I8S7. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



141 



available as plant food. If lime cannot be had thpn 1 

 potash or soda in smaller proportion would answer. 

 On light land such as yours it is likely that muck 

 might with less beneficial results be applied directly 

 to the surface, where in time it would become flue 

 and fit to act as a helpful element in the soil. 



281. Freesia Culture. In some way you fall to 

 meet the requirements of these somewhat delicate 

 little bulbs and flowers, although it cannot be said 

 that their cultivation is really difficult. The proper 

 course of treatment may be outlined as follows: 

 Plant the bulbs in September, and later, in the pots 

 or boxes in which they are to bloom. The soil 

 should be a light, rich loam, such as suits the 

 majority of pot plants. Set the bulbs about two 

 inches apart both ways, and covering at a depth to 

 well hide their tips, pressing the soil moderately 

 firm about them After this they should be watered 

 once, and placed in a cool moderately light plaee. 

 that they may gradually start into growth, where 

 some make mistakes is in treating them like 

 Hyacinth and other Dutch bulbs, by covering the 

 pots in some cold situation with soil to induce root 

 action before the tops start. Others attempt on 

 the other hand to force them too rapidly, making a 

 failure in this way. Freesias will not well bear 

 over 55° of heat, and must be permitted to "take 

 their time " in coming into bloom. After the 

 flowers begin to appear the temperature may be 

 increased somewnat. The plants should at all 

 times be kept near the glass, and be given an abund- 

 ance of air in favorable weather. After blooming 

 keep in a light, cool place, but gradually diminish 

 the water, to bring them to a state of complete 

 rest. When the bulbs are well matured place the 

 pots in a dry, cool place until the next planting 

 time, when they should be removed from the soil, re- 

 potting the fair-sized ones for a new crop of bloom. 

 By planting the bulbs at intervals ut two or 

 three weeks from September until the end of 

 December they may be had in flower from January 

 throughout the spring All things considered 

 Freesias are among the most desirable of flowering 

 pot plants for window culture. 



^eHou5ehoM poxjitr/. 



Received at this Office. 



CATALOQTJKS.— FIGURES UTOICATE NUMBER OF PAGES. 



WiHiam B. Reed, Chambersburg, Pa., Roses, 

 Shrubs, Small Fruits, etc ; 18. 



P. M. Augur & Sons. Middlefield, Conn., Small 

 Fruits; 6. 



H. S. Anderson. Union Springs, N. Y.. Nursery; 26. 



A. M Snyder, Bellfontaine, Ohio, Seeds and 

 Plants; 14. 



H. H. Sanford & Co.. Thomasville, Ga.. Plants; 44. 

 J. W. Manning.Reading, Mass..Nursery Stock; 110 

 Jno.Curwen,Jr .Villa Nova, Pa., Hardy Plants; 20 

 Wm. Parry, Parry, N. J., Small Fruits; 36. 

 D. Lee & Son, Madison, Ohio. Plants; 10. 

 Geo. A. Bonnell, Waterloo. N. Y , Seeds; 6 



B. B. Critchell & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. Plants; 90. 

 Alfred Bridgeman, New York City. Seeds. 54. 



J T. Lutts, Youngstown. N. Y , Plants; 168. 

 Matthew Crawford, Cuyahoga Falls, O., New 

 Strawberries; 32. 

 Louis C. Lischy. Nashville. Tenn., Nursery; 44. 

 Chas. T. Starr. Avondale. Pa.. Plants: 36. 

 Wm. C Wilson, New Y'ork, Florist; 92. 



MISCBLLANEOUS. 



" A Practical Treatise on Grape Culture, with in- 

 •structions How to Prune and Train the Vine on the 

 Horizontal Arm System," by J. H. Tryon,\Vi]lough 

 by. O. 20 pages 



Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Canada, 

 Bulletin No. 1, Wm. Saunders, Director. S pages. 



•' Peach Culture— A Complete Treatise for the Use 

 of Peach Growers, descriljing best modes of cultiva- 

 tion, treating the Yellows and other Diseases," by 

 John Willcox, Briclgeton, New Jersey. 86 pages. 



Twelfth Annual Report of the New Jersey State 

 Horticultural Society. Meeting at Trenton, N. J. 

 E.Williams Secretary. 1 8S pages. 



Third and Fifth Annual Report of the New York 

 Agricultural Experimental Station, Geneva, N. Y. 

 308 and 468 pages. 



Annual Report of the Nebraska State Horticult- 

 ural Society." Meeting at Lincoln, Neb. Jas. T. 

 Allen, Secretary. 99 pages. 



Thirty-Second Annual Report of the Western 

 New York Horticultural Society. Meeting at 

 Rochester, N. Y. P. C. Reynolds. 156 pag^-s. 



Reports of the Portage Co. tO ) Horticultural 

 Sixiiety, for 1885. '80. Sleeting at Ravenna, Ohio. 

 Andrew Wilson. Secretary, 70 and 64 pages. 



Frturth Annual Report of the Trumbull (O.) Hor- 

 ticultural Society. E. W. Turner. Secretary. Newton 

 Falls. 53 pages. 



