264 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



September, 



crooked in tying or the stalks stained or nibbled 

 by earth worms, is to take strips of straw paper, 

 ten to twelve inches wide, and wrap each stalk 

 in place of tying. A troweltul of earth will 

 hold the paper in place when the banking can be 

 done. The earth should be drawn up nearly to 

 the top of the paper Leave the base of the hill 

 broad, so that more earth can be drawn up, if 

 necessary.— Canada Ex. 



Killing Greenfly. The idea illustrated in ac- 

 companying tlgure is old, but only practicable 

 to those heating with steam. I use it with per- 

 fect satisfaction. Screw in a T (see A) where 

 convenient (we use one every hundred feetl, 

 then using half-inch pipe put in B with valve, 

 cut pipe C long enough to reach middle of walk, 

 screw in D loosely (so as to screw or unscrew by 

 hand;, and have it long enough to reach bottom 

 of barrel. Fill your flour barrel with Tobacco 

 stems, turn on the steam and you have a cheap, 

 clean, and effectual apparatus that will kill green 

 or black fly and red spider. During the day un- 

 screw D, roll barrel out of the way, push C 

 parallel to bench and the walk is clear. -A. H. 

 Lange, in American Florist. 



Death by Lightning not Frequent. There is 

 a thousand times the danger in the sewer pipes 

 that there is in the thunder clouds. The deaths 

 by lightning are few indeed. Who of the readers 

 of this paragraph ever lost a friend that way? 

 Who of them hasn't lost a score of friends by 

 the less brilliant and less noisy destruction that 

 comes up out of the house drains?— The Hart- 

 ford Courant. 



Pear Seedlings. Few fruit seeds grow easier 

 than Pear seed, fresh from the fruit, stuck right 

 in the ground, covered an inch or less with lively 

 rich, sandy or coal ash soil that can't bake, and 

 then covered over winter with two or three 

 inches of grass, hay, straw or leaf mulch, to be 

 removed early in spring.— F. K. Pha-nix. 



Tame Qaaile. Quail— so wonderfully helpful 

 against our insect enemies— are so numerous 

 and tame in the vicinity of (jrass Lake, Wis., 

 that they fly into the village in flocks and sit 

 around on the lawns like robins. The law pro- 

 tecting them lasts two years more. -N.Y Witn's. 



Fertilizers and Tillage Pay in the Garden. 

 Careful experimenters are becoming more and 

 more doubtful as to whether commercial fertili- 

 isers, as ordinarily used on farm crops, are a 

 source ot profit ; but they are unanimous in the 

 opinion that superior tillage pays.— Concord Pen. 



Manure for Bulb Beds. Cow manure is best of 

 all. It is used by the Holland bulb growers who 

 raise the millions of flower-roots annually sent 

 out to gladden the eyes and hearts ot multitudes 

 in other lands.— Ex. 



Moles and Gophers. 1 have never been able to 

 poison moles, but always successful In clearing my 

 fields of gophers by opening their holes late In the fall, 

 and rolling In a Potato plugged and poisoned with 

 arsenlc.-Corr. B. N. Y. 



Currants Worthy of Care. By the use of manure, 

 the cultivator and hoe with a little white Hellebore 





STEAMING TOBACCO FOR APHIS. 



dusted on the foliage, my bushes look thrifty and are 

 well loaded with large Currants,— E.x. 



Lily of the Valley. The flowers are used during 

 the winter months In immense quantities, N. Y. City 

 alone using probably a million. The average price Is 

 about live cents each.- Am. Florist. 



Thinnine Grapes. Grapevines that over-bear will 

 not ripen their I'rult. It is better to thin out an.l 

 thereby get better clusters and riper fruit.— C. Mills. 



Prices of Dried Fruits. There Is no indication of 

 any abatemeut of the upward movement of prices for 

 dried fruit.- N. Y. Com. Bulletin. 



Danger in Wells. The farmer should by all means 

 study pure water, and how Xo keep it ptire on his own 

 place.— Mobile Register. 



Mania for Dosing Incurable. There Is a remedy for 

 everything— except some of our modern remedies.- 

 Puck. 



Vegetable Products on the Table. 



Canning Whole Tomatoes. Select small sound 

 Tomatoes. Pack them without peeling into wide- 

 mouthed jars.'fill the jai'S with cold water, and 

 finish precisely'as directed for Lima Beans, boil- 

 ing only thirty minutes. Be sure that the cans 

 are filled to overflowing with boiling ;water be- 

 fore screwing on the tops. 



