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POPULAR GARDENING. 



October, 



turu be wrai>i)LMl in Moss or Cotton, will find 

 their flowers remaining fresh loni? after the de- 

 parture of all beauty from those of their less 

 thougBtful neighbors. The same substance 

 placed in the bottom of the vase in which flowers 

 are kept will be very useful, provided the stems 

 are cut off with a sharp knife once or twice a 

 day.— Pacific Rural Press. 



New Fruit Knife. This simple contrivance, 

 which is the invention of J. L. Mosher, of San 

 Jose, a professional fruit dryer, and consist* of a 

 piece of highly tempered steel fastened to the 

 cutting table, as represented in illust ration, 

 directly in front of the operator. The fruit is 

 held with both hands between the thumb and in- 

 dex finger, and is forced against the blade or cut- 

 ting portion, represented by the curve near the 

 top. liy a quick pushing and turning motion it 

 is separated into two halves by a clean cut, and 

 the ;pit removed by the simple pressure of the 

 piece retaining the pit against the lower portion 

 of the blade. It apparently suiiplies a long-felt 

 want in fruit cutting. —California Fruit Grower. 



Keeping Tomatoes for Winter. Late Tomatoes 

 may be kept long after the frosts have destroyed 

 the vines and the ripe fruit has disappeared from 

 the market, by picking the green Tomatoes as 

 late as possible, and packing them in dry sand, 

 putting them away where they will not freeze. 

 A few days before wanted take out a layer from 

 the sand, place them in a sunny window or in a 

 warm room, when they will ripen and be as nice 

 as though fresh from the vines —Prairie Farmer. 



Potted Geraniums. In California we don't pot 

 Geraniums as often as they do in countries where 

 they have to be housed in winter. The profuse 

 bloom which is naturally expected of them and 

 which is sometimes not forthcoming, may, how- 

 ever, frequently be secured by potting and let- 

 ting the plants get almost pot^bouud.— Pacific 

 Rural Press. 



Non-inflammable "Wood. To deprive wood to 

 a considerable extent of the property of com- 

 municating fire, it is suflScient to coat it with a 

 suitable composition. This is done with a brush, 

 and the substances most to be recommended for 

 use in this manner are cyanide of potassium and 

 asbestos paint.— Manufacturer and Builder. 



Trapping Mice in Orchard. A correspondent of 

 Farm and Home digs holes all around his fruit yard 16 

 to H inches deep and covering them with short bits of 

 boards to keep snow out, raised a little above the sur- 

 face so as to give the mice free ingress. A few sweet 

 Apples or a little grass entk-e the little pests that are 

 too clumsy to get out again. 



Fruit Eating on the Increase. Fruit is so cheap 

 and plentiful in New York that there is no excuse for 

 a stinted indulgence in it. The fruit habit is growing, 

 and the cooling, health preserving food is seen on more 

 breakfast tables than ever before.— Sun. 



A Moist Place for Apples. Dampness will not in- 

 jure winter Apples in the least. In fact, they keep 

 better in a cellar where the bottom is moist earth or 

 stone, then In the cellars which are perfectly dry.— 

 Orange Co Farmer. 



Mushroom Growing. This by artificial means is so 

 uncertain that no one having experience in the bus- 

 luesss could advise another wholly ignorant of it to 

 attempt it for profit.— Farm and Fireside. 



Advantages of Draining. Tile draining contributes 

 to an aeration of the soil and consequent fertility, so 

 that is has uniformly been found use- 

 ful in Increasing its fertility. 



Insect Powder and Flies. Another 

 use for Persian Insect powder is to drive 

 away fltes and mos((uitos by burning the 

 powder In rooms— Am. tiardeu. 



Keeping Fruits. Most varieties ofj 

 fruit are best kept on shelves, where tbeyj 

 can be spread thinly and easily in- 

 spected. -Am. Cultivator. 



Good Fruit or None. Only fine goods 

 are wanted In the market; none others 

 pay.— Cal. Fruit Grower. ^™ '' ^" 'f^'- 



A cellar for the storage of Apples for late sales or 

 shipment ouglit not to be under a dwelling house. 



Russet Apples make the best cider. 



Vegetable Products on the Table. 



Fried Pumpkin. Slice the Pumpkin and boil 

 luitil tender ; remove frf»m the fire and musli 

 with a fork ; add two eggs, and fry in butter 

 until brown. 



Boiling Vegetables. Always put into fast 

 boiling water, to be quickly brought to the boil- 

 ing point again, not left to steei> in the water 

 before boiling, which toughens them and de- 

 stroys color and tla\or. 



fried Parsnips. Scrape and leave in ci )ld 

 water for an hour, then boil with a little salt in 



the water. Dry them and cut in lengthwise 

 slices. Dip in melted butter and then in tlour, 

 season with salt and pepper, and fry in drip- 

 liings. Drain free from fat and serve hot. 



