A handy little weeder can be made from the point 

 of an old scythe. Break off about one foot, and remove 

 enough of the blade back of the point to leave the scythe- 

 back for the handle. Turn this at right angles to its for- 

 mer position. Now file smooth this handle and the 

 weeder is ready, and usually very sharp. — Farm and 

 Home. 



Birds and Berries. — The only successful solution of 

 the problem of birds and berries that I know of is to 

 plant enough for both ourselves and them, unless we are 

 to undertake the task of killing off the birds. I believe 

 few of us in our sober moments would be willing to do 

 this, and even if we were, the law steps in and says these 

 feathered songsters shall not be destroyed. — Oratiffe 

 County Farmer. 



The Native Hornbcan.— Our native carpinus, or 

 hornbean, is one of the most ornamental of our small 

 trees. Its clean, birch-like foliage in summer, its fur- 

 rowed bark in winter, and its trim appearance at all 

 times bespeak for it more general use. In spring its cat- 

 kins push suddenly forward before the leaves, covering 

 the tree with a mist of soft green that is a special feature 

 of the landscape on the borders of swamps and streams. 

 — Garden and Forest. 



Barrow-Marker. — A good marker to mark out smalj 

 pieces of ground without a horse is made by securing a 

 simple attachment to a wheelbarrow. Take a 2x2 inch 

 stick. A, 4 feet long, or 

 longer if desired, whit- 

 tled down perfectly 

 round to within one foot 

 of the end to be attached 

 to the barrow. Take a 

 piece of strong hoop-iron 

 and shape it as shown at B, 

 making a ring to slip on the 

 stick. Take two pieces of the 

 hoop-iron, C, for holding the 

 marker-stick in position in 

 front of the first brace. Slip 

 Barrow-Marker. the iron on the marking-stick 

 to the width desired tor the row, and to keep it there 

 bore a hole with a gimlet close to it on either side, in 

 which insert an eight or ten-penny nail. The wheel will 

 make a better mark than one would suppose, while the 

 iron marks for the next row Farm and Home. 



Trapping the Squash-Borer. — Summer squishi 

 can be planted to attract the borer, the parent of which 

 usually selects the largest and finest vines for oviposition. 

 The crookneck will mature fruit before succumbing to 

 the borer, and by that time Hubbards and marrowfats, 

 planted later, are comparatively safe from attack and can 

 be given the ground. If the summer squash-vines be en- 

 tirely removed and destroyed, the entire borer-crop will 

 be destroyed as well. — Bulletin .Kezv Jersey Experi- 

 ment Station. 



Lima Beans in Winter. — There is no vegetable that 

 compares with the Lima bean for richness and flavor, and 

 none so valuable for winter use, or that can be had with 

 so little trouble. The bean is in a proper condition for 

 table use when the pod is full and shows a slight change 

 of color. Pick and spread the pods thinly in the sun, 

 and let them remain until they are thoroughly dry ; then 

 shell and put away as other dried beans. When wanted 

 for use soak in cold water over night before cooking, and 

 they will be nearly as good as if picked fresh from the 

 vines. — Americaii Agricidturist . 



Transplanting Sweet-Corn. — Do you know that 

 sweet-corn can be transplanted ? It is practiced by a 

 few growers who would anticipate the sweet-corn season. 

 The seed is sown quite thickly the first week in May, 

 under glass, in soil under which there is a small amount 

 of fresh stable manure for heat. The plants are set in 

 the field May 25. There is then no danger of frost, and 

 there will be no blanks in your field. It is always well 

 when planting seed in the field to make another planta- 

 tion against the warm side of a fence for transplanting to 

 the field to fill up any vacancies that may occur, — N. E. 

 Farmer. 



The Varnish Tree. — Some years ago Professor Rein 

 planted in the Frankfort Botanical Garden, Germany, 

 some of the trees from which it is stated the Japanese 

 obtain their lacquer or varnish. The tree is known to 

 botanists as Rhus vernicifera, and it appears that there 

 are now 34 healthy trees, some 30 feet high, in the garden. 

 Profeesor Rein has taken sap from a few of the trees and 

 sent it to Japan for trial by native artists. It is, however, 

 almost useless for Europeans to attempt to compete with 

 the Japanese in their line, but the lacquer, if it can be 

 made from the trees grown in Europe, may be used for 

 other purposes than varnishing wood. The varnish- 

 tree grows in many parts of what may be termed the 



