MARCH 44 
THE RURAL WEW-Y0RK1R. 
467 
hard to s'^ow her that the joke was on the 
other side. It is now over a year and a half, 
but to this day, the lady is ignorant of the un¬ 
intentional joke played on the girls. 
In 1881, an improved site for a flower gar¬ 
den was chosen. The seeds were selected and 
purchased long before it was time to plant 
them. The design was original with one of 
the girls, and was not made without Borne 
anxiety. The same plan, will be used again in 
1882. Last Autumn all the old, dead plants 
were cleaned off, and the ground carefully 
raked over ready for work on the approach of 
the next Spring. 
Much advice was sought as to the merits of 
different plants. 1 showed my interest in 
theii garden by enriching and deeply trench¬ 
ing the whole of it. Now, in the Spring of 
1882, the girls are about twelve years old. 
Their interest in gardening was never so greut 
as at the present time. My library is acces¬ 
sible. All the books on horticulture have been 
examined, and some of them have been read, 
in part, over and over again. Such Vmoks 
give them as much pleasure as Mrs, Alcott’s 
“Little Women” or Mrs. Stowe’s “UncleTom’s 
Cabin.” Home of the favorite bsoks are Hen¬ 
derson’s “Gardening for Pleasure,” Barnard’s 
“Gardening for Money," “The Children’s 
Garden and What They Made of it," by Agnes 
and Maria E. Catlow of Loudon. E. II. Leland’s 
“ Farm Homes” is a good book, but the gil ls 
criticise some parts of it quite severely. The 
Rural Ne\v-Y0URKR and the Ladies’Floral 
Cabinet arc read as they come to the table. 
One of the girls thinks sh** Is now fully com¬ 
petent to manage a flower garden and a veg¬ 
etable garden. They shall have a good chance, 
and God speed them in their undertaking. 
There are many debates ubout some of the 
flowers. Petunias stand dry, hot weather lirst- 
rate, and they make a good show, but they 
are sticky to handle; they sprawl all over and 
are not sweet to the smell. They are discarded 
from the small garden after one year’s trial. 
Pinks are rather struggling, Pansies do not 
stand dry weather. Asters are good, i f started 
in boxes and well transplanted. Sweet Alys- 
sum is about right. Portulacas are nice. 
Balsams are lovely. Miguonettte is nice for 
bouquets Phlox Drumiuoudii is very hand¬ 
some. Zinnias are a little coarse. The virtues 
of all flowering plauts are not Combined in 
any one, two or three kinds. The girls are 
encouraged to try a few now things each year; 
that is, plants which ure now to them. This 
gives them more expe.ienco, and thus they 
become familiar with more plants. 
The Michigan Horticultural Society has 
taken a deep interest in the improvement of 
school grounds, and some of the members 
have advocated the introduction of agriculture 
or horticulture into the common schools. Our 
grange at Lansing, not long ago, discussed 
this topic. Some of the farmers advocated 
that every country school house should be 
near a piece of ground which should be used 
for instruction in gardening. Here all the 
children should work a little and be shown 
how to perform various garden operations in 
the heat manner. In a word, it should be a 
young agricultural college. In some way, it 
is of great importance that the young be 
taught how to do things correctly. Much of 
the labor on our farms—especially that per¬ 
taining to the garden and orchard and vine¬ 
yard, is clumsily performed. A Yankee thinks 
he can turn a hand to anything and succeed. 
Many meet with considerable success in this 
country where wages are high, and where 
competition is not aharp. We are living at a 
time when few think of serving as apprentices 
to learn a trade. Our country is full of in¬ 
competent workmen who have taken up some 
trade,or some part of agriculture with scarcely 
uny preparation. 
What vast sums of money could be saved, if 
all or even a small part were well trained in 
the rudiments of horticulture ! How much 
greater would be the attachment to rural life ! 
A person lik.s to do what he can succeed ill; 
A bungler is seldom ratified with his business. 
At Fig 80 is shown a plan tf the children’s 
flower garden for 1882, originated and drawn 
by Jessie I Beal. Tit© size of the plotis Mxl6 
feet. The following will explain the arrange¬ 
ment of the beds. A. Asters; B. Sweet Alys- 
sum; C. Balsams; I). Sapouaria; E. Green¬ 
house plants. F. Portulacas; G. Coxcombs; 
H. Mignonette; I. Phlox Drummondii. The 
H plot is four feet in diameter. 
