Vines 331 



they accomplish wonders. Every old well used to have a gourd 

 dipper hanging beside it; every housewife in the olden time darned 

 stockings over a gourd. Some of the fruit grows to enormous size. 

 Negro cabins in the Southern States often have large hollow gourds, 

 with a side entrance cut in them, hanging from poles in the door- 

 yard. Purple martins nest in these vegetable houses. The people 

 know that where these handsome swallows once take up their abode 

 the air is rid of innumerable mosquitoes, gnats and other insect 

 pests caught on the wing as the birds dart and skim about in an 

 ecstasy of flight. 



Ash and garbage cans at the back door may be quickly con- 

 cealed under a canopy of the wild cucumber vine's pretty leaves and 

 feathery greenish white flowers. The Japanese hop skips and 

 jumps up strings too, and its large, handsome leaves, splashed with 

 white, are more decorative than some flowers. But if flowers are 

 wanted, rich-coloured gay ones in greatest profusion, everyone 

 plants the tall nasturtium. Rich soil is wasted on it, as it induces 

 the vine to run to leaves. In cutting nasturtiums to brighten the 

 house and they light up north rooms like sunshine do not be 

 afraid to cut a quarter of a yard or more of stem. Branches grow 

 again steadily and bloom till after frost if no seed be permitted to 

 form. A mass of the gorgeous flowers alone is colour overdone 

 too much of a very good thing but when nasturtiums are arranged 

 just as they grow with stems, disk-like glaucous leaves and seed 

 vessels attached, no spoils brought from the garden into the house 

 are more decorative. They are lasting, too. Draped over stone 

 walls the flower-decked vine shows to splendid advantage. 



Let no one forego growing the perennial butterfly pea because 

 it takes some trouble to start it. Seed should be soaked overnight 

 in warm water to hasten germination before it is planted, three 



