48 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



December, 



their culture, the element of shade has to be consid- 

 ered from the start. One account of the efforts in 

 raising Truffles runs as follows: A compost is made 

 of pure mold and vegetable soil mixt-d with drj- 

 leaves and sawdust, in which, when projif rly moist- 

 ened, mature Truffles are placed, either whole or in 

 fragments, and then after the lapse of some time 

 small Truffles are found iu the compost. The most 

 successful plan, it is said, consists in sowing Acorns 

 over a considerable extent of land of a calcareous 

 nature, and when the young Oaks have attained the 

 age of some yeai'S Truffles are grown in the soil 

 about the trees. As the latter extend in size, they 

 are thinned out at intervals of several years, and 

 from such grounds these delicious fun^i are gath- 

 ered for a period of many years, but in time it is 

 said that the soil seems incapable of fiu'ther pro- 

 ducing them. We are not aware that anj- attempt 

 has been made in the cultivation of Truffles in this 

 country. If there has been, we would, in conmion 

 with many, be glad to hear of the matter. We do 

 not know that spawn could be had short of Europe. 



177. Cold Water for Plants. Water with the 

 "chill '■ taken oft" and from that up to luke- warm is 

 better than the same culd . 



178. Bark Lice on Apple Trees. These are a 

 kind of coccus that are very commoulj- found and 

 capable of doing much iujury thi-ough absorbing 

 the sap of the plants. One of the oldest remedies 

 for destroying them is to apply a wash to all affect- 

 ed parts, made by dissolving potash in water, at 

 the rate of two pounds of the former to seven 

 quarts of water. Prof. A. J. Cook, iu his " Notes on 

 Injurious Insects," remarks that he has tried, quite 

 thoroughlj-. several iusectcides for bark lice, but 

 he finds nothing equal to the kerosene mixture. He 

 uses one quart of soft soap and two gallons uf water 

 heated to boiling, when a pint of kerosene isstii'red 

 in and well mixed. This does not injure foliage, but 

 rather brightens it. It must be thrown on with a 

 fountain pump or force pump with c"onsiderable 

 force for killing scale hce, which it does effectually. 

 The sooner the application is made alter the lice 

 are all hatched the better, which is usually early iu 

 July. To kill the mature lice in April or early in 

 May a broom with a long handle must be used, 

 dipped in the kerosene mixture, which will rub them 

 oft' rapidly, and Prof. Cook says he could thus 

 "destroy millions of eggs in a brief time.'' The 

 mature lice cannot be killed by simple spraying. 



179. Best Market Pears. To answer our corres- 

 pondent's question we think we cannot do better 

 than to give the accounts of some different grow- 

 ers of Delaware on this very question as found 

 in Dr. Black's recent book on Peach and Pear Cult- 

 ure. ""No. l."~More money in Duchess than any 

 Pear grown. ""No. '2."— Bartlett all the time. 

 '"No. 3."— For 1,000 standards, (iOO Bartlett, 300 

 Lawrence. 100 Kieffer; for same number of dwarfs, 

 500 Bartlett, oUO Duchess. " No. 4."'— Duchess. 

 '*No. 5."'— Bartlett, Lawrence, Early Sugar fur sUxnd- 

 ards; Duchess for dwarfs. ""No. 6."— I value the Bart- 

 lett, Duchess Lawrence. Howell, Buffum and Vicar 

 very highly. The Louise Bonne needs hand-thinning 

 to give good fruit. "iVo. 7."— Buerretiifford, Man- 

 ning's Elizabeth, Bartlett, Lawrence. '"No. S."— 

 Bartlett and Lawrence for standards; Duchess for 

 dwarfs. '■ JVu. 0."— For 2,000 trees, one-half to be 

 standard Bartlett, the other half dwarf Duchess. 

 "iVo. 10."— Three-quaiters Baitlett, and the rest 

 equally Howell and Lawrence, for standards. 1 

 would never plant any dwai'fs but Duchess. Of 

 these named no others pay so well as the Bartlett. 

 "'No. 11."— Have rather limited experience with full 

 standards, but would prefer Bartlett; For dwarfs 

 I prefer Lawrence, Duchess, Flemish Beauty and 

 Bartlett. "'No. 1:2."— Standard: 50 Clapp's Favor- 

 ite, 4U0 Bartlett, 150 Sheldon. 50 Duchess, ~'00 Seckel, 

 50 Buerre 'd Anjou. 50 Howell, 50 Lawrence; 1,000 

 dwarf^. Duchess, Bartlett, Louise Bonne, Vicar. 



180. Chrysanthemums after Flowering. Cut 

 them down, and stand in a cool place, as the cellar 

 or under the greenhouse stage. They will soon 

 send up plenty of shoots from the base of the plant. 