■■■ - - 1 ■ ♦ - - 
NOTES. 
best variety known. It is a new kind, and 
the name of it we withold, as premiums will 
be offered hereafter for the largest melons 
raised from the seeds we shall semi, although 
it does not grow to a wonderful size. A few 
seeds will be sent to each member of the Ilor- 
ticultmal Club, without application or charge. 
Full directions as to the conditions under 
which the prize will be offered, will be given 
later. 
I wonder how many of the Cousins are 
going to try their skill at grafting fruit trees 
this Spring! It is not a difficult matter to ac¬ 
complish successfully, if only a little care is 
taken. In the last number of the Rural will 
be found an illustrated article on grafting, and 
I suggest to the Cou-ins that they read it 
carefully, and in the Spring, about the time 
the buds are swelling and the sap is flowing 
freely, let them put the directions given into 
practice. It will give a new interest to fruit 
culture. 
I shall be much mistaken if the excellent 
plan for a small flower-garden, drawn by 
Jesse Beal and shown on another page, does 
not have many imitators among the Rural 
Cousins. If they no not pattern after it ex¬ 
actly, it will suggest something to their minds 
in the way of laying out and arranging the 
flower-garden. 
“ W.” informs Rebecca S. that she can make 
a window-harp (ASolian harp) by merely 
stretching a hair, silk thread, or fine wire 
across a window in the current of draft 
THE YOUNG QUERIST. 
Lizzie II. M ., Ontario, asks whether glad¬ 
iolus and dahlia bulbs should be put into boxes 
to sprout for the garden. 
Ans,—N o. Keep the gladiolus bulbs or 
conns in paper bags in a temperature above 
32 and below 50 degrees. Keep the dahlia 
roots in sand in a temperature above freezing. 
O. F. /<’., Rlackst.one, Mans., asks why his 
grape seedlings die down when they flrstcome 
up. He covers them with a tumbler and puts 
them in the sun. 
Ans. —Young seedlings need plenty of light 
and warmth. It is hardly to be expected 
that strong, healthy seedlings will be grown 
every year, as the se- ds are not fully developed 
every season, although there may lie seen to 
be no imperfection in the grape from which 
the seed is taken. The very healthiest native 
varieties often produce weakly seedlings. 
Lucy W>, Fanning ton. Conn., asks 1, whore 
can she get the Japan Chestnut tree, 2. what 
are the conditions for receiving seeds. 
Ans. —l, Ol' Parsons Sons Co., Flushing, L. 
I. we think. 2, If you refer to the children’s 
seed distribution, enrollment on the list is all 
that is necessary, but if you mean the seeds 
of the regular distribution, any subscriber 
may receive them, by sending six cents for 
poi tage. 
Lyman C., New Fork., asks if there are 
double gladioli. 
Ans. —Yes. But thus far the new bulbs or 
corms cannot be trusted to produce double 
flowers. 
Lawns and Landscape Gardening—After Scott’s Suburban Homes—P age 170 —Fig. 84, 
The next subject for the Horticultural Club 
Discussion will r>e “ The best vegetables for 
young people to cultivate, and howto cultivate 
them." This topics is a familiar one, so begin 
early to think it over. There is much that 
can be said upon it 
And now 1 have another announcement to 
make to the members of the Clu“. We have 
decided to send to each one whoso name is en¬ 
rolled on the list, a few seeds of a variety of 
watermelon which, in our judgment, is the 
through the narrow Assure between the sashes. 
The ends mast be fast to the window frame, 
which forms the soumling-box. Or a box of 
thin, dry, hard wood, like that used for vio¬ 
lins, will make a better one. It should be as 
long as the window is wide, and the lower 
sash he lifted to admit it and give the neces¬ 
sary draft of air to vibrate the strings, of 
which there may bo several, stretched just 
above the upper part of the box and tight¬ 
ened into accord like the strings of a violin. 
The souuds are delightfully sweet. u. m. 
Walter It. II., Milwaukee, IFis., planted 
some seeds of a yellow tomato and nearly all 
the tomatoes raised from them were red. Did 
they just happen to change color or will cer¬ 
tain kinds do so ! 
Ans. —Not so general a change as the above 
is common. The Golden Trophy is from the 
red Trophy—the Golden Rural is from a red 
tomato. The first “sport,” however, will 
produce a larger percentage of the parent’s 
color. Selections must be made for several 
seasons to insure permanency. 
John F. L., Rockford, III., asks if itisneces¬ 
sary to send postage for the Youth’s Seed 
Distribution. 
Ans.—N o. See note on this point elsewhere. 
New Members of the Club for Week 
Ending March 4. 