Grape Jelly. Stem ripe Grapes and put in a 

 preserve kettle, let come to a boil, mash and 

 strain. Put the .iuice on to boil for twenty 

 minutes, when add three quarters of a pound of 

 sugar to every pint of juice, skim while boiling, 

 let cook fifteen minutes. Green Grape Jelly may 

 be made the same way, but will retiuire a pound 

 of sugar to a pint of .juice.- Ladies Home Jour. 



Eggs and Tomatoes. Fry a pound of ripe 

 Tomatoes with skins removed either in oil or 

 lard, with a small quantity of Onion, and suffl- 

 cient salt, until all the moisture is evaporated 

 and the Tomato like Apple sauce. Have ready 

 half a dozen eggs well beaten, and when the 

 Tomatoes are ready add the eggs, stirring quick- 

 ly for a minute or two until well mixed and the 

 eggs set, when serve at once. 



Green Tomato Preserves. Slice the Toma- 

 toes quite thin, and to each pound allow half a 

 pound ot sugar, the .iuice and rind of half a 

 Lemon, and some grated Ginger. Place all to- 

 gether in a preserving vessel near, but not on 

 the fire, until the sugar is melted, then place it 

 where it can boil quickly for about half an hour, 

 or until the syrup thickens, then put in ,iars. I 

 always use a stoneware basin with a flat bottom. 



Green Tomato Pickles. To one peek of small 

 green Tomatoes add six large Onions, sliced, and 

 a cupful of salt, and let them stand until the 

 next day. Then drain off the water, and boil 

 them for fifteen minutes in two quarts of water 

 and one of vinegar mixed ; afterwards drain 

 them in a sieve. Then, while still hot, pour over 

 them tour quarts ot vinegar, with two pounds of 

 brown sugar, two tablesi)Oonfuls each of gi'ound 

 Cinramon, Cloves, and Allspice, previously 

 boiled therein, and bottle off. 



Cucumber Catsup. Select tender Cucumbers 

 and peel and grate enough of them to make two 

 iiuarts of pulp. With a wooden spoon press it 

 lightly until the juice stops running. Throw 

 the latter away and season the pulp with half a 

 pint of grated white Onions, halt a pint of 

 grated Horse-radish, half an ounce of ground 

 black Pepper, salt to your taste, and six level 

 tablespoontuls of sugar. Have ready three one- 

 quart glass jars, put one-third of the pulp into 

 each, fill full ot the best cider vinegar and screw 

 the tops on perfectly tight.— Home Maker. 



Canned Lima Beans. Fill the jars full of un- 

 cooked Beans, then fill full of cold water, and 

 lay on the tops. Place straw or hay in the bot- 

 tom of a wash boiler, place the jars on this, and 

 pour in sufBcient cold water to half cover them. 

 Put the boiler over the fire, cover it closely with 

 the lid, and boil steadily for three hours. Take 

 up the jars, see that they are filled to overfiow- 

 ing, and screw on the cover as tightly as possible. 

 Stand aside, where the air will not strike them to 

 cool. When cold, again screw the covers, and 

 keei> in a dark, cool place. Asparagus and Peas 

 may be canned in the same way.— Table Talk. 



Fried Tomatoes. No better breakfast, lunch- 

 eon or supper dish can be desired than one of 

 fried Tomatoes with cream sauce. Cut large, 

 and not overripe Tomatoes into three thick 

 slices; dust with salt and Pepper and dredge 

 lightly with flour. Have some hot butter or 

 half butter and half sweet drippings in a frying 

 pan, and fry slowly. When browned on one side 

 turn on the other, and when tender, but not so 

 well cooked that they cannot be lifted without 

 breaking, lift with a cake turner and slide on to 

 a hot dish. Stir two tablespoonfuls of flour into 

 the fat in the pan, and when smooth add slowly 

 a pint of rich hot milk. Stir constantly until it 

 boils, season with salt and Pepper and pour over 

 the Tomatoes. Another way is to dip the slices 

 in egg and bread crumbs and serve with a brown 

 sauce.— .\lice Chittenden, in Country Gentleman. 



Canning Pears. Hartlctts are best for canning. 

 Pare, cut in halves, and with a pointed knife re- 

 move the core and blossom end. The stems may 

 be left, as they look very pretty. Throw them 

 at once into cold water to prevent discoloration. 

