288 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



SEPTEMBER, 



later ones can be preserved a considerable time 

 in boxes stored where the temperature is cool, 

 even and dry. One October day I took a stone 

 pot of the largest size and put in first a layer of 

 Isabella Grapes, then a double thickness of straw 

 paper, then alternate layers of Grapes and paper 

 until the pot was full. A cloth was next pasted 

 over the stone cover, so as to make the pot water 

 tight. The pot was then buried on a dry knoll 

 below the reach of frost and dug- up again on 

 New Tear's Day The Grapes looked and tasted 

 as if they had Just been picked from the vine — 

 Garden and Forest. 



Weeds. I never saw a good gardener who 

 know or cared much about weeds. In fact, ig- 

 norance of weeds is commonly a proof of good 

 gardening. All perish by the same process. 

 When we all come to realize that we till for the 

 good of the crop and not for the sole purpose of 

 killing weeds, we shall have no occasion to study 

 the tares, for they will never find the chance of 

 growing. But some people cultivate only when 

 the weeds force them to do so, and here the credit 

 accrues to the weeds. Weeds are oftener a 

 blessing than a curse. Even Virgil knew this.— 

 L. H. Bailey in Garden and Forest. 



Pot Washing Machine. The accompanying 

 illustration shows a simple machine which Messrs. 

 Alburger & Bro., Philadelphia, use to great ad- 

 vantage in cleaning pots The brushes on the 

 end of the shaft are made of a shape to fit the 

 inside of the pot, and several sizes are used, 

 though one brush does the work for a number of 

 sizes of pots. The shaft of the machine shown is 

 revolved by steam power, but one can be easily 

 arranged to be worked by hand power, and even 

 in this way two boys— one to hold the pots and 

 another to supply the power- can accomplish as 

 much work as four or five working by hand. 

 The wheel which supplies the power should of 

 course be considerably larger than the one on 

 the shaft, thus causing the shaft to revolve with 

 sufticient rapidity to be effective and do quick 

 work.— American Flox'ist. 



The Bnsli Lima Bean, which made such a sen- 

 sation this season, has been grown for a genera- 

 tion in a secluded neighborhood in Virginia. 

 Station horticulturists should study their local 

 fruits and vegetables and thus bring into general 

 use superior sorts, of which we now are ignorant, 

 and by a system of exchanges between stations 

 get them into notice, after which the enterprise 

 of our seedsmen may be depended upon to scat- 

 ter them over the country.— Wm. F. Massey in 

 Philadelphia Press. 



Preserving Cut Flowers. Immerse them in a 

 Sf)lution of gum arable and water two or three 

 times, waiting a sufficient time between each im- 

 mersion to allow the gum to dry. This process 

 co^■ers the surface with a thin coat of the gum, 

 which is entirely impervious to the air, and thus 

 prevents the withering of the flowers. Roses 

 thus preserved have all the beauty of freshly 

 plucked ones, though they have been picked 

 several months.— O. .ludd Farmer. 



Hail Insurance. It costs less than flie Insm-ance. 

 and there Is no reason why the Forists' Hail Association 

 of America should not become In Ave years as rich and 



A POT WASHING MACHINE. 



powerful as its German contemporary, which has 

 been in existence forty. five years.— John G. Esler in 

 American Florist. 



Guard Against Infection. Dead limbs on fruit or 

 other trees should be promptly removed. The cutting 

 should be below any diseased part, and the saw used 

 should not be applied to healthy trees unless first 

 washed with carbolic acid.— Md. Farmer. 



Extensive Peach Growers, The Hale Brothers, of 

 South Glastonbiu-y, Conn . , e.xpect to harvest this season 

 the largest crop of Peaches ever grown upon any single 

 farm. All their trees of bearing age give promise of a 

 full crop.— New England Farmer. 



The Borer. Anything in the nature of lye will de- 

 stroy the Apple tree borer beforeit penetrates the bark 

 very far. After it Is once under the bark following It 

 up with a wire is the only way to destroy it.— Mary- 

 land Fanner. 



Fully-ripened Grapes will endure severe cold. 

 Patrick Barry says he has had ripe Delawares f i-eeze 

 without injury.— American Garden. 



Raising Cucumbers. The greatest trouble with 

 raising Cucumbers Is to keep them picked while small. 

 —Farm and Home. 



Celery kept where it is grown is certainly superior 

 to that which h,as been lifted.— G. and F. 



What Shall We Eat? As a preliminary answer we 

 reply — eat more fruit.- Medical Classics. 