Cranberry Dumplings. Sift tfigether one 

 quart of flour and '2^4 teasj>oons of baking pow- 

 der ; mix to a soft dough with sweet milk ; roll 

 out and spread with one quart of Cranberry 

 sauce, fold over, place in a pudding-bag and 

 steam one hour. Serve with a sweet sauce. 



Quince Marmalade. Boil the Quinces until 

 they are soft ; then peel and rub them through a 

 sieve or on a grater. To each pint of pulp allow 

 one pint of sugar, and boil for two hours, stir- 

 ring frequently. It is well to place the preserv- 

 ing kettle where there is no danger of burning, 

 but where the boiling is continuous. The long 

 lioiling causes the color to become a rich red. 



Quince Jelly from Parinprs. Put the parings 

 and cores in a kettle and neatly cover with cold 

 water ; boil until very tender, pour into a strain- 

 ing cloth tied over the top of a stone jar, let 

 them drain untouched. To every pint of juice 

 allow three-quarters of a pound of sugar, put 

 juice in a kettle and let it boil, then stir in the 

 sugar a handful at a time, boil twenty minutes 

 and pour into glasses. 



Cauliflower Pickles. Take solid heads, cut in 

 small pieces so they will go in a can without 

 breaking, wash well and cook in hot, salted water 

 from three to five minutes. Skim out carefully 

 into cold water which sends the salt all through 

 it, then put into glass cans or small jars; pre- 

 l>are vinegar with about one teacupf ul of white 

 sugar to two quarts of pure cider vinegar and 

 one-half cupful of whole, white Mustard seed. 

 Let the vinegar boil and pour on the Cauliflower. 

 Fill the can full and screw the cover on. 



Chow Chow. One peck of green Tomatoes, 

 five Onions, three heads of solid Cabbage, one 

 dozen green Peppers. Chop each separately 

 and then mix together and put in a coarse, 

 linen bag and drain over night. Put in a porce- 

 lain kettle three pounds of brown sugar, one- 

 half teacupfu! of grated Horse Kadish, a tea- 

 spoonful of ground, black Pepper, a teaspoon- 

 ful of ground Mustard, a tablespoonful of Celery 

 seed. Cover with vinegar, boil and pour on 

 pickles in jar. If you wish it to be yellow, add 

 Curry powder to the \inegar. 



Baked Egg Plant. Cut in half ; scoop out all 

 the inside, taking care to preserve the outside 

 shell; chop the inside verv fine, mis with bread 

 crumbs, add a half teacup of milk, season with 

 salt and pepper, but no butter ; return it to the 

 shells, and after cutting a little from the ends to 

 make them level, jjlacein your meat pan, adding 

 a little water, and bake as you would a roast 

 forty minutes, then take out of the shells into a 

 warmed dish. Make a drawn butter sauce and 

 pour over it ; that is, a teaspoonf ul of hot water, 

 butter the size of a small egg and flower to make 

 it like thin gravy. 



Stewed Beans with Tomato. Soak any dried 

 Deans, Lima or Butter Beans preferred, and in 

 the morning boil for fifteen minutes; pour off 

 this water and add a quart of fresh boiling 

 water, with a teaspoonful of salt and sugar, and 

 half a small Ked Pepper cut fine. In the mean 

 time brown a minced Onion in two tablespoon- 

 fuls of Olive oil ; add some sprigs of Pai-sley and 

 six Tomatoes and stew slowly for half an hour; 

 then, rub through a sieve, thicken with a spoon- 

 ful of tlour rubbed smooth in cold water. Let 

 the liquid on the Beans quite boil away, taking 

 care that they do not scorch ; add the Tomato, 

 let all boil up once and serve hot.— G(^ Htnisdi''g. 



Apple Butter. To forty gallons of good sweet 

 cider, made from sound, ripe Apples, use three 

 bushels of select Apples. The cider should be 

 boiled down to one-third or a little less before 

 putting in the Apples, which should be pared 

 clean, all specks, bruises, seeds and seed cavities 

 removed. They may be quartered, or cut into 

 eighths, if very large. Stirring should com- 

 mence as soon as fruit get* soft, and be kept up 

 carefully until done. At all times prevent the 

 flames of fire striking the kettle above the line 

 of contents. When boiled down to ten gallons 

 it will be done, and will be an article fit for a 

 king. Put in earthen vessels, and when cold, 

 dip clean white paper into good whisky or 

 brandy, and lay it over the tops. In four months 

 from making, if kept in a garret (the best place), 

 the jars can be inverted on a floor or shelf witli- 

 out running out. Will keep for years, and if 

 made with the right kuid of Apples, such as 

 Kumbo, Smokehouse or Bellflower, will become 

 as smooth as cheese.— *\ Miller in Vich'a Magaz. 



