292 



*T H E SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



to amateurs, who are willing to bestow thorough 

 cultivation and care on their plants, the Bri- 

 tish Queen, which, when well grown, surpasses 

 in size, beauty, and excellence, any we have 

 named. The Bicton Pine — a large and beau- 

 tiful white variety, which ripens late. We 

 have had a fine crop of it this season, although 

 our plants being set last year were seriously 

 injured last winter. Like all the foreign sorts, 

 it needs protection, and a deep, rich soil, with 

 abundant moisture. The Wood Strawberries 

 — red and white — bear most profusely in all 

 places, and last a long time ; besides, they part 

 freely from the calyx, and are therefore easily 

 and rapidly picked, and their flavor is rich and 

 agreeable to most people. In addition to these 

 we must mention the Bush Alpine (having no 

 runners) — perpetual bearers, if kept liberally 

 supplied with moisture. They deserve much 

 more extensive cultivation than they now re- 

 ceive. With their assistance, we may enjoy 

 strawberries not one month only, hut four 

 months. 



To keep Silk. — Silk articles should not 

 be kept folded in white paper, as the chloride 

 of lime used in bleaching the paper will pro- 

 bably impair the color of the silk. Brown or 

 blue paper is better; the yellowish, smooth 

 Indian paper is best of all. Silk intended 

 for dress should not be kept long in the house 

 before it is made up, as lying in the folds will 

 have a tendency to impair its durability by 

 causing it to cut or split, particularly if the 

 silk has been thickened by gum. 



Thread lace veils are very easily cut ; satin 

 and velvet being soft are not easily cut, but 

 dresses of velvet should not be laid by with 

 any weight above them. If the nap of thin 

 velvet is laid down, is is not possible to raise 

 it up again. Hard silk should never be 

 wrinkled, because the thread is easily broken 

 in the crease, and it never can be rectified. 

 The way to take the wrinkles out of silk 

 scarfs or handkerchiefs is to moisten the sur- 

 face evenly with a sponge and some weak 

 glue, and then pin the silk with some toilet 

 pins around the shelves on a mattrass or fea- 

 ther bed, taking pains to draw out the silk as 

 tight as < possible. When dry, the wrinkles 

 will have disappeared. The reason of this is 

 obvious to every person. It is a nice job to 

 dress light colored silk, and few should try it. 

 Some silk articles should be moistened with 

 weak glue or gum water, and the wrinkles 

 ironed out by a hot flat-iron on the wrong 

 side. — Scientific American. 



CHEAP FURNITURE AND ORNAMENTS FOR 

 ROOMS. 



In the article on cheap furniture in the last 

 number, the following paragraph was omitted : 



Pretty window seats, ottomans, &c, are 

 easily made by taking a box of suitable size 

 and shape, turning it bottom up, cushioning 

 with cotton, hair, moss, hay, or old woollen 

 rags, and covering it with remnants of car- 

 peting or cloth to suit the other furniture. 

 Almost every family has some boxes that 

 might thus be turned to good account, making 

 inexpensive seats that the family will greatly 

 prefer to chairs, and giving an air of comfort 

 and competence that will make home much 

 more attractive. Do not make the seats too 

 high or narrow, or the cushions too hard, and 

 if for common use cover with some modest 

 color that will not show dirt readily. The 

 boxes can be made with lids and hinges to hold 

 wood, clothes, or other articles, if desired. 



Mrs. Cutler and others have from time to 

 time givm descriptions of ornamental articles 

 that could be made at home easily ; to these 

 we have a few to add. At the exhibition of 

 the American Institute in New York, last fall, 

 was a very beautiful centre table — home made. 

 A thick plank was cut into a circle of the required 

 size and mounted upon a standard terminating 

 in three feet. This was entirely covered with 

 split acorns, put on in various fanciful designs, 

 laid in glue, paint, or other cement, and the 

 whole covered with two or three coats of 

 varnish. The effect was very beautiful indeed. 

 We have seen old picture frames, fitted up in 

 the same style, that were really elegant. 



An equally pretty and more delicate mode 

 of ornament is made from the fresh cones of 

 the pitch pine. Separate the scales and 

 put on as you would acorns, overlapping the 

 scales as they are in nature. Pretty flower 

 vases, picture frames, &c, can be cut from 

 pasteboard, then, if the cones are soaked in 

 warm water, the scales can be sewed on with 

 stout thread, then let the whole be varnished 

 before the cones become shrivelled, and they 

 will appear more plump permanently. — Mass. 

 Ploughman. 



The following is said to be a sure process to 

 get rid of caterpillars. With a common gim- 

 let we bored a hole into the body of a tree, 

 some two inches deep, perhaps, whi~h w T e filled 

 with sulphur, and then plugged up the hole. 

 In a short time, say forty-eight hours, they 

 were seen crawling about the yard, and in less 

 than six days not one was to be found remain- 

 ing on the tree. This is a simple but sure 

 way. 



