March, 1890. 
58 
ters. Figure 268 illustrates such a section, 
including, however, only the cuticle, epi- 
dermis and palisade cells of theleaf. There 
Fig. 268. 
are two clusters of spores shown, only one 
of which — the one on the right — has broken 
through the cuticle. The shaded portion 
in the epidermal cells represents the discol- 
ored cell contents which imparts the dark 
color to the spots. The contents of the 
more or less shrivelled palisade cells b?neath 
% is disorganized and colored brown: it ad- 
heres in irregular masses to the cell walls. 
Short branches of mycelium are seen in the 
epideimal cells and there is a thin layer of 
mycelium on these cells from which spring 
the very short stalks that support the two 
celled spores. Above are shown some of 
the spores detached. These spores germi- 
nate readily in water and by sowing germi- 
nating spores on healthy rose leaves the 
“Black spot'' may be produced. 
We are not aware that any direct attempts 
have been made to combat this disease. Its 
ravages may be checked in a measure by 
gathering and destroying all leaves showing 
any signs of being infected. Keeping the 
soil as dry as possible and not over rich is 
said to diminish its prevalence. Spraying 
the bushes in early summer two or three 
times with the ammoniacal solution of car- 
bonate of copper may prevent the disease. 
We would recommend trying it. As the 
fungus lives in the fallen leaves these should 
be cleaned up and burned at the end of the 
season. 
Treating: Black-rot. 
In the Southern States it is now time to 
begin to battle the black rot of grapes. The 
vines are pruned and the trimmings and all 
other debris in the vineyard has been re- 
moved and destroyed by fire. So important 
is this to success that it is taken for granted. 
Now is the time, before the buds begin to 
swell, to wash the vines with some prepa- 
ration to destroy the fungus spores which 
have found lodgment upon them. Use sul- 
phate of iron, copperas, for this. Make up 
a 50 per cent, solution of sulphate of iron 
and thoroughly wash the vines with it. A 
Eureka sprayer is just the thing to do this 
work with. Do not get any of the solution 
on your hands or clothes. It will not injure 
the vines, although it may blacken them. 
•It may retard for a few days the pushing of 
the shoots, but this is an advantage in 
States referred to. It is not necessary to 
rf move the loose bark ; the liquid will find 
its wav; into the crevices. Prepare now for 
later treatments by getting the materials 
required. If you design using the Bor- 
deaux mixture this may be prepared now if 
you have a cask in which to keep it. At 
least it is time to secure a supply of sul- 
phate of copper, or the carbonate of copper 
if that is to be used. It may take some 
time to get the latter, for it is not kept by 
all druggists. Seventy -five cents per pound 
is a good price for it. There should be no 
trouble in obtaining the liquid ammonia re- 
quired with the carbonate of copper. By 
“ liquid ammonia” we mean “ aqua fortis” 
(aqua ammonias fortior). This is employed 
in the preparation of the ammoniacal solu- 
tion of carbonate of copper and eau celeste. 
All who own vineyards of any extent are. 
of course, already provided with some good 
spraying pump. 
March. , 
March is a dreaded month with most 
country housekeepers, for it marks the end 
of the quiet winter and the beginning of a 
long season of hard work. House-cleaning, 
with all its attendant changes and improve- 
ments, must occupy many of the most 
beautiful Spring days, ar.d no sooner is the 
house in complete order and the Summer 
sewing done than the procession of fruits 
begins, and canning, preserving or pickling 
must be added to the daily routine. 
We trust that all Orchard & Garden 
housekeepers nave learned the secret of 
home-making ; that the comfort of the 
household is of the first importance, and 
that they do not allow the warfare with 
dust and dirt to absorb all their time and 
strength. Let us suggest that, before the 
house-cleaning season begins, you take a 
few minutes to write to the Home Depart- 
ment of this paper, asking questions, mak- 
ing suggestions or narrating experiences, as 
you please. Remember that next month 
we intend to begin printing extracts from 
letters ; and, looking forward to the Sum- 
mer, we particularly desire information in 
regard to methods of canning, preserving, 
pickling, etc. If each reader will tell us of 
her successes or asx questions m reference 
to failures in this line, it cannot fail to prove 
helpful to all. 
