44G THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



ly delicious odor. It was introduced into- 

 England in 1742, bnt it was not until the year 

 1752, that it found its way into gardens gen- 

 erally about London. 



Some persons object to the odor of Migno- 

 nette, that it is too powerful. Perhaps it is 

 for the house, but when its fragrance is cast 

 upon the atmosphere, especially in the streets 

 of a city, nothing could be more grateful. 



In its native climate, Mignonette, is an 

 annual, and it naturally decays when it ripens , 

 its seed ; but it can be transformed into a per- \ 

 rennial shrub, — dispensing its sweets at all 

 seasons of the year, by a very simple process. 

 It is as follows : Place a young plant in a 

 garden pot, with a stick about eighteen inches 

 in height by its side, to which the branches 

 may be tied. As the plant grows up, strip the 

 leaves and young branches from the lowest 

 part of the stem, until a proper height of stem 

 is obtained, which will become sufficiently 

 hard and woody to stand the winter, by being 

 placed in a green-house, or the window of a 

 sitting-room, and it may be preserved for 

 years, if air is given to it as the weather al- 

 lows, so that the young branches do not be. 

 come too delicate. Of course in this situation 

 the plant will require to be watered. As soon 

 as seed vessels begin to form, they should be 

 cut off, which will cause the plant to throw 

 out a fresh supply of blossoms, — but they 

 should not be allowed to perfect their eeeds, 

 as that would weaken them very much, if it 

 did not entirely destroy them, and that for a 

 reason before stated. 



Of course it will be understood, that these 

 'directions are only to be followed with such 

 plants as it may be desirable to make peren- 

 nial. As to the others, they regularly mature 

 their seed, which are either to be gathered for 

 the next year's sowing, or allowed to drop 

 from the plant into the soil. It very often 

 happens, that the seed thus sown by the plant 

 thrive better, and produce better, than those 

 saved by the gardener. Still, seed should 

 always be saved, for the seeds of the little dar. 

 ling are very tender, and are certain to be very 

 much injured, if not entirely destroyed by the 

 eold of winter. 



Something better than Sweetmeats. 



Since the advent of the sealed cans for pre- 

 serving various fruits, and vegetables, our 



country friends have discovered that there i 8 

 something better than sweetmeats for the use of 

 the table. All the summer and autumn fruits* 

 and many of the more valued products of the 

 garden are now preserved, without sugar, and 

 retain so much of their original flavour, that 

 one is disposed to think that there has been a 

 great change in the course of nature, when he 

 eats in December or January milk and peaches, 

 or strawberries, apparently just gathered from 

 ( the vines, or tomatoes, as fresh as if they had 

 only ripened the *day before. The first time 

 that we were helped to a portion of peaches 

 preserved in one of these cans, we could not 

 imagine what legerdemain or magic had ac- 

 complished the impossibility of giving us ripe 

 peaches in February ; and as our friend in a 

 waggish mood insisted that the fruits had 

 ripened that year, we mentally concluded that 

 the lamp of Aladdin had been found again. 

 The secret was disclosed after awhile, and it 

 was with no slight curiosity that we examined 

 the can in which the fruit had been kept. 



All of our readers have, since that day, 

 heard of and seen the self-sealing cans for 

 preserving fruits, etc. They are coming into 

 very general use throughout the country, and 

 bid fair to supersede entirely those sugared 

 preparations which aforetime impaired the 

 health of young and old, a consummation, im 

 our opinion, most devoutly to be wished. 



Our object, however, at this time, is not to 

 descant upon the superiority of thus preserv- 

 ing fruits, &c, so much as to urge our readers 

 everywhere, to get a supply of cans in season^ 

 and use them for the purpose for which they 

 were designed. The spring and summer fruits 

 will soon be ripe, and as they last but a short 

 time, delay will defeat the intention of such as 

 purpose and desire to preserve for the use of 

 the family in winter. There is no need that 

 we urge this subject upon the attention of 

 those who have once tried this method of 

 keeping fruits for winter use. They are not 

 likely to forego the gratification after having 

 once enjoyed it. But to others, who have not 

 as yet ventured upon this new-fangled inven- 

 tion, we can say, with the utmost confidence 

 and sincerity, that they ought, by all means, 

 to procure cans, and put up a few, or many 

 as they find opportunity, of the fine fruits and 

 vegetables, — either for use in their families, 