 These should be inserted singly iu 3-inch pots in a 

 mixture of turfy loam and leafy mold. As soon 

 as they have made plenty of roots they should be 

 shifted into larger pots. After potting, put them 

 in a cold frame close to the glass, and keep them 

 secure from frost. When they have commenced to 

 grow give them more air, and pinch the tops off to 

 make them branch out; shift into larger pots as 

 needed up until June. After May they may stand 

 outside on a bed of ashes. Do not let them want 

 for water. Manure water may be given about 

 twice a week. Take them inside where they are to 

 flower in October, and give them plenty of light 

 and air. C. E. Burns. 



183. Cyclamens Dying. You dried oft' the bulbs, 

 and that is what did the mischief. When the corms 

 are laid up dry for any time they sustain a loss 

 of vitahty, which prevents them making more than 

 a spasmodic effort to grow, throwing out a few 

 leaves, and then remaining stationary. The right 

 way to treat old bulbs is to water only when di-y 

 after flowering until the foliage dies away; then 

 bed them out during the summer or else shake 

 all the old soil away, and re-pot in free soil with 

 plenty of white sand in it. Give good drainage, 

 and stand the pots where they can he shaded from 

 hot sun, allowing the soil to dry out between each 

 watering. This will cause them to break regularly 

 and strongly, and as they advance iff growth they 

 may be watered more freely. By late autumn the 

 soil in the pots will be full of roots, and the buds will 

 be abundantly formed over the plants. 



"^e Household P o vi 1 1 ry 



At early morn the air doth now 



A chilly feeling shed; 

 And now the wakeful servant-maid 



Doth hate to leave her bed. 

 She turns and turns, and in her mind 



The subject doth debate; 

 And lucky 'tis if breakfast is 



But half an hour too late. 



— Chicago Telegram. 



Plain food is what the children need. 

 The darkest hour- when you can't find the 

 matclies. 



A first duty of the winter: to see that all stove- 

 pipes, stoves and flues are safe. 



Would you save colds and bad health? Then 

 protect the feet and ankles vsell. 



Sunshine is cheap medicine; some take it as if 

 it wei'e disagreeable. like quinine. 



Our Christmas Story. Recently a wealthy 

 farmer brought his wife to one of our prominent 

 physicians, with the remark: "Doctor cure her, and 

 I will pay you any price." The prescription read as 

 follows: R.— Plent}' of flannels next to the skin, 

 plenty of outside wraps, one pair overshoes, one 

 pair leggins. Apply at once, for don't you see she 

 is shivering from head to foot. Too thinly clad. 



One trouble with the excessive Christmas present 

 giving of this age is that we forget often to give 

 where there is the most appropriateness in making 

 presents. We are thinking of the poor washwoman 

 with her orphan children who is hai'dly able to keep 

 the wolf from the door, or that family on the back 

 way that from death or sickness will know little of 

 a "Merry Christmas," except as thoughtful out- 

 siders may make the way clear. 



Apples as Food. Professor Faraday says: "There 

 is scarcely any fruit more widely useful than the 

 Apple. The most healthful sweet that can be placed 

 on the table is baked Apple. If taken freely at 

 breakfast, with brown bread and butter, without 

 meat or flesh of any kind, it has an admirable effect 

 on the general system, often removing constipation, 

 and cooling off febrile conditions more effectually 

 than most approved medicines. If families could 

 be induced to substitute the Apple— sound and ripe 

 —for the pies and other sweetmeats with which 

 children are too often stuffed there would be a 

 diminution of doctors' bills. 



Cranberries may now be classed among the 

 cheap winter fruits. They are wholesome, and 

 relished by most every one. Served with roast 

 turkey and other meats they prove especially 

 acceptable. They are much better when prepared 

 as follows than when stewed in the ordinary way: 

 Put them on the fire in a large kettle with cold 

 water sufticient to cover them well, cover elosely 

 and stew until tender; then put through a sieve to 

 remove the skins, return to the fire, and add enough 

 sugar to sweeten to taste. Remove from the fire 

 as soon as the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, which, 

 unless it is in lumps, will be when the fiiiit boils. 



A twine holder for the kitchen or hall is a very 

 useful contrivance, and here is how one may be 

 made from a broken goblet. Choose one that the 

 cavity runs down into the stem somewhat. With the 

 hammer carefully chip away as much of the stem 

 as possible, then with the shank of a file, or some- 

 thing similar, give a sharp little tap in the bottom 

 and you will usually find a small round hole there. 

 Crochet a cover of some pretty zephyr, attach cords 

 of the same to hang it by, put in a ball of twine, 

 pass the end out through the hole in the bottom, 

 and if the affair hangs in a convenient place, the 

 cwmmou questinu, " Where is some string?" will 

 seldom be asked. Elder's Wife. 



Home-made Weather Strips. Two of our doors 

 shrank so badly that they did not meet the casing 

 properly. We had a half-inch Basswood board ripped 

 into pieces three-eights of an inch in width and 

 planed them. These strips we cut to fit the doors. 