Vegetable Products on the Table. 



Cranberry Sance. One quart of Cranberries, 

 one pound of granulated sugar, one-half pint of 

 cold water. Boil fifteen minutes. 



Elderberry Pie. Use mostly sugar with a lit- 

 tle good vinegar, and a very few berries. A few 

 slices of tart Apple are even better than vine- 

 gar.— Indiana P'armer. 



Tomato Marmalade. Peel ripe Tomatoes, cut 

 them in small pieces and boil till done; rub 

 through a sieve and add i:)ne cup of sugar for 

 each cup of Tomatoes; boil forty minutes; then 

 pour in small jai-s.- Western Rural. 



Cucumber Catsup. Grate the Cucumbers and 

 strain off the water; to one-half gallon of Cu- 

 cumbers add three large Onions, chopped fine; 

 salt, Cayenne Pepper and Horse Radish to taste; 

 bottle without cooking.— Western Rural. 



Fried Apples and Bacon, Core and slice with- 

 out paring eight large tart Apples; fry brown 

 thin slices of bacon; remove from the pan and 

 keep hot while the Apples are frying in the fat; 

 drain and lay upon slices of meat. — West. Rural. 



Red Cabbage Salad. A red Cabbage with a 

 firm heart and two fine heads of Celery; cut up 

 the best parts of these as fine as possible, mix 

 them lightly together with two or three spoon- 

 fuls of a good salad dressing; garnish the dish 

 with the top of the Celery, and serve.— The Lady. 



Cucumber Salad. Take a large fresh-cut Cu- 

 cumber, peel, and slice it as thin as possible; 

 sprinkle a pint^h of salt and pepper over it. Al- 

 low this to stand until wanted for the table, then 

 pour over it one tablespoonfu] of the best \'in- 

 egar and two to three tablespoonfuls of pure 

 salad oil.— The Lady. 



Pickled Walnuts. Pick when of a good size 

 but tender enough to pierce with a pin. Throw 

 into a brine and let stand for three days, making 

 new brine once during that time. Rinse off' and 

 put in the sun, turning frequently until black. 

 Pack in .iars and cover with hot spiced vinegar. 

 —Rural New Yorker. 



Cabbage Salad. Cut the Cabbage very fine, 

 and put into a dish in layers, with salt and pepper 

 between; then take two teiispofinfuls of butter, 

 two of sugar, two of flour, two of mustard, one 

 cup of vinegar, and one egg. Stir all together 

 and let it come to a boil on the sto\e; pour it hot 

 over and mi.x well with cabbage; cover up. 



Peach Fritters. Halt can Peaches, each cut in 

 halt; one cup Hour, one tablespoonful of butter, 

 one egg. Make a batter of the last three ingre- 

 dients, using about a cupful luiuor from the 

 Peaches to bring it to the required consistency. 

 Dip the halted Peaches into the batter, and drop 

 them one at a time into deep boiling lard. Serve 

 with powilered sugar.— The Home-Maker. 



Peach Meringue, Cover a plate with paste and 

 bake, then spread thickly and evenly with the 

 fruit, pared and sliced. Over this spread a cup- 

 ful of sugar and pinch of salt. Now beat the 

 white of four eggs to a stiff froth, add five spoon- 

 fuls of powdered sugar, and flavoring to the 

 taste, and pour over the Peaches; arrange in even 

 and fanciful shape, and brown in a quick oven.— 

 Florida Agriculturist. 



Mushrooms with Toast. Rub the tops of the 

 Mushrooms with apiece of flannel dipped in salt. 

 Have some butter heated in a saucepan into 

 which put the Mushrooms with salt, Cayenne 

 and ground Mace; let them stew gently until the 

 butter has almost disappeared, then add cream 

 and the grated rind of a Lemon. Set back where 

 they will only simmer until quite done. Have 

 toasted bread cut in rounds, serve the Mushrooms 

 on them, and put a squeeze of Lemon juice over 

 each.— Country Gentleman. 



Pickled Onions. Select small sized Onions, put 

 into a pan, [lour boiling water over them, peel 

 out of the water, put into jars, let them remain 

 in salt water three or four days, then rinse and 

 drain one hour. Use good vinegar. For a three- 

 gallon crock, take one cup of whole Pepper, one 

 cup of whole Allspice, quarter of a pound of root 

 Ginger, bruised. Let the spices come to a boil in 

 the vinegar and throw over the Onions. Let 

 stand five or six weeks before using, or until 



colored through. Will keep for years.— R. N. T. 