Millie Jack, Katie Jack, Libbie Ross, Belle 
Winfrey, Mattie Steiiule, Lottie Fenner, 
Norman Fenner, F. M. Crawford, Phebe 
French, Allie Warner, Florence Dale, 
Wm. H. Gossman, (send address) Willie 
Brown, Bennie Miner, Georgie Greenthurst, 
Mary Schaeffer, Mary Wright, Clarence Jaca- 
son, “ Rosebud Thorn,” Sadie Close, Millie 
York, Albert My its, James Petty, Johu E. 
Peters, Florence L. Brown, “ Allie” (send full 
name) Claude Irvin Fosque, Richard Heeney, 
Abbie Ward, Mary Ward, ltettie Clark, 
“Carnation”, Johu D. Evans, Bertha Cross, 
Lewis Cross, Bennie Cross. 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Dear Uncle Mare. —We would like to join 
your Horticultural Club if you have room for 
us. We live away up North from yon and 
have longer Winters than you; but the Winter 
is a nice time to skate and coast. We have a 
nice sled that papa made us, and we ride down 
hill on it and haul in the wood for two stoves, 
and the mangolds for the cattle, and have a 
first-rate time. Don’t you think you could 
come to Nova Scotia some time and see how 
we farm it, and visit the gold and iron mines, 
and see the nice fish tuat are caught in our 
bays and rivers I We like the Rural very 
well, and ihe cousins’ letters are quite a treat. 
We would like you to piint some recitations 
that we could use at school. We had u nice 
lot of celery but the Red-bud did not come 
up. Papa made a box big enough to hold the 
Rurals, and he keeps ail he has got since 
he began to take them. They are safe there, 
and when ho wants to And anything he looks 
at the Index and knows just where to find 
it. Your nephews, 
Ernest and Ira Dearmond. 
Belmont, Nova Scotia. 
LYou can’t imagine how much I should like 
to visit you, and see how things are done in 
Nova Scotia; but such a visit, I am afraid, 
will have to be indefinitely postponed. Am 
glad to know that you keep the Rural for 
reference. Wouldn’t it be more convenient 
to have it bound together, or sewed in two 
parts ?—U. M.] 
Uncle Mark: I am going to write a letter 
about boy’s working on a farm. There is a good 
deal of work a boy can do on a farm In 
Spring time he cau drop the seed and cover ifc 
and drop the fertilizer iu the hill. In Summer 
he can open the hay, rake after the team, pick, 
strawberries, cur rail's, cherries, peas, etc: in 
the Fall he cau pick up the potatoes and see if 
he has got a good bushel, then ask his father 
if he can carry it to the fair. Last Fall I 
joined the Woonsocket Agricultural Society. 
I raised some vegetables and c irried them to 
the fair and received #8 iu premiums for the 
second best variety of vegetables in the hall. 
Now cousins try and see what you cau do. In 
the Fall you can pick the apples and put them 
into barrels, and head them up; iu Winter 
you cau clear up a piece of land, chop oil the 
wood, and in the Spring bum the bushes and 
branches, and pull up the stumpsaud plant it. 
Boys can feed the stock, the swine aud the 
poultry, and carry the eggs to market and do 
more things than I cau mention. Some 
farmers have milk routes where their boys 
can peddle out the milk, in the morning. I 
don’t think i should like to get up ut four 
o’clock in the morning when it is 12 degrees 
below zero. The grape seeds 1 told you about 
iu my first letter to the Rural, have not come 
up. Nov. 15th 188], 1 planted about 100 seeds 
of the Delaware Grape, aud Jan. loth one 
small shoot came up, since then three more 
came up. I planted the latter seeds in clear 
sand. I wish my cousins would try with me 
and see what they cau do. I have some Catawba 
seeds that i am going to plant- very soon. 
Your nephew. O. F. Fuller, 
Blackstone, Mass. 
Dear Uncle Mark. —I have read many of 
the letters from the cousins and would like 
very much to be one of their number. I have 
a plot of ground which I cultivate every 
year. I have experimented on potatoes. I 
planted some seeds that come from the seed- 
balls. A few grew for two or three weeks, 
but finally died, I iutend to try again next 
Summer. I have planted seeds of tropical 
fruits, us oranges and lemons. Th*>y grew 
well until an unexpected frost killed them. 
I intend to plant some citron seeds next year. 
Some small red tomatoes wore under a pile 
of leaves all Winter. In the Spring, the set As 
grew aud the tomatoes were nearly all yellow. 
L planted some seeds of the yellow ones, and 
nearly all the tomatoes were red. I always 
like to experiment on plants and vegetables. 