Rpport of the Horticulturist to the New York 

 Agricultural Experiment Station. Geneva, N. Y., 

 Ernraett S. GotT 245 pages 



Reportof the Columbus (O) Horticultural Society, 

 for January. 1887. W. S. Devol. Secretary, Colum- 

 bus. 19 pages. 



Sixteenth Annual Report of the Entomological 

 Society of Ontario. Canada. Edmund B. Reed. 

 Secretary. London. Ont. 60 pages. 



Transactions of the Illinois State Horticultural 

 Society for 1886 A. C. Hammond. Warsaw, III.. 

 Secretary'. 424 pages. 



Sixteenth Annual Report of the Secretary of 

 the 8tat*» Horticultural Society of Michigan. Chas. 

 W. Garfield, Grand Rapids. Mich , Secretary. 509 

 pages . 



Plan of Operation, Benefits, Tables, etc., relat- 

 ing to the Michigan Fruit Exchange. W. A. 

 Brown. Benton Harbor, Mich. 



Michigan Crop Report No. 66. 



" Forests and Orchards in Nebraska— A Hand 

 Book on Prairie Planting." S.L.Allen.Oniaha, Neb. 



It is a great compliment to the entertainer, if 

 not strictly polite, to ask for a second help from 

 any dish. 



Wall-paper colored with bright and poisonous 

 arsenical dyes, especially the greens, are to be rig- 

 idly avoided. Their use is in the highest degree 

 detrimental to health. 



Eggs in Sunshine, Take a dish which will stand 

 the fire, and which is not of such a size that the 

 eggs when broken into it will spread much. Melt a 

 slice of butter in this, then move the dish about so 

 that it is greased in every part. Break the eggs in 

 carefully, so that they shall be compactly together, 

 and let them cook slowly, either in a gentle oven or 

 on the stove, until they are set. Pour a cupful of 

 Tomato-sauce over them at the last moment, and 

 serve. If the sauce were omitted, eggs thus cooked 

 would be " eggs au plat," a dish well known at 

 French restaurants. 



Bananas, at this season, are, in many places, 

 really the cheapest of fruits as well as of the 

 most wholesome and nutritious From most per- 

 sons they do not receive the appreciation that they 

 deserve, being equal to the best bread, while, it is 

 said a pound of Bananas is superior to three pounds 

 of meat, and many more of Potatoes, in nutriment. 

 By frying and baking appetizing dishes may be 

 had. Cut up with Oranges and sugar they make a 

 delicious dessert. Excellent preserves are also 

 made from them, while they may be kept a long 

 time in a dry state, either sliced or powdered. 



Cooking Dandelions. Clean and wash the leaves 

 well, as there is usually fine sand or earth between 

 them, and let them stand in cold water for two 

 hours. Drain and throw into boiling salted water, 

 and boil for twenty minutes if young, and half an 

 hour if full grown. Put the leaves in a colander 

 and press them to extract all the water, and then 

 chop them fine. Put two ounces of butter in a 

 stewpan to two quarts of leaves and set it over a 

 brisk fire. As soon as the butter is melted sprinkle 

 in a teaspoonful of flour and some salt and pepper. 

 Add the dandelion, stir until thoroughly heated, 

 and then moisten with broth or milk, and serve. 



Turkey vs. Whales. Who would think that fer- 

 tilizer, mattresses and imitation whalebone, better 

 than the real, could be made out of the quills of 

 geese and turkeys ? But this is done. In Three 

 Oaks. Mich., a factory turns out large quantities of 

 an article known as " Featherbone," a substitute 

 for whalebone. It consists of goose and turkey 

 quills split into shreds and fibres, bound with thread 

 and sewed into a flat tape of great stength and elas- 

 ticity. It is unbreakable, tighter and cheaper than 

 whalebone, and extensively used in dress and whip 

 making. The plumage stripped from the feathers 

 is used for mattresses.and the pith of the quills as a 

 fertilizer, being rich in nitrogen. The factory con- 

 sumes 30.000 quills and 125 miles of thread daily. 



Preserving Fruit with Salicylic Acid. Last 

 year we tried this new process, but not with favor- 

 able results throughout. Some fruits have turned 

 out very nice, and some very pour. Raspberries. 

 Blackberries and Strawberries appear nice when 

 opened but after a few hours grow poor very fast. 

 Blackberries, those that were good, were better 

 than cooked fresh berries, but like the others, for 

 a short time only. Cherries, not one in a dozen 

 cans were fit to eat. Peas did not keep for over a 

 month, and Pears were good for nothing. We gave 

 the process a fair trial to the extent of 38 cans and 

 consider it a failure for table use; but for show 

 purposes say, if wanted "for the Fair." nothing 

 could look nicer than fruit put up with salicylic 

 acid.— A. T. Grant, Worcester, Mass. 