Potato Chowder. Cut half a pound of salt pork 

 into thin slices and fry slowly, a very light brown; 

 add five sliced Onions, and let them color sUghtly ; 

 peel and slice— dropping the slices into cold water 

 —two quarts of Potatoes. Put a layer of these 

 in a deep kettle; then a thin layer of pork and 

 Onions; season each layer with salt and pepper, 

 and dredge with flour. When all the ingredients 

 are used, cover with two quarts of hot water, let 

 it come slowly to the boiling point and cook for- 

 t.y minvites, or until the Potatoes are done. 

 Minced Parsley or young Celery is a desirable 

 addition.— American Agricidturist. 



Tomato Sauce. This sauce cannot be too often 

 repeated, it is so excellent with beeksteak, chops, 

 fish, a boiled fresh tongue, and so many other 

 dishes. Take a can of Tomatoes or a quart of 

 bright red fresh ones and put them to boil in a 

 porcelain-lined sauce-pan. Let the canned To- 

 matoes cook for fifteen minutes and the fresh 

 Tomatoes for half an hour, after seasoning them 

 with salt, pepper, two or three sprigs of Parsley, 

 one of Thyme and a Bay-leaf. When cooked, 

 strain the Tomatoes through a wire sieve, and 

 put the i»uree over the fire with half a cup of 

 rich brown gravy. Make a thickening of a ta- 

 blespoonful of butter stirred in a saucepan till 

 brown and mixed with a talilespoonful of flour. 

 Add this by pouring the sauce on it gradually, 

 constantly stirring. Let the sauce cook fifteen 

 minutes after adding the thickening, stirring 

 frequently. If too thick, add more gravy; if too 

 thin, boil it down longer. Season again when 

 done, as this sauce should be thoroughl.v sea- 

 soned.— N. Y. Trilume. 



HOUSE PLANTS. 



AbutiloDS Those iu the border to be wintered over 

 should be lifted before f fosty weather. Take up poi 

 plants that have been plunged out doors. 



Achania. Give timely attention to repotting and 

 trimming. 



Annuals. Many of these, like Asters, Balsams, 

 Finks, etc., are good subjects for wiudow culture dur- 

 ing the winter. Look out for a supply now by lifting 

 and potting some of the finest shaped plants of the 

 ktnds desired. 



Aspidistra. Propagate by division. Use small pots, 

 and soil liberally nuxed with sand. Sponge off the 

 leaves before bringing the plants Inside. 



Begonias. Weltonleusls. during giowth, will be 

 helped by applications of liquid manure. 



Cactus. Those planted outside should be taken up 

 and potted liefoie the fall raius begin. 



Carnations for winter flowering to be taken up by 

 last of the month. Renutve some of the tops .and care- 

 fully lift large balls of earth, which reduce with a 

 pointed stick to a suitable potting size. Work rich flue 

 soil between the ball and pot. pressing is down firmly. 

 After potting give one tliorough watering, and close 

 shade with frequent light sprinklings of tlie foliage. 

 Treat in tills way for a week, afterwards give more 

 light and space between them, but do not yet expose 

 to the full sunlight for several weeks. 



Oestrums. Reduce the supply of water as soon as 

 done flowering. 



Cyclamens. Old tubers will soon need taking up 

 and repotting. Shift the young plants as needed. 



Fuchsias. Winter bloomers, like Speclosa and 

 others to he taken up and potted. For summer bloom- 

 ers gradually reduce the water supply, and let them 

 come to a state of rest. 



Geraniums. Plunged pot plants must soon be re- 

 potted. Lift and pot those in the border that are de- 

 sired for keeping over. Cut them back severely. 



Hyacinth. For earliest llowers In winter, bulbs may 

 now be procured and potted. They require a rich soil 

 mixed with about one-third of clear sand. Put them 

 away In a cool dark cellar tor three or four weeks, or 

 until their roots have spread well around the Inner 

 side of the pots. Then remove to the window and 

 keep the soil moisf. By i>lantiug at different times a 

 continuous bloom may Ite kept up all winter. 



Ivies. The bedded plants to be lifted towards last 

 of month. Shift young plants as needed. Before tak- 

 ing inside sponge the leaves off thoroughly. 



Jasminum Grandiflornm. StimtUate by giving oc- 

 casioual iloses of liquid manure. 



Jerusalem Cherry. Lift and pot, and give an abimd- 

 ance of water. 



Oxalis. Repot and start into growth. 