HOUSE PLANTS. 



Begonias. The tuberous rooted class t« be dried off 

 and stored in a frost-proof place. Other flowering 

 kinds need plenty of water and light, and room enough 

 so they will not touch one another. Give liquid manure 

 occasionally. Rex Begoulas to be watered but spar 

 ingly, and set in a somewhat shady position. 



Chrysanthemums to be stimulated with liquid ma- 

 nure. 



Echeverias to be watered quite sparingly from this 

 time on. 



Epiphyllum truncatum to be placed lu a light, sunny 

 situation, and stimulated occasionally with liquid 

 manure. 



Ferneries to be started for winter adornment. 

 Plants can be placed In any cool, light window. Water 

 the roots thorouglily but not the foliage. Among the 

 finest for window we have Pteris argyrea, Pserrulata 

 erlstala, Nepolepis exaltata, Lomarla Gibba. etc. 



Fuchsia. Plants having done their flowering may 

 gradually be supplied with less water until all foliage 

 is ofl", then stored away in some cool place where frost 

 never reaches, until required to start again. The win- 

 ter bloomers need a well -drained, light, rich soil and 

 plenty of sun. The old Speclosa is good— none better. 

 Carl Halt is a variegated blossom, and good for winter. 



G-eraniums closely cut back and potted will winter 

 well in a dry cellar. Those kept from blooming up to 

 this time are now In shape for flowering. 



Hoya carnosa tlirlves best in a warm place, but 

 needs now but little moisture at the root. 



Hyacinths and other bulbs— Tulip, Crocus, Narcis- 

 sus, Jonquil, etc.,— to be started In pots for forcing. 

 Single ones bloom flrst and are generally the most sat- 

 isfactory, especially for growing In glasses. Dark 

 glasses are better than those of clear glass. 



Jasminum grandiflorum In bloom to be given occas- 

 sional doses of liquid manure. 



Jerusalem Cherries. Water freely to prevent the 

 leaves from dropping. 



Justica carnea to be repotted and started up for 

 winter blooming. Give rich, loamy soil and thorough 

 drainage. 



Oleanders to be removed to a cool, light cellar If 

 room is needed. Keep rather dry at the roots. Wash 

 the foliage with soap water from time to time. 



Rivini humilis to be placed in a sunny window, and 

 occasionally watered with liquid manure. 



Primroses now need light, and during blooming are 

 benefited by a weekly application of weak manm*e 

 water. 



Temperature. Plants coming directly from the 

 florists often fall when set in a window at this time 

 because the pampered greenhouse plant is not used to 

 the exposure in the much colder window. Be sure to 

 get plants that are thoroughly hardened, and to warm 

 the rooms where such plants are in the window, suffic- 

 iently to carry them over this change in a gradual way. 



LAWN AND FLOWER GARDEN. 



Bulbs, The sooner Hyacinth, Tulip, Narcissus, 

 Liliuni longiflorum. Iris, Crown Imperial, Snowdrop 

 and similar hardy bulbs are put In the ground now the 

 better, although the planting may be continued as long 

 as the ground remains open. 



Caladiums, Cannas. The leaves should be removed 

 as soon as injured by frosty or other bad weather, and 

 afterwards carefully lifted, dried and stored in sand 

 iu a dry, cool cellar, or underneath a greenhouse bench. 



Dahlias. Take up after frost, label carefully and 

 store In barrels In a dry, frost-proof cellar. 



Erythrinas. After frost cut the plants back properly, 

 lift carefully and place in boxes In a dry, frost-proof 

 cellar. 



Enonymus, Ancuhas, and similar half-hardy plants 

 t« be taken up and placed lu cold pits where some pro- 

 tection can be given in severe weather. 



Flower beds, etc., should not be neglected now to 

 the extent of becoming an eye-sore to the beholder. 

 Remove the plants injured by frost and neatly level 

 the soil. Remove the decaying leaves and portions of 

 herbaceous plants. 



Gladiolus. Take up the bulbs after severe freezing; 

 dry and clean them, put iu paper bags and store In a 

 cool, dry place out of the reach of frost. 



Hydrangeas, Lemon Verbenas, etc., t« be taken 

 up. ipotted or placed in boxes, then placed In a dry, 

 cool celler. Should be kept almost dry at the root. 



Mirabilis. Treat like Dahlias. 



PcBonies and other hardy herbaceous plants may he 

 taken up, divided and reset early this month. Manure 

 and work over the border or bed thoroughly before 

 replanting. 



