134 



XEW ENGLAXD FAr.MER. 



April 



SALSIFY, OR VEGETABLE OYSTER. 



(TragopogonPorrifoUus) — This vegetable some- 

 what resembles the parsnip in the character 

 and habits of growth. Like the latter it requires 

 a rich, deep soil, and a liberal supply of stimulat- 

 ing manure. The seed maj' be sown either in the 

 spring or fall. In some sections of the country 

 salsify has been introduced as a field crop for 

 feeding cattle, but unless with very extra cultiva- 

 tion, the roots are too small, and the acreable pro- 

 duct not sufficient to warrant its recommendation 

 for this jnirpose. 



As a table esculent, it possesses a more decided 

 and valuable character, and when sliced and fried 

 h^a flavor very nearly resembling that of the cel- 

 ebrated shell fish from which it derives its name. 

 It may be taken up in autumn and housed the 

 same as garden esculents, or it may be permitted 

 to remain in the ground till spring. 



YOUTH'S DEPARTMENT. 



A GAME FOR LITTLE POLKS. 



The American Agriculturist thus describes a 

 game that used to afford '"us children" much mirth: 



One of the party being provided with slate and 

 pencil, calls on each of the others in turn to name 

 some descriptive adjective, as good, pretty, ugly, 

 long, short, etc. These are written in a column 

 at the left of the slate. The writer then places 

 his pencil opposite one of the words, and calls for 

 the name of one of the party, \yhich being given, 

 is written next to the adjective, and then the 

 names of the whole company are written in turn, 

 each opposite the adjective which comes in the 

 order of ihe list. 



The writer now commences at some other part 

 of the list, and each company names some locali- 

 ty, as "on the house," "under the barn," "in the 

 ■woods," etc., and these are added, one to each 

 name. In the same manner some act is next writ- 

 ten, to complete the sentences, as "hauling saw- 

 logs," "sleeping soundly," "shelling corn," etc. 

 When all is completed, the sentences are read 

 aloud. The ludicrous situations described will 

 often cause great merriment. Thus it may hap- 

 pen that "Sweet Susan was before the looking- 

 glass, making fiices ; or that "Slow John was on 

 the railroad, running a race with the engine ;" or 

 that "Long John was hunting the rebels, in the 

 •wash-tub." Of course, much fun will depend on 

 keeping the sentences secret till all are read. 



"WHY THE SEA IS SALT. 

 The remembrance of "the bountiful Frodi" ech- 

 oed in the songs of German poets long after the 

 story which made him so bountiful had been for- 

 gotten ; but the Norse Skalds could tell not only 

 the story of Frodi's wealth and bounty, but also 

 of his downfall and ruin. In Frodi's house were 

 two maidens of that old giant race, Fenfa and 

 Menja. These daughters of the giant he had 

 bought as slaves, and he made them grind his 

 quern, or hand mill, Grotti, out of which he used 

 to grind peace and gold. Even in that golden 

 age one sees there were slaves, and Frodi, how- 



ever bountiful to his thanes and people, was a hard 

 task-master to his giant hand-maidens. He kept 

 tliem to the mill, nor gave them longer rest than 

 the cuckoo's note lasted, or they could sing a song. 

 But that quern was such that it ground anything 

 that the grinder chose, though until then it had 

 ground nothing but gold and peace. So the mai- 

 dens ground and ground, and one sang their pite- 

 ous tale in a strain worthy of ^schylus as the 

 other rested — they pra3'ed for rest and pity, but 

 Frodi was deaf. Then they turned in giant mood, 

 and ground no longer peace and plenty, but fire 

 and war. Then the quern went fast and furious, 

 and that very night came ^lysing, the Sea-rover, 

 and slew Frodi and all his men, and carried off 

 the quern ; and so Frodi's peace ended. The 

 maidens the Sea-rover took with him, and when 

 he got on the high seas he bade them grind salt. 

 So they ground ; and at midnight they asked him 

 if he had not salt enough, but he bade them still 

 grind on. So they ground till the ship was full 

 and sank, Mysing, maids, and mill, and all, and 

 that's why the sea is salt. — Popular Tales from 

 the Nome. 



A BOY'S LETTER. 

 "Now, Bob, I'll tell you what I want. I want 

 you to come down here for the holidays. Don't 

 be afraid. Ask your sister to ask your mother to 

 ask your father to let you come. It's only ninety 

 miles. The two prentices, George and Will, are 

 here to be made farmers of ; and brother Nick is 

 took home from school to help in agriculture. 

 We like forming very much, it's capital fun. Us 

 four have got a gun and go shooting. It's a fa- 

 mous good one, and sure to go off if you don't 

 full cock it. Tiger is to be our shooting dog, as 

 soon as he has left off killing sheep. He's real 

 savage, and worries cats beautiful. Before father 

 comes down we mean to bait our bull with him. 

 There's plenty of New Rivers about, and we're 

 going a fishing as soon as we have mended our 

 top joint. We've a pony, too, to ride upon, when 

 we catch him ; but he's loose in the paddock, and 

 has neither mane nor tail to signify, to lay hold 

 of. Isn't it prime, Bob ? You must come. If 

 your mother won't give your father leave to allow 

 you — run away. Remember you tui'n up Gos- 

 well Street to go to Lincolnshire, and ask for 

 Widdlefen-hall. There's a pond full of frogs, but 

 we won't pelt them till you come ; but let it be 

 before Sunday, as there's our own orchard to rob, 

 and the fruits to be gathered on Monday. If you 

 like sucking raw eggs, Ave know where the hens 

 lay, and mother don't ; and I'm bound there's lots 

 of birds' nests. Do come. Bob, and I'll show you 

 the wasps' nests, and everything that will make 

 you comfoitable. I dare say you could borrow 

 your father's volunteer musket of him without his 

 knowing it ; but be sure any how to bring the 

 ramrod, as we have mislaid ours by firing it off." 

 — Hood. 



Weeds and Flowers. — Vice grows rapidly, 

 but virtue is a plant of tardy production. The 

 virtues are, in fixct, the flowers, more or less beau- 

 tiful, which grow in the moral garden of the hu- 

 man heart ; but the vices are the weeds, which, 

 owing to a man's innate depravity, spring up spon- 

 taneously, and if not suppressed or controlled, 

 soon leave their noble rivals no room to exist in 

 the same vicinity. 



