1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



223 



great deal depends on keeping the leaves left on the 

 cuttings from withering. If allowed to flag they 

 will prove a source of weakness; hut if kept fresh 

 they will be a source of strength, as they encourage 

 the formation of roots. As soon as they have made 

 roots a quarter of an inch long they should be pot- 

 ted into small pots, and be plunged in another frame 

 till established; then they should be hardened off 

 preparatory to planting out. 



Frauds in Flower Selling. It would seem the 

 most difficult tbing in the world to perpetrate 

 fraud in the sale of fresh flowers, but the street 

 dealers here (New Yorktare up to some cunning 

 devices. For ten cents the other morning I pur- 

 chased a bunch of what looked like fresh-cut Roses 

 from a basket man at the end of the Brooklyn 

 bridge. Fifteen minutes after I noticed a sudden 

 drooping of the flowers. Upon investigation 1 

 found that every seemingly compact rose had a 

 wire run through the center and bound to a slender 

 stick. The curled edge of the faded leaves had 

 been chpped off and the wire run through to hold 

 the rest together. An hour later the seemingly- 

 beautiful bunch of cut Roses was a faded, drooping 

 mass of color. These street dealers buy the left- 

 over stock of florists, clip off the dead leaves, and 

 keep the rest hidden in a pan of water until a cus- 

 tomer comes along. They are scattered over all 

 the streets of the city on bright, sunshiny days, 

 and especially in the districts where the dry-goods 

 and other stores for women are located. Most of 

 them sell out every day and their profits average 

 S5 easily. On Sunday they run much higher, for 

 nearly every girl wants a bunch tucked in at her 

 waist. Mayor Hewitt tried to stop this flower ped- 

 dling business on Sundays, and his efforts were 

 highly successful for a while. As in his endeavor to 

 enforce the excise laws, the peddlers established 

 guards and sold when the police were not looking. 

 Irately, they have dispensed with these lookouts 

 and sell openly.— Corr Philadelphia Press 



A Word for the Walnut. Some of the fruit 

 growers in our northern counties are at a loss to 

 determine whether Apples and Plums will be more 

 profitable to grow than Black Walnuts. The fruit 

 from the Apple and Plum may pay a trifle more 

 annually as we go along than will the Walnut, but 

 the Walnut will fully overcome the difference in 

 profit of fruit by its wood growth. Each Walnut 

 tree after the fifth year will increase its value in 

 timber from one to three dollars.— Field and Farm. 



What Londoners Say of American Apples. 



Compared with our home-grown sorts it must be 

 admitted that Canadian or American Apples 

 generally present a handsome appearance with 

 their glossy clean skin and telling colors, in which 

 as is well known, red or some shade of it— gener- 

 ally intense— plays a predominant part. Their 

 size must also be taken into consideration. They 

 are seldom, however, possessed of those flrm and 

 brisk qualities that characterize so many of our 

 British Apples. They are sweet, soft— except in 

 the case of Russets, perhaps— and liable to become 

 mealy or spongy when over-ripened or out of sea- 

 son. Amongst a number in the fruit-room at 

 Chiswick, Fillbasket presents a truly handsome 

 appearance, both from its size and striking colors. 

 In all probability it is the largest-growing variety 

 amongst the Canadian collection at this date. 

 Northern Spy is a British variety that seems to at- 

 tain considerable size in Canada. It is a dessert 

 Apple of the best quality, with brisk and sweet 

 white flesh. The skin is streaked and flushed with 

 red on the exposed side, and presents a flne ap- 

 pearance on the table. A small, or medium-sized 

 Apple, named Johnstone, presents a fine appear- 

 ance from its deep, shining red color. Another 

 large showy variety is that named Wealthy. 

 Foundling is another large sort, but seemed soft 

 and less desirable at this season ; it is, however, a 

 fine-looking Apple.— London Gardening World. 



