1879.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
1A5 
sown 5 or 6 days later, or with “ Laxton’s Fill Bas¬ 
ket,” or “Little Gem,” or “Advancer,” sown at 
first, to come in after the Alpha; and Champion of 
England sown plentifully at first, and more sown 
every week or oftener, to keep up a constant suc¬ 
cession. The Champion may be varied with the 
“British Queen,” and “Vietches’ Perfection,” if 
desired. The “ Tail Sugar” can be sown by those 
wishing peas to be eaten “ pods and all.”—Alphas 
and Champions, sown at first, and in succession, 
answer very well without other varieties. Sow at 
the earliest possible day, to have them ready to 
follow Asparagus, if you have it. If by starting 
'too soon, the first leaves get nipped by frosts, they 
will send up more leaves and try it again. If killed 
outright, put in more seed. Get a good pile of 
brush all ready now. It can be re-used for the 
later crops. If brash is not available, firm stakes 
can be driven along each side of the rows, and two 
or more wires or even strong twine (tarred if possi¬ 
ble) be stretched to hold up the vines—say 2 ft. high 
for the Alphas, and 3 ft. or more for the Champions. 
Salsify—Do You Grow It ? 
Salsify is often called “Oyster-plant.” We wish 
It wasn’t, for many who live far in-land do not 
like oysters, and the name prejudices these against 
one of the greatest delicacies of the garden. It is 
indeed a choice vegetable, but one within the reach 
of every one, as it requires no more care in cultiva¬ 
tion than a parsnip. Its requirements are precisely 
those of the parsnip—a deep, rich soil and early 
sowing of fresh seed, the seed being quite uncertain 
if not of the growth of the previous season. Make 
the rows 15 inches apart and sow as soon as the 
soil is dry enough to work; the seed being long 
and narrow is not sown readily in a machine, and 
it is safer to sow by hand. The root is rarely over 
an inch through ; to get the largest possible, thin 
to three or four inches and keep free of weeds. 
Scorzonera, or “ Black Salsify,” is a related 
plant, grown in the same manner and for the same 
uses; the root has a darker exterior. By some the 
flavor of this is preferred—try both. Both are hardy, 
and if desired, a part of the crop may be. left in the 
ground until spring, the winter’s supply being 
stored like other roots. Uses: The roots are to be 
scraped and thrown into water at once, else they 
turn dark. They are cut into small pieces, stewed, 
and served with a sauce of butter thickened with 
Hour; they are boiled whole until soft, then 
dipped into batter and fried, or are mashed after 
boiling, made into cakes which are dipped in batter 
and fried. They are also frequently used to make 
a soup, directions for which we will endeavor to 
give at the proper season in the “ Household.” It 
is surprising that so excellent a vegetable should 
be so little known, and are quite sure that those 
who try it for the first time will thank us for bring¬ 
ing it to notice, and will not be without it thereafter. 
A Simple Rustic Fence. 
Rustic fences are only appropriate when they are 
in keeping with the surroundings. A rustic fence 
does not comport with a house of elaborate archi¬ 
tectural design, any more than an iron and stone 
fence would he in place in front of a log cabin. 
The fitness of things being observed, a rustic fence 
is often the best possible, and we have from time 
to time given illustrations of various styles. A cor¬ 
respondent who has been in the lead-mining regions 
of Missouri, sends us a sketch of a fence which he 
saw there, and which seemed to him especially ap¬ 
propriate. We reproduce his sketch in the engrav¬ 
ing; as he drew it the fence posts were halved, 
and the rails let into the flat side, but thinking the 
rustic effect would be increased, they are repre¬ 
sented here as round. Three poles with the bark 
on are let into mortices in the post and nailed firm¬ 
ly, and the palings, about the size of hoop-poles, 
are interwoven with the rails, to alternate, as shown 
in the engraving, no nailing being necessary. 
The Star-Anemone. 
Few genera of plants present a wider range in 
habit and in color than Anemone. Nothing can be 
more modest and graceful than our early “Wind¬ 
flower,” Anemone nemorosa ; it is among the first 
comers in Spring, and along the edges of woods 
and in sheltered places, hangs its pure white or pur¬ 
ple-tinged flower, as if in doubt whether spring has 
really come. In marked contrast with this is the 
Scarlet Wind-flower (Anemone J'ulgens) of the gar¬ 
dens, one of the most flaunting and self-asserting of 
all early plants. In stature, we have these early 
species of a few inches high, and in autumn the 
tall Japanese species, reaching under culture the 
hight of three feet. In colors, there are the purest 
white, the most intense scarlet, the brightest yel¬ 
low, the deepest sky-blue, and various intermediate 
shades of pinks and purples. Many of the culti¬ 
vated species remain single, while others, like the 
florist’s Anemones, (A. coronaria), become remark¬ 
ably double. It seems strange, that plants possess¬ 
ing so much beauty, and offering;such a great va¬ 
riety, whether for the border or the rock work, 
should be so little known and so little cultivated. 
