W I N D FA LLS . 



3" 



The Cover. — The cover represents the French Globe 

 artichoke as it comes into the New York markets. It is 

 the unexpanded flower-head of a thistle-likeplant [Cy/iara 

 scflfy/znts). These chokes are eaten raw or are boiled or 

 cooked in various ways. 



Hard Work. — The older readers will probably remem- 

 ber Parepa and her glorious voice. To have heard her 

 sing "I know that my Redeemer liveth," is an event to 

 be remembered 

 ever afterwards. 

 After one of her 

 matchless r e n - 

 darings of Han- 

 del's master- 

 piece, a young 

 girl went to her 

 and said, ' ' How 

 can you sing like 

 that?" "My 

 dear," said Pa- 

 repa, "it is by 

 hard work ! " 

 'Tis only by hard 

 work that suc- 

 cess can be had 

 in raising flowers 

 by amateurs. My 

 callers say: " Sis- 

 ter Gracious can 

 make anything 

 grow. I believe 

 she could whittle 

 a stick, put it into 

 the ground and 

 it would take 

 root." But these 

 see the flowers on 

 the plants, and 

 not the constant 

 daily care — t h e 

 going over them 

 every morning, 

 1 o o s e n i ng the 

 earth in one pot, 

 picking off t h e 

 dead leaves on 

 something else, 

 snipping off the 

 ends, digging for 

 worms, killing 

 the insects, 

 sponging the 



leaves, visiting them the last thing at night when it is very 

 cold to see that every possible avenue to let in the wind is 

 stopped, to watch the thermometer to see that it is not 

 too warm. All these things, and more, the plant lover 

 sees to, and instead of being "a bother" it is a loving 

 and healthful service, and her reward is, that her pets 

 will bloom, in spring, summer, fall, and even in the dark- 

 est days of winter. — Sister Gracious. 



The ' ' Man Oak. ' 



Tools for Women. — In the long waiting for the gar- 

 dening time to come, it is worth while to think of proper 

 tools. A light shovel is a necessity, also hoe, rake and 

 weeders. A weed cutter for thistles and dandelions is 

 handy for stout people, as one does not have to stoop 

 over so much. But, I hear my friends say, "I can't 

 afford these new fangled things." For answer, go into 

 some of the large candy stores and see the crowds of 



women, rich and 

 poor, buying the 

 sweets. " It's 

 only ten cents 

 here and ten 

 cents there, not 

 enough to buy 

 c o s 1 1 y fools.'' 

 But the ten cents 

 here and the ten 

 cents there spent 

 for candy would 

 soon fit one out 

 with every desir- 

 able instrument 

 for the garden, 

 and lots of plants 

 besides. Said a 

 candy merchant 

 to me : "Our 

 sales of candy in 

 the busy season 

 amount to over a 

 ton a day " Im- 

 agine a seller of 

 garden i m p 1 e- ' 

 ments disposing 

 of a ton's weight 

 of light shovels, 

 hoes, rakes and 

 weeders to a 

 crowd of eager 

 women jostling 

 one another to 

 be served first, 

 The editor of The 



all in one day. 



American Garden would not be able to 

 fine type large enough to express his sur- 

 prise and joy at such a grand advance 

 in garden lore. But seriously, if we 

 women would put by our dimes and 

 nickies spent at the candy counter, put 

 the amount in light garden tools and 

 //sf them daily, our usual white pasty 

 complexions and general debility would give place to 

 ruddy cheeks and strong arms and backs. — Sister 

 Gracious, 



The " Man Oak" at Elmwood, Conn. — James Shep- 

 ard, of New Britain, Connecticut, sends us the follow- 

 ing account from a local paper of a peculiar tree near 

 that place: "Not far from the railroad tracks at the 

 Elmwood station is a curious oak consisting of two dis- 



