566 



THE V SA V. 



or in the usual way of preserves in sugar. Either way 

 it is a most palatable and healthful fruit. Owing to its 

 character of deciduousness, it would no doubt prove 

 hardy in the eastern states. When fully ripe, it loses the 

 acrid taste it possesses when half ripe, and acquires a 

 pleasant aromatic flavor. We have made jelly of a 

 small portion of fruit, and it is far more pleasant than 

 even currant jelly. The bushes grow very rapidly and 

 adapt themselves to almost any soil. The foliage, with 

 its silvery underside, is very ornamental. Altogether, 

 especially owing to hardiness and other qualities, it 

 ought to be widely known and recommended." 



A Chance for the "Novelty" Makers. — Professor 

 Bailey recently showed the writer a curious instance of 

 the peculiarities of grafting. A tomato vine had been 

 grafted on a potato stalk. The tomato vine was bearing 

 fruit and probably the potato plant will develop tubers. 

 What a gr^at chance here for some of our benevolent 

 plant sellers! Let them advertise a "wonderful dis- 

 covery," and tell people how to grow tomatoes and pota- 

 toes on the same plant without fear of bugs or blight. 

 Thousands of people would pay well for the "great 

 secret." Do you not believe it ? — Rural N'c'o-Yorker . 



Inspiration. 



I walked to-day m my garden. 



The sweet peas and phlox so bright 

 Had lifted their heads in gladness, 



And turned to the welcome light. 



The rain drops had fallen gently 



In the evening the day before, 

 And the morning had dawned so clearly 



We surely could ask no more. 



All nature seemed sounding the praises 



C)f the generous Giver above 

 Who had set the whole world singing 



Because of his bountiful love. 



And I thought as I gazed on the beauties 



Of the landscape about me spread, 

 The blue hills in the distance. 



And the bluer sky o'er head, 



. That I, a poor erring mortal. 



Should try to be worthy the love 

 And the blessings and beauties bestowed 

 By the Bountiful fiiver above. 



— Mary G.arfiei.d, 

 A Pernicious Weed in Manitoba. — I send you a 

 specimen of a dreadful weed, which we think was intro- 

 duced in seed grain a few years ago. There seems to 

 be no way of getting rid of it. It is called here " stink 

 weed," I suppose from its disagreeable odor when 

 pulled, or " French weed," much to the disgust of the 

 French people, who call it " laviolette. " Each plant 

 produces immense numbers of seeds and it grows two 

 crops in a season. People have tried leaving the field 

 fallow for several years and have then several times had 

 to plow up the green crop on account of the weed. It 

 is all through the French half-breed settlements, and in 

 some cases it has taken entire possession of the farms. 

 — A. L. G., Otlei Inli ne, ManUoba. 



[The weed is the field penny-cress, one of the mus- 

 tard tribe, which has great circular pods almost as large 



as a penny. It is known to botanists as Thlaspi arvenoe. ♦ 

 We have never known it to be a serious pest before. It 

 is a European weed which is sparingly naturalized in 

 many parts of the country. It is an annual, and it 

 would therefore seem that close and persistent culture, 

 with a good rotation of crops, ought to hold it in check. 

 —Ed.] 



Sturtivant's Tobacco and Sulphur Fertilizer. — 



Experience with this fertilizer the past season has 

 given me a very favorable impression of it, though the 

 results of a single trial of any such article do not offe^ 

 conclusive proof of its value. Two adjoining patches 

 of tomatoes were put out on the same day on land in- 

 fested with cut-worms. A handful of the tobacco was 

 placed around the stem of each plant in one patch. 

 The other was not treated. Fully three-fourths of the 

 latter were cut down within twenty-four hours. Of 

 those treated with the tobacco and sulphur only one 

 plant was lost. 



I also tried it, in a small way, m the hills when plant- 

 ing potatoes, and the product was entirely free from 

 scab. 



The effect, as a fertilizer in both cases, was also notice- 

 able, though the quantity used was small. Mr. 

 Calder, the Boylston street, Boston, florist, has tried it 

 this season with satisfactory results. His potatoes have 

 been infested with scab for several years. This year 

 not a sign of it was found. A friend in the Connecticut 

 valley has used the tobacco fertilizer in quantity the 

 past two seasons and is convinced that it will prevent 

 scab, as well as repay its cost as a fertilizer. 



My father writes me from Vermont, that owing to the 

 excessive rain of the present season his trial is not a 

 fair basis for an opinion, but that he is favorably im" 

 pressed with the article and will use it another season. 

 At the first opportunity I shall use it when setting 

 strawberries, with the hope of checking the ravages Of 

 the white grub. 



The stems and refuse leaves are both used, I should 

 judge, in manufacturing the fertilizer. — W. H. Rand, 

 Boston . 



" Gard'nin'." 



Theyse a heap uv fun in gard'nin', in the fresh air spendin' hours, 

 Breathin' freedom, health an' sunshine, tradin' life with leaves an' 

 flowers. 



Course it aint all violets, roses, honey, yieldin' every bud— 

 Nur the du-drop does it sparkle, always wher you wish it would. 



Oft' the seed you sow so tender, fails to lift its tiny head ; 

 An' the canker sometimes pisons th' only peach a turnin red. 



Fur the gard'ner they'se a heap uv ies sich luck to "grin an' bear." 

 Still the sunshine in the garden out-weighs all the shadders there. 

 Indiana. Ernest Walker. 



Pennsylvania Road Suggestions. — The Pennsyl- 

 vania State Board of Agriculture, in session at Bethle- 

 hem recently, spent one day discussing the matter of 

 getting better roads, and finally voted suggestions for 

 road legislation as follows : 



First. Privilege of working out road taxes to be 

 repealed. 



