THE Y SA r, 



183 



A Greenhouse Turtle. — In looking through a pri- 

 vate greenhouse a few days since we made the acquaint- 

 ance of a box-turtle, a species common in this section. 

 We asked what his duties were, and found him invalu- 

 able in clearing out snails of all denominations, wood- 

 lice ; in short, every variety of creeping, crawling insects. 

 The gardener assured us his services were of more value 

 than those of a man, and his turtle-ship worked for 

 nothing, boarded himself, and was ever satisfied with 

 his situation. 



How to Cook Parsnips. — After carefully scraping 

 and cleaning the roots, cut them in pieces if for a stew, 

 or in slices if to fry ; then soak them in clear, cold water 

 for at least twelve hours ; rinse again in clear fresh 

 water. This will take out all that acrid matter which 

 gives this vegetable a strong taste. After that cook in 

 the usual manner and the vegetable will be delicious. 



The Celery Leaf Blight [Ci'i-ospom apii, Fries.). — Re- 

 port United States Department Agriculture, i88g, B. T. 

 Galloway believes that this disease, characterized by the 

 peculiar yellowish appearance of the foliage, developes 

 less rapidly in cool shaded places than in hot sunny 

 localities. This the author explains upon the ground 

 that the former conditions are more favorable to the 

 hardy and healthy growth of the celery plant, which en- 

 ables it to resist the inroads of the fungus. In the treat- 

 ment of the disease the author recommends the shading 

 of the plants, either by natural or artificial means. A 

 roof made of laths set one inch apart and put over the 

 plants during the growing season answers the purpose 

 admirably, inasmuch as it allows a perfect circulation 

 of air. 



Stinking Smut of Wheat.— Prof. J. C. Arthur, in 

 Bulletin 28, Indiana Argricultural Experiment Station, 

 exhaustively describes this disease of wheat and other 

 cereals, known otherwise as hunt. It differs from ordi- 

 nary black smut by its strong odor and inconspicuous- 

 ness. The head becomes normally plump, as if filled 

 with healthy grain, but when crushed it is found that the 

 grain is replaced by a dark brown powder consisting of 

 a mass of spores. ' ' The disease is caused by a fungus 

 growing inside the wheat plant, of which there are two 

 species : Tilletia tritic, with rough spores, and TiHelia 

 fceteus, with smooth spores. The latter is most common 

 in the Mississippi Valley." Some other of the author's 

 most important conclusions are : 



1. A single spore germinating in contact with the germ 

 of the young wheat plant may enter the same, and by 

 developing along with the wheat produce smut in the 

 seed head. 



2. The disease does not spread from plant to plant, 

 or from field to field, but infection takes place during the 

 sprouting of the seed. 



3. Smutty seed can be purified by soaking for a short 

 time in a solution of blue vitriol, one pound to the gallon 

 of water, and either sow damp or first dry with plaster 

 or slaked lime. 



4. Do not sow wheat for two years upon a field pre- 



viously affected by smut ; follow wheat by some other 

 crop. 



5. Avoid stable manure for wheat land, and do not 

 allow stock to run on land to be put into wheat, since 

 experience shows that animals fed upon smutted grain 

 or straw may excrete with the manure large quantities 

 of uninjured spores. 



Forcing Lilacs. — One of the neatest as well as the 

 the most novel pot plants we have met in our travels, 

 we come across a few days since at the house of a 

 friend, and it was, like many other good things, a crea- 

 ture of accident. A support was wanted for a geranium, 

 and for this purpose a twig from a lilac bush was cut, 

 the flowering buds remaining on it. Immediately after 

 it had been placed in position in the pot it commenced 

 growth, and finally developed its flowers as perfectly as 

 though on the parent bush, excepting, of course, as re- 

 gards color, which is always lighter when the plant is 

 grown under artificial conditions — Queens. 



The Chinese Sacred Lily [Narcissits otioitalis). 

 is very variable in its character. We have distribut- 

 ed a large number of bulbs this season, apparently all 

 alike, and, so far as we know their treatment has been 

 similar, but the results have been quite different. In 

 one dish were planted three bulbs, one of which gave 

 three enormous spikes of bloom ; the second gave six 

 spikes, but the size and number of the flowers were 

 much smaller ; the third gave four spikes and the flow- 

 ers were perfectly double, but in all other respects 

 similar. The first mentioned we consider decidedl}' the 

 most desirable. — A. 



Growing Dandelion is now a considerable business 

 with many market gardeners. The most important 

 point to attend to in its culture is to sow so early that 

 the plants will attain a good size before hot and dry 

 weather comes, otherwise the leaves will scorch. 



If Rot, Rust and Blight attacked your vegetable 

 crops last year, grow the crops in different places this 

 year, as far as possible removed from the last sites. 



The Garden Should be Begun weeks before a seed 

 is sown. The garden should sprout and grow under the 

 gardener's hat for several months before it is made in 

 the ground. 



Heading of Cauliflowers. — A gardener of long ex- 

 perience warrants cauliflowers to make fine heads if you 

 winter small plants, say of three or four leaves, in a 

 cold-frame. I have not tried the experiment, but 

 knowing the man who makes the statement, I purpose 

 to do so. Another friend claims that the failure in 

 cauliflower in the home garden comes from poor seeds, 

 that are produced on the lateral shoots. — S. B. D. 



Egg-Plants. — Start egg-plants early. They require 

 a long season ; but keep them growing — a check while 

 young will injure them seriously. Give an abundance 

 of heat ; have uniformity of heat and moisture. Dwarf 

 Purple is a good early sort. New York Purple is the 

 standard late sort. 