Please address 
Editor Household Department, 
Orchard & Garden, 
Little Silver, N. J. 
Kitchen I n d I ape n stables. 
Every housekeeper comes to regard cer- 
tain things as indispensable. Little things 
most of them, probably all, and yet, in the 
course of a year, they save an immense 
amount of time, labor and money. Young 
housekeepers often know nothing about 
these labor-saving conveniences, and as old 
housekeepers usually fail to speak of such 
trifles, mention of a few will not come 
amiss to the inexperienced. 
To begin with dish-washing, the most 
durable and satisfactory dish-cloth is a 
fourteen - inch, loosely- woven square, in 
which a coarse cotton thread is the warp 
and candle wicking the filling. This is thin 
and light yet strong enough to outwear 
two or three ordinary linen dish-cloths, and 
costs only five cents at the large stores. A 
dish-mop serves to keep the handsout of hot 
water, and for tumblers, cups, fruit-jars, 
etc., is of great value. For kettl< s and sauce- 
pans, much trouble is saved by using an“iron 
dish-cloth,” which is a collection of coarse 
rings, either with or without a handle. 
Never put a cake of soap in the dish-pan 
to soften and waste, but use a soap-shaker. 
This is a long-handled little tin and wire 
box in which small pieces of soap are placed. 
Shaking it for a moment in hot water is 
sufficient to make a good suds and there is 
no waste. It is particularly good for home- 
made soap, which is usually not very hard 
and quite liable to crumble. It costs ten 
cents and pays for itself in less than a 
month. Tt is wise to have three sets of 
dish-towels : coarse crash ones for tins and 
saucepans, finer for dishes, and those with 
a colored stripe or check for the silver and 
glass. This is neater than to use the same 
towel for everything, even though it be 
washed out at ome, and towels kept strictly 
to their respective uses will last one-third 
longer than by the other method. Com- 
parative! v few housekeepers understand the 
value of brushes in house-work. A coarse 
brush of roots is the best thing for cleaning 
the sink; with another, more firmly made, 
you will take the sand off from vegetables 
in half the time you could by any other 
method. A small, five-cent scrubbing-brush 
will clean a grater or broiler instantly ; 
while a little paint-brush is far better than 
the old-fashioned “ swab” for greasing tins. 
It has other uses too ; for instance, in cov- 
ering with beaten eggs, croquettes or any- 
thing to be glazed. 
No housekeeper should be without a dou- 
ble boiler for oatmeal, hominy, rice, cus- 
tards and many other things. It prevents 
the possibility of burning, and consequently 
the necessity for constant watching. A 
covered saucepan, which exactly fits the 
top of the tea-kettle, heats quickly and will 
be used half a dozen times a day. 
A long-handled wire basket in which food 
to be fried may be placed, then sunk in the 
boiling fat, and removed the instant it is 
“done,” makes it possible to have fried 
food wholesome as well as palatable. A 
meat chopper saves much time in the prep- 
aration of croquettes, salads, hash and all 
kinds of minced meat ; and, though some- 
what expensive, it is worth the money. 
This is by no means an exhaustive list of 
indispensables, but it includes nothing which 
does not deserve the name. — M. C. Rankin. 
CATARRH CURED. 
A clergyman, after years of suffering from that loath- 
some disease Catarrh. and vainly Irvine- every known 
remedy, at last found a prescription which completely 
cured and saved him from death. Any sufferer from 
this dreadful disease sendine a self-addressed stamped 
envelope to Prof. J. A. Lawrence. 88 Warren Street 
NewYork, will receive the recipe free of charge.— Adt’. 
