THE\ 



SA Y. 



Un-dug Potatoes in California. — The protracted 

 rains of last fall prevented the digging of potatoes in 

 many parts of California, and this spring the fields are 

 coming up strongly with a self-planted crop. The far- 

 mers are caring for these tields in the usual manner. 

 California promises to compete sharply in a few years 

 with the early potato crop of the Bermudas and the 

 South. 



Asparagus Soup. — When asparagus is a little old to 

 use as a vegetable it will make good soup. Boil it gent- 

 ly for three-quarters of an hour, cut off any tender tops 

 there may be, and add to a quart of boiling milk. Rub 

 together one tablespoonful of butter and two, even full, 

 of corn starch or flour ; add carefully to the boiling 

 milk ; add the tops and salt and pepper to taste. 



Jerusalem Artichoke. — I have never studied the 

 artichoke as a botanist, but if I were called upon to 

 name it as a flowering plant, I should call it the tuber- 

 ous-rooted perennial sun-flower ; for its blossom is a 

 small sun-flower. 



As an article for table use, the artichoke is excellent. 

 It not only makes a good salad, but is a staple dish when 

 cooked and dressed like beets or peas. But as a pickle, 

 it is delicious. One thing in its favor is that in the spring 

 of the year, when potatoes are old and unfit for use, 

 the artichoke is in its prime. It is in the ground all 

 winter, and can be dug from the time the frost is out of 

 the ground until early vegetables come again. There is 

 a peculiar spiciness about it which is delicious, to 

 many, and when cooking, the odor is pleasant. The 

 tuber is white, solid and crisp. It cooks as soon or 

 even sooner than a potato, it should be cooked in enough 

 cold water to cover, and allowed to boil till tender, be- 

 ing careful not to get too soft. Then turn into a colan- 

 der to drain and cool ; when cool the skin is easily 

 pulled off, and it is ready to season with salt and butter 

 or cream, or to be made into a pickle, by being covered 

 with vinegar. 



The artichoke is a sure crop, and once planted, it 

 needs no replanting from year to year. It takes care of 

 itself, and needs no cellar, unless you gather in a supply 

 for use through the winter. There is many an unsight- 

 ly spot in back yards, even in neat villages, which if 

 planted with artichokes, would make a cooling shade 

 and yield a crop of vegetables for the family, and blos- 

 som all summer. — H. V. A., ]"incland, Neiv Jersey. 



Potato Scab. — It is now generally admitted that the 

 scabs and cracks on potatoes are caused by some injury, 

 mechanical or otherwise, to the tuber. They first ap- 

 pear at the so-called lenticels, which are small pimples 

 on the surface of the potatoes and serve as breathing 

 spots. If the cells at this point are injured, an attempt 

 is made to repair the injury, and layers of corky cells 

 are formed which produce the so-called scah. These 

 spots often spread, and running together form large 

 blotches. The cause of the injury to the lenticels has 

 not been ascertained. It has frequently been attributed 

 to insects and fungi. Wire worms are sometimes found 



feeding on scabby potatoes, and although we have no 

 evidence that they attack perfect tubers, they may do 

 so, and in that case, scab would undoubtedly be pro- 

 duced. Scab, however, is very prevalent in fields where 

 wire worms cannot be found, and it must there be at- 

 tributed to some other cause. It is not believed that 

 fungi are in any way the cause of scab, although they 

 are sometimes found on potatoes where scab has already 

 developed. 



Among the other causes that have been mentioned 

 are continued drought, excessive moisture, or a drought 

 followed by heavy rains, and the presence of various 

 corrosive substances in the soil, as lime, iron or am- 

 monia. From our present knowledge of the scab, any 

 of these, or more likely a combination of two or more, 

 may furnish the requisite conditions for its development. 

 The use of scabby potatoes as seed was at one time said 

 to lead to the developxnent of scab in the resulting crop, 

 but from various experiments this is not considered 

 probable. It has been claimed that the use of sulphur 

 would cause a great decrease in the amount of scab, 

 but our experiments have not shown this to be the 

 case, — L. R. Taft, Mic/ngan Experiment Station. 



Remedies for the Striped Cucumber Beetle. — 



I suppose all these hoops and covers are nice things to 

 play with (May, 279"). I have been growing all sorts 

 of squashes, melons, cucumbers, etc., for the past thirty 

 odd years, and never found any use for such contriv- 

 ances. The bugs attack my melons and squashes, I sup- 

 pose, as badly as any one's else. When they are all 

 gathered to the fruit I dust them over with a handful of 

 fine bone-meal and bid them good-bye. If I have lost 

 a hill of cucurbitaceae by the beetles I have never found 

 it out. Sol get "tired" when I see a fellow fixing 

 show-bird traps in a melon patch to' head off beetles! — 

 W. F. Massey, N. C. E.xperiment Station. 



Tomatoes. — I would like much to get seed of those 

 tomatoes which ripened for Mr. Hallock in 115 days. 

 The tomato has always been a hobby of mine, and I 

 generally succeed in beating my neighbors (the pros- 

 pect now is that I shall pick my first ripe fruit about 

 May 2oth), but I have never yet found a tomato which 

 will give me ripe fruit in 115 days, or 120 days either, 

 when any considerable portion of its growth comes in 

 early spring or winter under glass. I shall sow between 

 40 and 50 varieties of tomatoes for exhibition at our 

 State Fair, Oct. 14, and will only expect to get them in 

 good condition at that time by sowing the seed last of 

 May. I shall be surprised if any of them grown entirely 

 in hot weather show ripe fruit before the last of Sep- 

 tember. For early tomatoes, I have flattered myself 

 that I was as skillful as anyone in forwarding the plants. 

 I formerly got tomatoes in northern Maryland the last 

 week in June, two or three weeks ahead of most of my 

 neighbors, but I had to start very early to do it. I have 

 now under trial 40 varieties started early under glass, 

 and thrice transplanted, but none of them will give fruit 

 in 115 days. Perhaps Mr. Hallock meant 115 days from 



