruit is gathered 

 in an immature state, to aid its keeping. Sec- 

 ond, the cultivated varieties have been much 

 improved just as most of our- garden fruits 

 have also been. I trust that among my young 

 readers there are many who take enough inte- 

 rest in gardening, that in time, they will be sit- 

 uated so they can try their hand at this fine 

 branch of under-glass gardening. Not only 

 will they find the plant interesting for the 

 fruit it bears, but as may be seen in the en- 

 graving, it is also decidedly ornamental. There 

 is a variety which has beautifully striped leaves 

 that is solely grown for ornament. 



You understand, of course, that if the Pine- 

 apple is a product of an American plant, it is 



A COMPARATIVELY NEW FRUIT 



to the world. Of the Banana, Orange, Cocoa- 

 nut and other well-known fruits, it may be 

 said, they have been known and cultivated 

 from remote ages. The first Pineapple was taken 

 to Europe only in 15.5.5. It was received, among 

 other products of this newly discovered country, 

 with great interest. Sometimes its singular 

 appearance seems to have incited fear. It is 

 said, for instance, that the suspicious king, 

 Charles V, of Germany, when given a hand- 

 some Pineapple, mistrusted it, and would not 

 taste it. Every boy or girl who reads this 

 knows better about the fruit than this king 

 did, hence is just so much better off. 



While the Pineapple is a native of America, 

 it has been introduced into the tropical parts 

 of the Eastern hemisphere very generally, by 

 the present time. I but lately read an account 

 by a traveler in the Congo Valley of Africa, in 

 which he speaks of this fruit growing wild 



AS COMMON THERE AS BLACKBERRIES 



do with us. He tells how this was brought about, 

 but before I relate this I ought to explain that 

 the plant propagates by suckers appearing 



below the fruit, and which root readily when 

 the fruit is mature. The top of the fruit will 

 also root and make plants. 



This traveler says that along the trade routes 

 of the Congo regions, the way-sides are strewn 

 with the leavings of tlie fruit as it is eaten, and 

 these taking root in the rich, red soil, serve to 

 spread the plant along the ]iath for very long 

 distances. The inhabitants come a great way 

 to the valley for the golden fruit, vvhirli forms 

 a large pai-t of their <liet. It is said that the 

 very skin of the people turns yellowish from 

 almost wholly living on the golden flesh. So 

 connnon is the fruit in fact, that even the dogs, 



THE PINEAPPLE PLANT IN FRUIT. 



cats, pigs and goats, live on this cUet. They 

 would seem to have a Pineapple "picnic" all 

 the while. 



THE NAME PINEAPPLE. 



Just how this pleasing name became attached 

 to this fruit, may not be known. To the Span- 

 iards, perhaps, is owing its origin, for the)' 

 early called it Pinas, because the .shape resem- 

 bles the fi-uit of a species of Pine. From this 

 name, one can see that it would be but a short 

 route to Pineapple, the name by which it is 

 everywhere known by English speaking peo- 

 ple. Its Brazilian name is Nana, and this 

 was turned to Ananas by the Portuguese. An- 

 anasa sativa is its botanical name, 



THE EVERGREEN PINE TREE AS A FRUIT TREE. 



I said that the Pineapple was called Pinas 

 by the Spaniards because it resembled the fruit 

 of a species of Pine tree. It may not be known 

 to many of our young people, that there are 

 species of evergreen Pine trees that bear deli- 

 cious edible fruit. One such a species is a na- 

 tive of the extreme western parts of our coun- 

 try and is called Nut Pine or Edible-fruited 

 Pine. The edible part is the seed ; it is about 

 the size of a Hazel nut, and sweet. Another 

 species is the Stone Pine of Southern Europe. 

 The seeds of this one are about thi-ee-fourths of 

 an inch long, and when fresh, have a sweet I 

 taste, resembling that of Ahnonds. Were it 

 not that they soon become rancid, after gath- 

 ering, no doubt these nuts would be met 

 in our markets. Occasionally, they are to 

 be had in European cities, being brought in the 

 cone, in which way they can be kept longer. 

 But the bulkness of the cones is against this 

 method of transporting the fruit, hence it can 

 never become common. So we shall probably 

 have to get along without the fruit of the Pine 

 tree somehow. 



Timothy Treeclimber. 



ing that suits all youngsters, but of which our 

 grand parents in their youth never knew. 



Tlif various parts were cut the reiiuireil shape 

 1(1 sewed together with small wire. Several were 



In Ihe winter of IH-w, Francis I'. Knowlton i)ur- 



duised a sheet of wire iiettiiif; in Hopkiiiton, New 



llmnpshire, and constructed the lirxt <;ini puijiii-r 



ihiit trits cvt'V made. 



