AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
185 
1877.] 
is to avoid its use as far as possible, for accurate 
measurement is impossible so long as there are 
varying degrees of sourness in milk, and differ¬ 
ent sized spoons and cups: and good things, ahd 
plenty of them, can be made without any soda. 
A Home-Made Refrigerator. 
In some cases it is not convenient to procure any 
of the very excellent refrigerators now made for 
SECTION OP HOME-MADE ICE-BOX. 
sale. Then a home-made one may serve a useful 
purpose. The materials for this, as shown in the 
annexed illustration, are simply two packing boxes, 
one of which is smaller than the other, a quantity 
of powdered charcoal, and a few square feet of 
hair-felt, such as is used for covering boilers as a 
non-conductor of heat, or of common oil-cloth. 
The engraving shows the boxes with the front 
parts taken away, so that the manner of put¬ 
ting them together may be seen. A few inches 
(not less than four) in depth of the powdered char¬ 
coal is laid on the bottom of the outer box, which 
should be lined with the felt. Then the inner box, 
covered on the outside with felt, is placed in the 
outer box. The space around it is packed tightly 
with the charcoal up to the top. A strip of tin is 
nailed so as to cover the charcoal between the boxes. 
The inner box should be lined with sheet zinc or 
galvanized iron. A hole is bored through the bot¬ 
tom, and a short piece of lead-pipe is fixed to carry 
off the water from the melted ice. The covers of 
the boxes are fitted so as to have an air space be¬ 
tween them, and felt is tacked on to these to help 
keep out the heat. Common oil-cloth will answer 
in place of the felt, if that can not be procured. 
When in use, the ice is placed upon a small wooden 
rack upon short legs, which raise it an inch or more 
above the bottom of the box. The ice may be 
wrapped in a piece of blanket, which will make it 
last much longer than without it. If needed some 
rack shelves may be fitted around the box, upon 
which to place whatever is to be kept cool. The 
box is set upon four short legs, or blocks, and a 
pan is kept beneath it to receive the waste water. 
Vines at the Door. 
If the house-mother (to borrow a most convenient 
word from the Germans) looks after no other por¬ 
tion of the gardening, she is quite sure to take an 
interest in the vines, which cluster so closely 
around the door and windows, that they seem a 
part of the house rather than of the garden. Here 
is a common ground on which all can meet—the 
decoration of the house, for there is no work of the 
architect, however costly, but seems to need the 
final finish of vines, and no house, however poor in 
its exterior, but may be made to look home-like by 
the use of climbers. In our climate every house 
should have a veranda of some sort, even if but a 
mere porch, to shelter the door, and whether it be 
an extended veranda or narrow “ stoop,” there is a 
place for vines. The utility of vines, whether on 
the score Of shade, or that-of mere ornament, needs 
no showing, as all will admit it, and it becomes 
merely a question of ways, and means—what to 
plant, and how to,get it. In the first place let us 
say that if there is neither veranda or porch, and 
most log houses, and some of more pretentious 
have neither, one need not be without vines. A 
trellis of poles of some kind can be arranged to 
support the vines, and if it can be made of cedar 
and permanent, all the better, but if this can not 
be commanded, draw upon the stock of bean-poles, 
or get poles by some means that will answer for a 
season. Given poles, a few nails, some wire and 
string, and assuming the rather improbable case 
that she can get no help, the woman can have the 
door shaded if she will. As to the trellis but a few 
suggestions need be given. No matter if it looks 
rude at first, the vines will charitably cover any 
sins of construction. Recollect that vines are 
heavy and autumn winds powerful, so regard 
strength rather than beauty. If there are two 
doors and but one trellis, put it at the one where it 
will be the most use and comfort. Of vines we 
have both annual and perennial. Annuals, raised' 
each year from seed, are the least satisfactory, but 
are sometimes the only ones available. The num¬ 
ber of those which grow sufficiently tall is small. 
One of the best is a native, the Wild Balsam-Apple, 
or Wild Cucumber, ( Echirwcystis ), which was figured 
in April of last year-, and about which Faith 
Rochester wrote so enthusiastically in Nov., 1875. 