The majority of the species are perfectly hardy, and 
many of them bloom in early spring, at a time when 
brilliant flowers are quite scarce. In most of the 
species the foliage is handsomely divided, and adds 
not a little to the beauty of the plants. The engrav¬ 
ing represents the Star-Anemone, Anemone stellata; 
this is notone of the earliest, as in the open ground 
it does not flower until May, hut is one of the neat¬ 
est. It forms a tuft of liaudsoinely cut foliage, 
above which appear, on stems 6 or 8 inches high, 
the numerous flowers an inch or more across, and 
of various bright tints of rose, pink, and purple, 
each flower opening for several days in succession. 
One Grape Vine_Everybody. 
Every family occupying a dwelling, in Country 
or Village, and nearly every City resident, can have 
and should have at least one Grape Vine growing^ 
not only to “ sit under,” but to eat the fruit of. 
Wherever there is, within reach of some sunshine, 
a bit of ground a foot or two wide and three or 
more feet long, there a vine may be planted, and 
trained for a long distance, on a fence, up the 
dwelling, on a trellis, or up a post. Its abundant 
green foliage is always grateful to the eye, especi¬ 
ally among city walls, and its clusters of cooling, 
pleasant fruit need no advocate. The grape vine is 
one of the most uncomplaining, unfastidious and 
care-rewarding of plants. Keep standing water 
away from its feet, give it something to eat to make 
stems, leaves and fruit of, with some sunlight for 
part of the day, and it will go to work and keep at 
it, as long as you live. No food suits it better than 
a lot of bones, coarsely or finely broken, or whole 
ones if there be enough of them, mixed in with 
the soil. It will fasten a net-work of roots or root¬ 
lets upon every bit of bone and extract nutriment 
as long as there is a particle of it left. All the 
training it will need you can give in a few minutes 
before breakfast or after tea, once or twice a month. 
It will pay in pleasure, in foliage, in fruit. 
Order the vine soon ; it can come or go anywhere, 
by mail; choose the place ; as soon as the frost is 
well out of the ground, dig it up a foot or more 
deep; mix in the soil a peck or more of crushed 
bones for each vine; those from the butcher, 
broken up with a hammer or ax-head, will an¬ 
swer. When the vine arrives, expose its roots 
as little as possible to the air; make a hole, 
set it as deep as it grew before; spread its 
roots out well each way; cover them with earth, 
and moisten if needed. That’s all, until you need 
to train its shooting stems. (Our columns have 
told and will tell how that is done.)—All the above 
is a very simple matter. Reader, if you have not 
done so, take our advice and plant, at least, one 
grape vine this spring—better two, three, a dozen 
of them, if you have ground; plant at least one, 
whether you live on Fifth Avenue, or in the “wilds 
of Oregon.” You will thank us for the exhortation 
not very long hence.—The Concord variety, better 
than almost any other, will grow almost every¬ 
where. The Delaware, Creveling, and Eumelan, 
are excellent among other good and reliable kinds. 
TIME MUSEHOm 
tw For other Household Hems see “ Basket ” pages. 
Decorative Art. 
BY M. G. E. 
Decorative Art has been defined as the beautify¬ 
ing of useful things. But to the enthusiastic deco¬ 
rator, everything of pleasing effect has its use, if it 
be only to delight the eye. A piece of bright color, 
laid by childish hands against a bare and sombre 
wall, if it is in harmony with its surroundings, and 
relieves the monotony of a dull and cheerless sur¬ 
face, becomes at once a thing of use. Nothing 
that renders home attractive, or upon which the 
eye may fall with pleasure, is so small and mean as 
to be despised. While we counsel against the pur¬ 
chase of poor pictures, misshapen statuettes, and 
the thousand and one cheap ornaments (?), we 
would suggest the use of the saw, the chisel, the 
paint-brush and the needle. A panel painted by 
inexperienced fingers, however weakly, is prefera¬ 
ble to the colored lithograph or poor chromo, and 
a carving but roughly done by hand, is infinitely 
more desirable than the veneered and highly glazed 
surface of the cheap wood-work. The home-made 
article will at least have the value of originality, and 
will show care and study, if not good taste. None 
need despair of some success, and while all may not 
be able to produce a work valuable for its artistic 
merits alone, yet each may so adorn and beautify 
some article of use that it may become as valua¬ 
ble for its ornamental qualities as for its usefulness. 
Above all, let it be noted that beauty does not de¬ 
pend upon costliness of material, but rather upon 
a harmonious combination of effects, and the adap¬ 
tiveness of each article for the place assigned to it. 
Save every bright colored scrap that by bare possi¬ 
bility even may be of use ; preserve bits of broken 
ornaments, old legs of chairs, if they are firm and 
solid, broken mouldings, and the time may come 
when you will need just such a piece as you now 
despise, and you will go gladly to your store-house 
to find it. First in importance in Decorative Art 
may be placed 
Wood Carving-, 
and it is hoped that the simple rules and instruc¬ 
tions given in these letters may prove of use to be¬ 
ginners, who will find that, as progress is made, ob¬ 
servation and experience will be the best teachers. 