Tlie 



and _ ^. ..^...„, „^.,. 



made and sent to various parts of the United States 

 as curiosities. 



Mr. K.. thinkiiiL' that he eonid see a field rif use- 

 fulness tor till- ni'wlv invcnli-il ail icle. made n few 

 and took tliciii ti> a lumlwaiv sl<ii'c in Conconl, liiip- 

 inK theivliy to inlnuluL-e and .sell tlicni. 



His pniiiui-lion was scorned and ridiculeil l)V Ihe 

 pnipiiKtois. and they at first refused to have 'any- 

 tliiuK to do with them. He was finnllv told that he 

 might leave one or two. if he would piiy storage 



From necessity he took the others liuuk to 

 Hopkinton, little dreaining from the rehuffs 

 received that, in so .short a time, they would 

 be found in almost every homestead in New- 

 England. At least, shortly after this Mr 

 Kelley began pressing theni into the reiiuired 

 shape, and soon after they found favor in the 

 market. 



No patent has, so far as can be learned, ever 

 been applied tor. Within a short time, the 

 identical corn popper has been i)iesented from 

 Mr. Knowlton, of Littleton. Massachusetts, to 

 the Antiquarian Society at (.'■■utoucook. New 

 Hampshire. — fr'oMe/i Days. 



The First Corn Popper. 



Are the boys and girls, who enjoy the snowy 

 product of the corn popper, aware, that within 

 the recollection of our middle aged people, the 

 corn popper was unknown ; Such is really the 

 case, and in Pop-corn, which many of us never 

 think to miss planting, we enjoj- pleasant eat- 



A Tree that Severed a Boulder. 



That "constant dropping wears away 

 rocks," is a truth that has been handed 

 down to us from our forefathers. It ap- 

 pears, however, that other seemingly mild 

 powers, can sever hard stones as well as 

 water can. 



While George Barkman, of Dayton, Ohio 

 was walking on the farm of Mr. Brooks, near 

 that town, some weeks ago, he found a stone 

 which had been forced open by the power of 

 vegetation, for a tall tree stood within a big 

 crack at one edge of the boulder. The stone 

 measured eight feet in length and five in 

 breadth, and the thickness was about three 

 . feet. When looked into, it was seen that the 

 tree had sprung from a seed dropped into a hoUow 

 place in the stone, and that the growing representa- 

 tive of the vegetable kingdom had made the big 

 mineral give way before it. 



PET BIRDS, ANIMALS, ETC 



The Cinnamon Canaries have pink eyes. 



If American-bred Canary birds are mferior to 

 imported ones, it is owing only to careless mating. 



Birds in draughts sometmies become asthmatic, 

 which may be known by short breathing. Only 

 remedy: pievent the draughts. 



When Parrots incline to pull their own feathers, 

 by giving a piece of wood to gnaw at, they may find' 

 employment that will lead to giving up the fault. 



Before the telegraph was invented Carrier-pig- 

 eons were employed to cany messages between 

 Halifax and Boston. Flying, as these can, nearly 

 one hundred miles an hour, they afforded the fast- 

 est possible means of oarrymg word from one point 

 to another. 



Beauty of appearance and quality of song do not 

 always go together. The Belgian Canan'. than 

 which there is no moi-e attractive variety, has a 

 poor voice and short song. The birds are very 

 tame and handsome, hence much esteemed, but be- 

 ing delicate require a great deal of attention. 



Dog Ringing Bell. A lady in Scotland tells how 

 she got a doji, witliin three weeks, to ring a bell. 

 She began by letting "Tiny- smell the bone of a 

 mutton chop, and then tied the bone to the string 

 of the bell. At first "Tiny " was in a great tremor, 

 but by taking her kindly and stroking her, she found 

 that she could iiidtu-e her to inill at the bone and 

 so ring the bell. After that she tied a small piece 

 of wood to the string, but the dog would not pull 

 it. At last she pulled her gently back until the bell 

 rang, and in this way, in the short coui-se of three 

 weeks, with not more than one or two lessons a day, 

 the dog would go and ring the bell by being told"— 

 " ' Tiny,' go and ring the bell." 



Ancient Cat Worship.— Wherever the cat is 

 found as a domesticated animal it is held m great 

 esteem. This feeling was carried to its greatest ex- 

 tent by the ancient Egyptians. On the death of a 

 cat. the inhabitants of the house shaved otf their 

 ej-ebrows, and the deceased animal was endialmed 

 and buried with great solemnity in a sacred spot. 

 Many cat mummies have been found in the Egyp- 

 tian tombs, and some are to be seen in the British 

 Museum. Some were wrapped separately in ample 

 bandages covered with inscriptions. Their move- 

 ments and their cries were consulted as oracles, and 

 the murder, or even the accidental felicide of one 

 of them, was punished by death. 