Sunshades for the Babies. Has it ever occur- 

 red to those who purchase coaches for their babies, 

 and who make it a point to select the brightest 

 colors they can find for the screen that is inter- 

 posed between the eyes of the child and the sun. 

 that they are liable to do irreparable injury to the 

 vision of the little one? An infant generally lies 

 on its back, its eyes, of course, upturned towards 

 the bright covering above it, its gaze being the 

 more intense the brighter the covering and the 

 more direct the rays of the sun upon it. Nothing 

 but injury can result from such thoughtless expos- 

 ure An experienced nurse says there cannot be 

 a doubt as to the injurious efifects of those bright 

 so-called shields upon the tender eyes of children. 

 Parents who are wise will select the darker and 

 denser shades, even though they may not be aa 

 handsome or showy in^their eyes as some of those 

 which are more fashionable.— ^m. Cultivator. 



Ganders have often killed young chicks. 



Oat Meal is one of the best foods for chicks. 



Noteven ventilation can set steaming filth arighr. 



Growing fowls cannot be overfed. Early broil- 

 ers in mind. 



Too much whole grain may stop the laying by 

 causing excessive fat. 



Kight Feed. If fowls get soft food when going 

 to roost, it is digested early in the night and they 

 are hungry before morning. This is avoided by 

 giving whole grain. 



Ducks and Geese should have liberty, and be 

 well fed at this season. They require but little at- 

 tention, but being apt to lay away, should either 

 be kept closed up until they lay or the quarters they 

 frequent carefully searched for eggs 



If you have a hen noted for her laying qualities 

 save her eggs and hatch them and raise a few 

 cockerels for next year. This is the way to in- 

 crease the egg production of your whole flock. 

 Stick a big pin in this item.— Fa^-m Journal. 



Eggs in New York. The receipts of Eggs in the 

 City of New Y'ork for the year 18H6. were (J9,692.855 

 dozen, which sold at an avarage of eighteen cents 

 per dozen, wholesale, making the enormous amount 

 of $12,541,713,90 in money. The lowest price reached 

 was 11 cents, in June, and highest price reached was 

 28 cents, in December. The receipts of Eggs in 

 1885 were 51,583.7^5 dozen sold at an average price 

 of 19K cents, making $10,058,830,27. The lowest 

 price reached was 12^3. 



Away with the Roosters ; they are not needed 

 after the hatching season, being in fact worse than 

 useless They consume food. The hens lay better 

 without their company. In the summer, when eggs 

 are cheap, these may be preserved for winter use 

 with more certainty if laid bj' hens not mated. 

 Experiments have demonstrated that a fertile egg 

 will not keep one-half the length of time as will 

 those that do not contain the germ of a chick. 

 The roosters may therefore be disposed of with 

 advantage in various ways. 



Unfertile Eggs. A piece of card-board, about 

 four inches by six inches (an old cover of a book 

 will do), with a hole cut in the center the shape of 

 an egg, but smaller than an egg, makes a good 

 egg-tester. On the sixth day, the hen having set 

 steady, take a candle at night when it is dark, and 

 removing an egg from the nest, place it against the 

 hole made in the cardboard, holding it between you 

 and the candle. In this way you will see by the 

 light whether the eggs are fertile or not. The fer- 

 tile eggs will have a dark, muddy appearance, and 

 those that are unfertile will be quite clear, no 

 change having taken place; such eggs should be 

 removed.— Co?-. Eifglish Exchange. 



About raising Turkeys. Select good stock; do 

 not set too early, as young Turkeys chill easily; 

 Turkeys make the best mothers, but hens will do, 

 if not lousy ; do not feed for several hours after 

 they come out of the shell; take the least particle 

 of lard, grease heads a little and under the wings; 

 hold in hand and with shears clip the down from 

 the hind parts or vent; feed Johnny-cake, bread, 

 curd, millet, but no meal iu its raw state; give 

 water or milk, but not enough to wet themselves, 

 for if the weather is hot they will die of sunstroke; 

 don't feed after sundown, and keep them up until 

 the dew is off ; after they shoot the red they can 

 eat almost anything —J. W. 



Chicks Just Out. For the first 24 hours after 

 they are out they must have warmth and absolute 

 freedom from dampness. If they are incubator 

 hatched transfer to a warm nest. lined with old 

 flannel, and leave them covered with a piepe of the 

 same. If thirty-six hours without food no harm 

 will follow. It is reasonable that the first feed 

 should be the yolk of the egg. Let the egg be 

 hard-boiled and crumbled very finely, and then 

 mixed with dry bread crumbs. Give no drink until 

 the third day, then only in the morning and again 

 at night. For the next three or four days give 

 bread crumbs slightly moistened with milk, and 

 coarse oatmeal, and later every variety of food. A 

 thick oatmeal and rice porridge thickened with 

 cornmeal is a good change. For diarrhct'a. give 

 rice cooked and uncooked, and rice water to drink, 

 but do not continue this diet too long. Once a week 

 give chopped lettuce, onion or cabbage, and twice 

 a week a little chopped meat, if the chickens have 

 not a large range where they can pick up insects. 

 Give them also plenty of fine sand or gravel. Sand 

 containing small shells is heat.— Poultry Monthly. 