Glace and Crystalized Fruits. The French 

 excel in the preparation of these fruit confections, 

 and here is the method of their preparation as given 

 in a foreign periodical: It is a process by which 

 certain fruits are preserved by withdrawing their 

 juices— that part which always leads to fermenta- 

 tion—and substituting in its place a thorough sat 

 uration of sugar. The fruit must be exactly of the 

 required degree of ripeness, hence must be kept a 

 certain length of time (depending on the kind) be- 

 fore it is ripe It is then assorted, its stones and 

 coarse skin removed with as little injury as possible 

 to the form and texture of the fruit; a process of 

 whiteniog then follows, by a sudden immersion in 

 boiling water, which quickly penetrates the pulp, 

 diluting and drawing off much of the juice. It 

 must be done with exact nicety, the period of im- 

 mersion being determined by the size and ripeness 

 of the fruit. If immersed too long, the pulp is left 



too dry and woody or is over-cooked; if taken out 

 too soon, the juices retained prevent perfect absorp- 

 tion of the sugar, and also lead to fermentation and 

 damage to the product. And here further assort- 

 ment may be necessary, for if those of different 

 degress of softness be kept together they take up 

 the sugar unequally. The fruit is next immersed in 

 a syrup made from pure clarified cane sugar. This 

 sugar, held in solution in the syrup, enters the fruit 

 and displaces the remaining watery juices, and as 

 the juices pass into the syrup and the syrup loses 

 its sugar, it becomes cloudy, and this appearance 

 marks the commencement of fermentation. When 

 this point is reached the vessel containing the syrup 

 and fruit is placed over a fire and heated to two 

 hundred and twelve degrees; the heat corrects fer- 

 mentation and removes impurities. This process 

 of impregnation with sugar will occupy about five 

 weeks. The fruit is then taken out and washed in 

 pure water; if it is to be made into glace fruit it is 

 dipped into a thick syrup and then left to dry and 

 harden in the open air; if it is to be made into crys- 

 talized fruit it is dipped into the same syrup and 

 then cooled and dried slowly in a kiln heated to 

 ninety degrees; this causes the syrup to crystalize. 

 The fruit is then packed in light wooden boxes. 



We think Peas need longer cooking than they 

 usually get. They are greatly improved by the 

 addition of a little sugar, a t-easpoonful to a pint. 



Fried Okra. Slice two Onions and fry inaskillet 

 with bits of fat bacon. Cut a quart of Okra and 

 stir in ; fry brown Sprinkle with salt and Cayenne 

 pepper.— E/i2a E. Parker. 



To Bemove Fruit Stains. From white cotton 

 or linen, fumes of burning sulphur, warm chlorine 

 water. From colored cottons or woolens, wash 

 with tepid soap-suds or ammonia. Silk, the same, 

 with very gentle rubbing. 



Stuifed Egg-Plants. A correspondent of Good 

 Housekeeping directs as follows: Parboil the Egg- 

 plants, split, and take out the inside. Fry one 

 Onion in butter; stir in bread crumbs, salt, pepper, 

 a little nutmeg, and some meat gravy. Fill the 

 Egg-plants with the mixture, put in a pan, dust 

 with stale bread crumbs, put on bits of butter, and 

 bake brown. 



Fried Breakfast Vegetables. Fried Potatoes, 

 hominy and mush aside, the ordinary American 

 breakfast is destitute of vegetables. In the South- 

 ern or Middle States some cooks have become ac- 

 quainted with the merits of fried and boiled To- 

 matoes as a breakfast dish, and sometimes Egg- 

 plant is so served. As a matter of fact a vegetable 

 properly fried is a great help toward an economi- 

 cal breakfast, giving the zest called for by a 

 languid appetite when meat seems too substantial. 

 A very narrow list will allow for the change of 

 seasons, variety being secured by altering the 

 methods of frying; for instance, one morning roll- 

 ing the vegetable in dry fiour seasoned with salt 

 and pepper, and frying it in only enough fat to 

 prevent burning; the next time breading it and 

 frying it like doughnuts; another day frying it 

 in batter. Summer and winter Squash, Pumpkin. 

 Sugar Beets. Egg-plants, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, 

 Parsnips, (jyster-plant, green Com, green and ripe 

 Tomatoes. Any boiled vegetables remaining from 

 dinner, minced and warmed with a little cream or 

 butter, or in white sauce, make an agreeable varie- 

 ty for breakfast, and dispose of portions not large 

 enough to serve the second time.— Ju/ie( Corso7i. 



Variety in the Use of Tomatoes. Fjierf.— Peel 

 and slice, salt and pepper ; dip in egg, then in grated 

 cracker. Fry brown in butter. Baked. —Cut slices 

 from the blossom end, take out the seed and fill 

 with dressing made of bread, butter, minced onion, 

 salt and pepper. Bake half an hour. Broiled.^ 

 Slice and broil over a hot fire. Serve with melted 

 butter Escalloped.—V\it in a dish a layer of bread 

 crumbs, with bits of butter, and then a layer of 

 sliced Tomatoes, sprinkled with pepper, salt and 

 sugar. Continue until the dish is full. Spread 

 bread crumbs and butter over the top. Bake one 

 hour. Tomato i^arcte.— Prepare a dressing by 

 chopping cold meat seasoned with salt, pepper, 

 mustard, cloves, lemon juice, and a grated Onion. 

 Add to this two parts of bread crumbs and a little 

 cold rice. Have some large Tomatoes, cut off the 

 tops, scrape out the inside, and fill with the dress- 

 ing. Make sauce with half a pint of soup stock, 

 three tablespoonfuls of wine, one of Currant jelly, 

 and a little extract of Celery; thicken with Hour, 

 pour over the Tomatoes, and bake twenty minutes. 