 When you have pared suflicient to make one 

 quart jar, about twenty-one halves, weigh them, 

 allowing a quarter pound of sugar to every 

 liouud tif Pears. Put the Peai-s in a porcelain- 

 lined kettle, cover with boiling water, and sim- 



mer gently until you can pierce them with a 

 straw. Put the sugar and a pint of water into 

 another kettle, stir until disolved, then boil and 

 skim. When the Pears are tender, lift carefully 

 with a skimmer and slide them into the syrup, 

 simmer five minutes and can. After sealing, 

 stand the jars in a warm part of the kitchen 

 over night. In the morning the covers should 

 again be tightened, as the glass will contract 

 after cooling; then put them away in cool, not 

 cold, dry, dark closet.— Table Talk. 



HOUSE PLANTS. 



Agapanlhus. Encourage growth by watering and 

 stimidatlon. Plants done blooming may be cut back 

 suflicleutly to prevent seeding. 



Asters and other annuals, if thrifty and of good 

 shape, may be carefully lifted and potted for blooming 

 during fall and winter. 



Azaleas. These and other hard-wooded plants had 

 better be left out In a sheltered situation, where safe 

 from chills, until October, before being brought Into 

 the house. 



Begonias. The tuberous-rooted kinds should be 

 taken up before frost and the bulbs dried thoroughly- 

 They winter best in dry sand. 



Bouvardias and others of the more tender plants 

 for winter decoration may he taken up and potted. 



Bulbs of Hyacinth, Tulip, Crocus, Snowdrop and 

 others for early flowering, may now be started in pots 

 or boxes. 



Cactus that were summered In the border should be 

 taken up before the fall rains, potted and taken In. 



Carnations, Violets and other plants of a similar 

 degree of hardiness designed for winter flowering, to 

 be lifted. 



Chrysanthemums. Plants in pots to be promptly 

 .shifted for the last time. Lift bedded plants. Water 

 ing twice a week with liquid manure will aid In growth 

 and flowers. Keep the exhibition plants staked and 

 tied up for inducing shapeliness. Look out for cater- 

 pillars. 



Fuchsias to be given a rest as they cease to flower. 



General Directions. Have everything ready to re- 

 ceive the plants In case they must he taken In suddenly. 

 Plants lu pots that were summered outside, shoidd be 

 pruned into proper shape and the pots washed . If the 

 ball shows that the roots are crowded and cramped, 

 use a pot a size or two larger. Top-dress all with rich 

 soil. In lifting plants from the beds, work with much 

 care to retain all the roots. A large ball of earth, plant 

 in center, may be lifted with a spade, and reduced for 

 the pot by the use of a pointed stick. Have pots from 

 four to eight Inches across on hand, and use them as 

 small as will answer. Work good soil firmly between 

 the ball of earth and the pots. Then water well, set 

 closely together in the shade f()r a week, sprinkling the 

 foliage lightly half a dozen times dally; afterwards 

 give more space and light, hut avoid full sunlight yet 

 for two weeks. Plants that have bloomed all summer 

 require to be severely cut back, both top and at the 

 roots. Store good potting soil In the cellar, also sand, 

 moss, sods, etc. 



Hanging baskets and vases may yet be left out If 

 carefully protected on cool aud frosty nights. 



Mignonette. Sow seeds of this and any other annual 

 that may be desired for the window garden. 



Oxalis may now be start-ed Into growth, and will 

 make excellent window plants. Among the best for 

 this purpose are O. florlbunda, lutea, Bowerl, etc. 



Roses. The repotting or lifting of plants Intended 

 for winter bloom should now no longer be deferred. 

 Old fibrous sods, finely divided but not sifted, with 

 one-third of Its bidk well-decayed manure makes the 

 best potting soil for Roses, 



Tuberoses not yet done flowering may he taken up 

 and potted. 



Verbenas to be kept over, should consist of young 

 plants propagated from tender shoots after middle of 

 this month. 



LAWN AND FLOWER GARDEN. 



Bulbs. Prepare bed of hardy bulbs, such as Hya- 

 cinth, Tulip, Crocus, etc., at once, and begin planting 

 just as soon as bulbs can be obtained from the dealer. 

 Rotten cow-dung is perhaps the best fertilizer for all 

 these bulbs. For fine effect sot Tulips five Inches, Hya- 

 cinths seven inches, and smaller-sized bulbs, such as 

 Crocus and Snowdrops, two of three inches apart each 

 way. Set the smaller buds four Inches deep and the 

 larger ones about six Inches. Narcissus. Crocus and 

 Snowdrops are well suited for close clumps by them- 

 selves. 



