1866.J 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
25 
The Sponge Cucumber. 
Cucumis acutanyulus. 
Some years ago a friend sent us from Central 
America, a substance called “ vegetable sponge,” 
which he stated was in common use in tliat 
country for washing and scrub¬ 
bing purposes. It was a mass 
of interlaced fibres, nearly a 
foot long, not quite cylindrical, 
but somewhat angular and ta¬ 
pering, presenting much the ap¬ 
pearance of fig. 1. It 
was recognized as 
the remains of some 
Cucurbitaceous fruit, 
but it was some time 
before we found that 
it belonged to the 
same gqnus as the cu¬ 
cumber. Of late, the 
plant has been cul¬ 
tivated by those curi¬ 
ous in such matters, 
and through the 
kindness of Messrs. 
Henderson & Flem¬ 
ing, we are enabled 
to give a drawing of 
the fruit in its fresh 
state, fig. 3. The 
plant is a native of 
the East Indies, and 
bears heart shaped 
leaves and yellow 
blossoms. The fruit, 
when young, is eaten 
in the same manner 
as cucumbers, and is 
also cooked, mashed and dressed like summer 
squash. The. fruit, when ripe, becomes orange 
colored, with a hard skin, and witliin is filled 
with a complex mass of strong elastic fibres. 
The seeds are black and rough, and quite unlike 
the cucumber seed in size and sliape. The fruit 
requires a long season to perfect, and the seeds 
had best be started under glass, after which 
they may be grown in tlie open ground. They 
will probably be advertised by some seed dealer. 
Fig. 1. 
Flowers for a Grave. 
The' question is sometimes asked us, “ What 
flowers are suitable to plant around a grave ?” 
The feeling which leads to the decoration of the 
last 'testing place of tlie loved dead is a natural 
one, and one which is in accordance not only 
with good taste, but with the teachings of re¬ 
ligion. It has found its public expression in 
many beautiful cemeteries all over the land, 
where the art of the sculptor has combined with 
thfe of the landscape gardener to- beautify the 
city of the dead, and make its walks attractive 
to the living. While the general arrangement 
of rural cemeteries is usually marked by skill 
and taste, their effect is frequently marred by 
incongruities in the individual lots, the owners 
of which often show more zeal thaft discretion 
in their embellishment. One of the worst things 
to put about a grave is an elaborate iron fence, 
which looks like an ironmonger’s advertisement. 
If the boundary must be marked, let it be done 
by a low hedge, but we. much prefer to see no 
boundary. In a well ordered cemetery, the 
planting of trees should only be done under tlie 
advice of the superintendent, as these become 
so large that they soon contribute to the general 
effect and are as likely to be out of, as in the 
proper place. But in these general considera¬ 
tions we are led away from the subject of flow¬ 
ers. In the first place we would avoid all gaudy 
colors, and in the second place, select those 
which need but little care. This last may seem 
an unnecessary caution to the recently bereaved; 
but we are so constituted that we can not al¬ 
ways mourn, and we have seen many instan¬ 
ces in which, for good reasons doubtless, these 
floral decorations fell into a neglect which 
showed that they were not well chosen. A 
good green foliage, with white flowers, is the 
combination most appropriate to a funeral 
wreath, and is that which we prefer in floral de¬ 
corations for the grave, though colored flowers 
are admissible, provided they be of delicate tints. 
Deutzia gracilis, a low shrub, covered in spring 
with delicate white flowers, will be suitable 
where climate is no more severe than around 
New York. Daphne cneorum, a low evergreen, 
with pink fragrant flowers and hardy. The 
Black Hellebore, or Christmas-rose, with large 
white flowers,blooming in Nov. or March,though 
not very commou,is well suited to the purpose, as 
is the perennial Candytuft— Iberis sempervirens, 
hardy and blooming freely, full of trusses of 
white flowers. Among the most appropriate 
flowers for the cemetery are the bulbs, such as 
do not need lifting each year. These spring 
up and flower, complete their growth, and die 
down, and repeat this year after year, fit “ em¬ 
blems of our own great resurrection. ’ White 
and bright colored Crocuses, and the Snow¬ 
flake, are desirable, and bloom in early spring, 
while the Meadow Saffron— Colchicum autum- 
nale, flowers in autumn, with lilac colored bloom. 
Among the annuals. Sweet Alyssum is one of 
tlie best, and it is self-sowing. All these will 
answer with only occasional attention, but where 
constant care can be given, a great variety of 
bedding plants and annuals may be used, avoid¬ 
ing hi'ight yellows, scarlets, and all glaring colors. 
TOIS HOlUSISM®™. 
The Ornamentation of Tables and. Dishes. ’ 
Few are aware how thoroughly the eye and palate 
are' iu sympathy, and in how great a measure the 
appetite is modified by the appearance of our food. 