 Ravioli aux Tomatoes. — Make a paste with flour, 

 eggs and a little water. Roll thin and cut in rounds 



about three inches in diameter, put on each piece 

 a little of the stuffing prepared, fold them over and 

 turn up the edges. Let them dry, and boil m salt 

 water half an hour. Drain well, and dress with 

 Tomatoes stewed in butter and melted cheese. To 

 make the stuffing, boil some Spinach, mix with 

 bread crumbs soaked in cream; season with nut- 

 meg, pepper, salt, and grated cheese. Serve with 

 fried Tomatoes. Tomatoes and macaroni are very 

 nice cooked together.— Cood Housekeeping. 



poMltr/. 



Don't forget the occasional coat of whitewash, 

 with a bit of Carbolic acid, for the roosting places. 



The Manure Point of View. Do you know that 

 the droppings of a hen in a year will more than buy 

 her feed? It will pay to take a little extra care in 

 this matter. Prof. Hortou says that 300 pounds of 

 well kept poultry mamire is equal in value to four- 

 teen loads of stable manure!— Rural World. 



The shape of eggs has nothing to do with the 

 life germ ; it confornjs with the shape of the ovary 

 and duct, hence we have long eggs, short eggs and 

 round eggs. The air cell and germ is in the broad 

 end, and if this part is smooth and even and if the 

 germ is fertilized, that is all that is necessary so far 

 as shape goes. Hens lay larger egg* than pullets. 



The Dorking. Heretofore it was supposed that 

 this fowl was very tender when young and not 

 easily raised. Recent experiments show that the 

 Dorking feathers rapidly, the same as the Leg- 

 horns, and if the chicks be allowed a small quantity 

 of meat once a day they will prove as hardy as 

 other kinds. This difficulty overcome, the Dorking 

 will hold the highest place among poultry as a 

 market fowl. It is to the barnyard fowls what the 

 shorthorn is among cattle.— Philadelphia Record. 



Rearing Chicks in Confinement. Certainly 

 chicks could be reared in so small a space as that 

 named by *■' Alfric," but great care would be neces- 

 sary, and if an amateur attempted to rear them, he 

 would be pretty sure to fail. Disease is ever ready 

 to break out where animals, etc . are crowded, and 

 in so small a pen as the one described fresh sup- 

 pUes of vegetables, bones, grit, water, etc., would 

 have to be given daily, and a sharp look-out kept 

 for the appearance of insect pests in the run ami 

 on the birds themselves. The sun, too, will have to 

 be taken into consideration, and some means of 

 shelter devised for the birds. 



Peach Trees in the Yards. Plant Peach trees 

 in the yards. We can show trees that have made 

 wonderful growth here, with leaves as green and 

 entire trees as healthy as one could wish. Trees 

 planted the spring of 1880 would have borne fruit 

 this year, only we would not permit them, as all 

 fruit was picked off. The hens keep the soil around 

 the trees clean, catch many of the insects, and 

 manure the trees with their dropping.s. We are 

 satisfied that when fowls are kept in confinement 

 Peach growing can be made an adjunct, thus add- 

 ing to the profits as well as affording excellent 

 shade in the yards in summer. —Mirror and Farmer. 



Care and Management. In the first place let us 

 secure some suitable place warm and comfortable 

 the poultry may call home. A descent to the south 

 is a very suitable place for a poultry house. Build 

 warm, with perfect ventilation and perfect drain- 

 age. A house sixteen by thirty-two. two stories 

 high, is large enough to accommodate all the fowls 

 that should be kept in one place. This will give 

 room for one hvmdred, if properly cared for. Divide 

 both stories into two rooms each. We would use 

 one room in lower story for feed room, the other 

 for nesting; both with dry earth fioors. The upper 

 story has one room for roosting, the other for set- 

 ting hens and young chicks.— Ohio Farmer. 



Profits on Poultry. The Farm. Field and Stock- 

 man has no doubt but that the United States can 

 produce poultry cheaper than any other country. 

 They really require less attention than any other 

 stock. To the fact that poultry is generally neglected 

 on the farm and the birds expected to take care of 

 themselves is due the loss of profit therein and the 

 high price in comparison with other flesh. When 

 poultry comes to be generally raised with the same 

 skill and care as other live stock, not only will the 

 price be cheapened but at the same time larger 

 profits will accrue to those who understand im- 

 proved methods. Many poultry raisers understand 

 this, and to-day they are reaping more profit for 

 their labor and capital expended than those engaged 

 in producing almost any other kind of flesh food. 