But unfortunately this is not to be had at the seed- 
stores, and unless you happen to know a friend 
who has some seeds, this is out of the question. 
Next comes the Morning-Glory, old, but good ; the 
flowers are short-lived, but some of the finer kinds 
are sufficiently beautiful to offset this defect. A 
paper of seeds of the best can be had for 10c. The 
Hyacinth Bean and Scarlet Runner, do not make so 
dense a covering, but are better than no vines. 
When we come to perennial vines, the list is larger. 
Among those that may usually be had without any 
expense, the common Hop is one of the most avail¬ 
able. It grows wild in many places, and is to be 
found in cultivation all over the country. The 
common Virgin’s Bower, (Clematis Virginiana), the 
Large or Hedge Bindweed, ( Calystegia ), often called 
Wild Morning-Glory, the climbing Bittersweet, or 
Wax-Work , (Celastrus), and Virginia Creeper, (Am- 
pelopsis), are common, while one or more Honey¬ 
suckles are not rare. Either of these wild plants, 
to be had by only the trouble of searching for and 
taking up, will make a dense shade, and when the 
plants are well established, an abundant one. The 
nearest nursery will supply at 25 to 50 cents each, 
according to size, various fragrant Huneysuckles, 
Trumpet Creeper, Climbing Roses, and others. For 
a little more outlay the fragrant Akebia, the showy 
large-flowered varieties of Clematis,the Dutchman’s 
Pipe, and others may be had. We have not men¬ 
tioned the grape-vine, some varieties of which, 
such as the Clinton, make a capital shade, but the 
temptation of the green fruit to children, make 
other plants more desirable. Neither in the cost of 
vines, nor that of a support for them to grow upon, 
need there be any good reason why any one who 
really wishes it, should not add the comfort and 
beauty of a vine to their dwelling. While those 
who can afford a moderate outlay, will find that 
there is an adundance of pleasing climbers which, 
in the ornamental character of their foliage, and 
fragrance and beauty of flowers, will give ample 
returns for the investment. We have often thought, 
when passing a new house, it is a pity that the cost of 
some of the scroll and other “ ginger-bread work ” 
on the verandas, could not have been invested in 
- vines. It is well to bear in mind that galvanized 
wire—about No. 14—will prove a most useful aid in 
! carrying vines wherever they are wanted. It is de¬ 
sirable that vines should not run directly upon the 
wooden pillars of a veranda, wires may be stretched 
vertically about two inches from them, to which 
the shoots may be trained as they grow. The 
engraving opposite (page 184) represents the door¬ 
way of the summer residence of a friend, who pre¬ 
fers giving the vines some liberty to close training. 
jB©Yt§ & imiLM: «¥MEMo 
'Fixe Doctor’s Correspondence. 
What is the matter with the eyes of some of you ? We 
put Aunt Sue’s address at the end of the; puzzle box for 
a long time, but finding that some did not see it, we put 
a row °f T3131E! over '*■> t0 P oint it out more plainly. In 
spite of this, some will not see it. I have before 
me a postal card, asking for the address of both Aunt 
Sue and the Doctor—now I do not so much wonder 
that this hoy didn’t see it, as he forgot to sign his 
own name, but others ask the same thing. As grown 
people overlook things also, we perhaps should not 
think it strange in our youngsters. You will find 
Aunt Sue’s address at the end of the Puzzle Box. The 
Doctor’s is at the office of the American Agiicullurist. 
Another thing youngsters should understand, Aunt Sue 
and myself live some 15 miles apart, we do not see one 
another oftener than once or twice a year, and if you, as 
some dp, write to one to “tell the other” so and so, we 
can not do it without writing a letter, which you may as 
well do yourselves_Master “T. M. C.” wrote to Aunt 
Sue that I had not told all about the 
BALTIMORE ORIOLE, 
as I said nothing about the eggs, which he says are “ four 
or five, flesh-colored, with a blueish tint, and marked 
with obscure lines of lavender, over which are irregular 
Fig. 1.— ANT-LION—THE WINGED INSECT IN THE AIR—THE TRAP, AND THE LARVA ON THE GROUND. 