The confectioners are aware of this fact, and present 
their wares in tempting colors, and most of us can 
recollect seeing an otherwise good meal spoiled by 
being thrown upon the dishes and set upon a 
soiled table-cloth. All will admit that neatness 
.and order are essential in the arrangements of a 
table; these are within the reach of even the poorest. 
Beyond these there is decoration, ornamentation of 
our tables for the sole purpose of pleasing the eye, 
and this is sometimes carried to a great extent. 
"We were once several days a guest at a house-where 
the ornamentation was painfully elaborate, where 
.each d.iy the butter was carved (not stamped) in 
some new form, and a pie was a work of art which 
it seemed a pity to destroy. Here the thing was 
overdone and oppressive, and our re.aders ean 
make better use of their time than to devote it to 
anything elaborate. Still, we believe that those of 
moderate means and in the humbler spheres may 
with propriety give more attention to the appear¬ 
ance of their tables and the looks of the food upon 
them, the first great requisite of neatness being 
complied with. There is no table in the land, from 
the richest to the poorest, but what would be more 
attractive for a bunch of flowers. These are decor.a- 
tions that are always in pl.aee, and may be set in 
vases of silver or cr 3 ’stal on the board of the mil¬ 
lionaire, or occupy a cracked tumbler by the side 
of Pat’s pork and potatoes. Besides flowers, green 
upoq the tixblc is always pleasing. In the spring 
h.alf of the relish of cresses .and salads is due to 
their fresh look, and the fact that they remind us 
th.at winter has gone and the season of growth has 
come. Every garden should have its patch of 
curled parsley, which will be found useful in orna¬ 
menting many dishes, its fine rich green giving 
.an attractive .appearance. Just notice the difference 
in the appearance of a supper table, where in one 
c.ase the ragged remains of the roast or boiled of a 
previous dinner are set on, and where the same 
meat is nicely sliced and regularly laid upon a dish 
and surrounded by a green border of parsley. This 
kind of ornamentation is unpretending and always 
in good taste. A dish of spinach may be made to 
look really beautiful by having the surface nicely 
smoothed and then surrounded by a border of 
slices of hard boiled eggs. Those who wish to at¬ 
tempt something ehaborate, can use carrots and 
beets, these are readily cut into stars, crescents, 
scrolls, etc., by bending up a strip of sheet tin into 
the desired shape and using it as a cutter. With 
these materi.als a very showy border m.ay be placed 
around a platter. Of course the extent to which 
dishes m.ay with good taste be ornamented, will 
depend upon the occasion and the surroundings. 
It should never bo overdone. 
— - »>« — —» «» 
Dangerous Silvering Powders and Liquids, 
and Tooth Powders. 
We cannot too frequently caution the public 
against certain articles that are daily sold on many 
street corners in this city .and elsewhere, and which 
are peddled through the country, and even sold by 
some respectable dealers, unwittingly of course. 
They have been before exposed in the American 
Agriculturist, and the sale was almost suspended for 
a time, but is becoming quite brisk again, judging 
from wh.at wesee and hear. One of these is a “Sil¬ 
vering Powder,” often a reddish clay, which rubbed 
upon a copper cent, or other copper or brass sur¬ 
face, or on some other metals, leaves a beautiful 
silvery coating. It is simplj’ cl.ay or other sub¬ 
stance impregnated- with mercury (quick-silver), 
which gives a temporarj^ bright coating, but will 
soon tarnish, and what is worse, it will sadly injure 
the metal upon which it is placed. Mercury dis¬ 
solves silver and gold and some other metals as 
readily (not quite as quickly) as water dissolves 
sugar. So that every application of these powders 
is spoiling the metals upon which they are pl.aced. 
Another prepar.ation, equally objectionable, is a 
“Silvering Fluid.” We daily see peddlers with a 
crowd around them, exhibiting and selling a pink¬ 
ish material for cleaning .and whitening the teeth. 
An examination of one of these pack.ages showed 
it to be quite strongly acid. When applied to the 
ieetli it of course cleans them be.autifully, by dis¬ 
solving a little of the outer coating, but every appli¬ 
cation is eating away the teeth themselves, and 
thus hastening their early deca}". 
To Housekeepers-—A Request. 
The design of this department of the Agricultur¬ 
ist is, to furnish hints and information that will aid 
our.readers in their toilsome work, that will help 
. to adorn their houses, and make them more com¬ 
fortable and inviting, and also to supply informa¬ 
tion about various methods, processes, and mate¬ 
rials, that will furnish food for thought, and occupy 
the mind while at work. We often describe and 
illustrate some common article of food, as Tapioca, 
Nutmegs, etc. This will be continued from time 
to time. Household implements also require at¬ 
tention. As a help to this department we will be 
very glad to receive more letters from our house¬ 
keeping readers. Please let us have questions, inqui¬ 
ries,, suggestions as to what is wanted or desirable. 
Information on all departments of housekeeping is 
solicited. Almost every one h.as some peculiar 
mode of cooking, of doing housework, etc., which 
is not fully known by others. Let us have the 
particulars. If our readers help us by these ques- 
