494 



BUDS, BLOSSOMS, FRUITS. 



spoil very quickly. Owing to the extremely low prices 

 in market last fall the experiment was not an unquali- 

 fied commercial success. After deducting expenses the 

 return was less than from the same area of Irish pota. 



£3^ 



toes. Previous experiments 

 had been with the Early Pea- 

 body variety. The result 

 was a vegetable of better 

 quality, and I fancy they are better suited for northern 

 planting than the Nansemond variety above mentioned. 



All the Spanish peanuts, except a few, were planted a 

 little late, the first week in June. Consequently they 

 were half "pops." One northern seedsman, copying 

 from southern catalogues in cataloguing Spanish pea- 

 nuts, announces that they "may be planted after peas 

 in July and will make a full crop before frost. Hogs 

 can be fattened on them at nominal cost." The fact is 

 that in this latitude, even when planted early, they will 

 mature before frost only in favorable seasons and favor- 

 able localities. And even then, considering the work of 

 growing, harvesting and curing, particularly that of 

 picking the nuts from the stem, it is cheaper to buy 

 than to raise them.— E. F. M., IVeUand Co., Ont. 



Building a Mound. — A pretty effect was produced 

 in the way of landscape-gardening, at small expense. 



Fig. 2.— Rustic Bridge. 



as follows ; In laying out our grounds there was quite a 

 large quantity of dirt taken from the walks, these being 

 filled with rubble and gravel. As the yard was almost 

 level it seemed quite desirable to have a mound, so all 

 the rubbish around the place was carted to the spot se- 

 lected, and then the dirt dumped on this, making the 

 main mound (rt), as shown in the illustration, fig. i. 

 Then another smaller mound [b) was made about 15 feet 

 from the larger one, and connected with it by a rustic 

 bridge (c). Figure 2 shows the general structure of this 

 bridge. The wood of the osage, which is very rustic in 



appearance, and wild grape-vines were used for every^ 

 thing but the stringers and the upright posts, which are 

 of white oak. On one side of the smaller mound, at d, 

 three stone steps were laid which lead from one of the 

 paths to the mound. From these steps is a little path to 

 the bridge, after crossing which the path continues about 

 ten feet, and then divides. A flight of stone steps {e) pro- 

 tected on one side by a rustic railing, leads to a miniature 

 vale [f). This is entirely enclosed by the mound except 

 where there is a small archway under the division 

 of the path {h). The little archway or opening is 

 crossed by a small rustic span. At / is a grotto made 

 of stone with a stone arch opening into it. This is cov- 

 ered with earth on top, and is partly under the sum- 

 mer-house ( /). A rustic seat in the grotto affords a cool 

 retreat on a hot day. The general appearance of the 

 summer-house is shown in fig. 3. Around the sides of 

 the mound, within the vale, stones are inserted, and 

 here ferns, wild vines, maurandia, thunbergia, violets 

 and pansies grow luxuriantly, never requiring any water, 

 as the stones cause the earth to keep moist all the time. 

 The path (//) gradually ascends until it reaches k, when 

 it gradually declines again to /, where a flight of stone 

 steps leads up to a rustic arbor. The ni' s in fig. 1 indi- 

 cate rock-work where ferns, vines, etc. are planted. 

 Under the approaches to the bridge ferns are also 

 planted. Where there is no stone-work the mound is 

 sodded, or may be sown should 

 sodding be an expense, and here 

 and there a few evergreens are 

 set out. The dimensions of the 

 mound are as follows : Extreme 

 length of back about 40 feet, 

 width of wider mound about 25 

 feet, At the bridge the stringers 

 are 2 feet 6 inches above the 

 ground-level. Large old apple 

 trees furnish an abundance of 

 shade about the mound. The . _ 



whole work serves as part of the ^ " 



, . Fig. 3.— Summer-House. 

 background to the yard, and is a 



very charming feature of the scene. — Mound-Builder. 



California Vegetation and Gardening. — Pale yel- 

 low dahlias, Marechal Niel roses, lilacs and many other 

 flowers makes gay the grounds about Hotel del Monte in 

 spring-time. Its many windows and turrets flash brightly 

 amid the great pines and live-oaks beyond the long white 

 beach of Monterey Bay. Beyond, at the foot of the 

 cliffs, gleam masses of 

 gayest wild-flowers. Col- 

 linisia bicolor in r o s e - 

 purple and white flowers 

 in whorls on delicate 

 curving stems, covers one 

 wide slope to the white, 

 sandy beach. Beds of 

 ?2anus, and bright yellow 

 white-edged "tidy-tip," Layia platyg-lossa, some of 

 whose tips turn pink as they fade, are adjoining. No 



4.— Another Form of 

 Rustic Bridge. 



low blue and white Lupim 



I 