 Then tlie leg of an old rubber boot was taken and 

 cut into strips five-eighths of an inch wide, begin- 

 ning at the ton and cutting around the leg, trimming 

 the seam at the back of the leg off with the shears. 

 This rubber we then tacked, felt side next the wood, 

 to the three-eighths side of the strip, with the edges 

 projecting. Then we laid the strip, iiibber side 

 down, upon a bench and trimmed off the edges 

 with the small blade of a pocket knife. These 

 strips we nailed to the jamb, closing the door, and 

 all for making a tight job and keeping out the cold. 

 Mrs. G. E. L., Penobscot Co.., Maine. 



Geese lay from six to ten eggs a year. 



A padlock is safer than counting your hens. 



I Hen dentistry : supplying sharp gravel for food 

 I grinding. 



Should combs ever get touched with frost, apply 

 to the affected parts a bit of glycerine and alcohol. 

 Two parts glycerine to one of alcohol will be the 

 right mixture. 



The value of hen manure from a single bird for 

 one year has been quoted at 15 cents, This is, we 

 think, a very low estimate, and yet, as the National 

 Stockman puts it, even at this rate, the total of the 

 manure for all the poultry in the country in 1880 

 would be $10.aiO,000. 



Appearance is what selects the customer and 

 fixes the price in selling fowls, as in selling eveiy- 

 thing else. Aim for the best appearance. A good 

 looking article wiU bring a fair figure, when the 

 same quality, but poorly prepared, will go begging 

 for buyers. Its an important point. 



Hens must come to the scratch to be healthy; 

 exercise is as much needed as good feeding. A bin 

 in some part of the quarters iu which an inch or 

 two of chaff, sawdust or similar material is kept, 

 and on which a few handfuls of grain is scattered 

 daily, working it in with the" foot, is what is wanted 

 to promote this. More eggs will follow if you at- 

 tend regularly to this Matter. 



Sometimes in winter, unfortunately, the eggs get 

 fnizen and burst, before coming to the house. If 

 they can be kept frozen till used, no loss beyond 

 that of not being able to market them will accrue. 

 In such a state they woidd keep well for months. 

 When wanted for use, thaw out in a warm room; 

 they will then come in as good for beating, fryingor 

 any like purpose as if they were just laid. But 

 once such eggs are thawed they should soon be used. 



Roosts. To erect these as one may sometimes see 

 them, iu a sloping direction, low at first and rising 

 at the back, is to invite, perpetual disquiet and fight- 

 ing among the fowls at roosting time to secure the 

 highest place. They should be placed on a level. 

 Some erect the roosts up too high, ten or more feet 

 above the floor. This is wrong, for in flying down 

 from them, having no further space to sweep in the 

 flight than the walls of the apartment admit of, is 

 to bring the fowls on their breastbones when they 

 alight, doing them injury. 



Charred Grain, The benefit which fowls derive 

 from eating charcoal is acknowledged. The method 

 of putting it before them, however, is not well un- 

 derstood. Pounded charcoal is not in the shape in 

 which fowls usually find their food, and conse- 

 quently is not very enticing to them. Corn burnt 

 on the cob. and the refuse, which consists almost 

 entirely of the grains reduced to charcoal and still 

 retaining their perfect shape, if placed before them 

 is greedily eaten by them, and with a marked im- 

 provement in their health, as shown by the bright 

 color of their combs and their sooner producing a 

 grea,ter average of eggs to the tiock.— Poultry Yard. 



Stoves in the Hen House. The principal value 

 of artificial heat in the poultry house, observes the 

 Poultry Journal, is when it is situated where it can- 

 not get the full benefit of the winter sun and in 

 such cases the use of a small beating stove, during 

 the coldest weather will be found very beneficial to 

 the fowls, and will guard against any danger from 

 frost bitten combs and wattles, and will materially 

 aid in producing a more satisfactory supply of eggs 

 from the feathered stock. However, where the 

 house is fitted up warm and comfortable, and there 

 is plenty of glass (it should be double and tight) 

 in the south side of the coop, which will give the 

 fowls the full benefit of the winter's sun, there is 

 but little need of artificial heat. 



The butchering season is the lard crackling 

 season, although crackliugs may also be bought 

 cheaply of the re^lar butchers at all times. Now 

 one of the best diets we know of for fowls at this 

 time of the year is cracklings and this is our way 

 of treating them: A chunk the size of two fists is 

 taken, on which is poured about a gallon of water. 

 This is boiled for half an hour, when we commence 

 stiiTing in commeal and wheat middlings, mixed, 

 about half of each, keeping it up until a mush is 

 formed so thick that it can hardly be stirred. Then 

 it is allowed to cool. This is used as a morning feed 

 along with a little green food, such as cabbage or 

 chopped roots, and for evening we give grain, either 

 wheat or corn, the latter being best in winter, 



