ISO 



RECREATION. 



familiar with the fact that plants which 

 grow in the dark are white or nearly so. 

 If grass is accidentally covered with a 

 board or stone a few days it turns yellow, 

 that is, it blanches. Celery bleaching is us- 

 ually accomplished by heaping earth against 

 the plants, nearly to the tops of the stalks 

 in the trenches or beds where they 'are 

 grown. This keeps the light from the plants, 

 but does not stop their growth. Boards 

 about a foot wide are also used for exclud- 

 ing the light. They are leaned against the 

 plant on either side of the row and held 

 in position by wire hooks, cleats or other 

 means. Drain tiles and stiff wrapping paper, 

 are sometimes used for covering the celery 

 in such a way as to secure bleaching, as is 

 also moss, especially in Florida. Some- 

 times the plants are set so closely 

 together that they shade and bleach 

 themselves. This is the method em- 

 ployed in the so-called "new celery cul- 

 ture," which is simply the growing of va- 

 rieties with self-blanching tendencies in 

 rows 8 to 12 inches distant either way 

 and banking or boarding up the outside 

 rows only. 



At the Pennsylvania Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station a test was made of the 

 relative merits of blanching with earth and 

 with boards. In some cases celery 

 blanched with boards was ready for mar- 

 ket earlier than that blanched with soil ; 

 but the celery so blanched was decidedly 

 inferior, and, as a rule, was long, slender, 

 pithy and bitter, while that blanched with 

 soil was exceedingly large, crisp and 

 tender. 



In experiments at the New York Cor- 

 nell Agricultural Experiment Station, on 

 forcing celery in the greenhouse for the 

 early market, all the usual methods of 

 bleaching were tried, but without success. 

 When, however, the plants were wrapped 

 with a thick, hard wrapping paper with an 

 almost "sized" surface, the bleaching was 

 successful. By this method "the stalks 

 were brought together and tied and a 

 width of paper reaching to within 2 or 3 

 inches of the tops of the leaves was rolled 

 tightly about the plants. As the plants 

 grew, another width of paper was rolled 

 about the first, and again, reaching nearly 

 the top of the plant." Two applications 

 of the paper were found to be sufficient. 

 From a month to 6 weeks were required to 

 bleach the celery by this process in a cool 

 house in April and May. 



SOME EUROPEAN FOOD CUSTOMS. 



Discussing the foods of foreign lands, a 

 writer in a recent magazine states that in 

 Europe many families at Easter partake of 

 lambs roasted whole and stuffed with 

 truffles and pistachio nuts. This dish is 

 universal in Turkey, and is seen in the 



street booths, ready to carve into portions. 



In France and Germany all vegetables 

 are well cooked, including carrots, cauli- 

 flower, celeriac, cardoons, artichokes, 

 morels and cepes (varieties of mush- 

 rooms), and string beans. 



The chicken stew with cream and pap- 

 rika is peculiar to Hungary. 



In Norway will be found anchovies and 

 caviare, salmon and game, including rein- 

 deer. Norwegian caviare has cloves in it 

 and is not quite so fine as a brand of black 

 caviare which is made in Hamburg. 

 Ptarmigan, or white grouse, is baked in 

 earthenware, with wine and spices to ex- 

 tract its rich flavor. Reindeer will be 

 found equal to venison. Rod grode, a 

 jelly of currants and sago, is the most 

 popular Norse dessert. Salads of red her- 

 rings, anchovies and potatoes are indigen- 

 ous to Norway and Sweden. 



In Russia the sterlet and sturgeon are 

 found, the finest fishes that swim. The 

 latter is caught in the Volga and in the 

 Caspian sea, and its roes are made into 

 caviare. Sturgeon is braised in cham- 

 pagne and offered to royalty. The caper- 

 cailzie, also found in Scotland, flies over 

 the estates of princes and, when brought 

 low, is a delectable, substitute for turkey. 

 Russia is the country of zadzouska, or cold 

 appetizers ; a table covered with salads, 

 sandwiches and pickles is spread at the 

 doorway of every dining-room of preten- 

 sion. The greatest variety and ingenuity 

 prevail. Bears' paws, stewed with wine 

 and bacon and vegetables, is a dish popular 

 with sportsmen. Borscha, a soup of beets, 

 is dear to all classes. 



A yearly subscription to Recreation fur- 

 nishes one of the most delightful, instruc- 

 tive and entertaining presents you can pos- 

 sibly give a man or boy who is interested 

 in nature, in fishing, shooting, amateur pho- 

 tography ; or, who is fond of the woods, 

 the fields, the mountains, the lakes or the 

 rivers. 



Many of the presents which people give 

 their friends afford pleasure only for a 

 few days, or weeks. A subscription to 

 Recreation means solid comfort a whole 

 year. It reminds your friend 12 times dur- 

 ing the year of your kindness and generos- 

 ity. There are many men and women who 

 for 5 years past have annually sent in long 

 lists of names of friends, accompanied with 

 a check, in order that these friends might 

 be made happy a whole year. Would it not 

 be well for you to adopt this plan? 



Try it and see how grateful the recipient 

 will be. 



"Is your husband going West on the 

 advice of his physician?" 



"No ; on the advice of his lawyer !" — Ex- 

 change. 



