63o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
SEPT. 2i 
together with Early Polaris and other 
choice early varieties to a large seed house 
in England to test in 1887. The report came 
in that the White Early Ohio was a great 
yielder and the quality fine; the Daven¬ 
port Thoroughbred a good yielder and the 
quality extra and better than that of most 
American potatoes sent to England. These 
two stood at the head. I have tested them 
for the last five years, and I find 
them superior ' in merit. They are from 
one to two weeks earlier than the Rose; 
their superior cooking and eating qualities 
are unanimously commended as well as their 
compact growth in the hill and their free¬ 
dom from disease. Quite a number of our 
potato experts have tested them beside the 
Rose, and the reports are that in quality, 
hardiness, earliness and yield they far sur¬ 
pass that celebrated variety. They will 
be a great boon to market gardeners and I 
am confident whoever tests them once, will 
never give them up. o. H. A. 
Charlotte, Vt. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
T I J HAT a relief it is to wear straight 
y y gowns without such a quantity 
of neavy drapery! Just notice the differ¬ 
ence in weight between one of the older 
draped skirts, and one of the straight gowns 
now in vogue. The lighter gown is incom¬ 
parably better, as far as health is con¬ 
cerned, apart from the convenience. Al¬ 
though it is said that the Directoire modes 
will soon be out of style, probably because 
they have been too popular, there is no 
doubt that comparatively plain straight 
skirts will still hold popular favor. 
* * 
* 
Colors seem to vary but little. Green 
in all shades still seems likely to hold high 
rank among fashionable colors. Red will 
be popular too; the light terra-cottas have 
become vulgar, but some darker shades will 
be well worn, both in terra-cotta and ma¬ 
hogany. Other richer reds will be favored; 
a new terra-cotta tint is Eiffel red. Ashes 
of lilac is another new color—a soft, almost 
indescribable grayish tint with a sugges¬ 
tion of lavender. Another new color is Edi¬ 
son green, an electric shade copied from the 
light thrown on fountains. This is seen in 
small feathers and ostrich tips. 
* * 
* 
Harper’s Bazar gives some very useful 
suggestions fora sewing-room, which will 
bear repetition. Of course, we don’t all 
possess a spare room which may be put to 
this purpose, but whenever it is possible a 
room devoted entirely to such work will 
be found a great comfort. For a plain, 
serviceable family sewing-room, the floor 
should be covered with linoleum; its cork 
lining makes it warm, and there is no fear 
that snips or threads will adhere. The 
furniture consists of a large folding cut¬ 
ting table, a dress form, a sewing machine, 
and several low chairs, a lapboard, and a 
large scrap basket. A three-leaved screen 
is suggested, to secure privacy during fit¬ 
ting. A great convenience for this room, 
suggested by the same authority is a 
sort of cabinet for such trifles as buttons, 
thread, tape, pins, etc. To make it, take 
one of the smooth boards on which dry 
goods are rolled. Procure three or four 
cigar boxes about two inches deep. Re¬ 
move the lids from all but one. Screw 
these boxes lengthwise across the board, one 
above the other, leaving that with a lid on 
top. Leave enough space between them to 
comfortably insert the hand. Treat the 
whole arrangement to a coat of walnut 
stain, and put two screw eyes at the top to 
hang it up by. Across the bottom put four 
brass hooks, on which to hang trifles. 
The proper pincushion for a home dress¬ 
maker is a crescent, ten inches long, and 
three inches wide at the broadest part. It 
must be covered with stout linen, and 
stuffed with bran. At either end is a tape 
string, so that it may be tied around the 
waist while in use. The sewing-room is 
not complete without a stock of “ notions.” 
Pins, both black and white, needles of all 
sizes, machine supplies, tape, hooks and 
eyes, and standard buttons should always 
be in stock, especially in a country house, 
where needs cannot be supplied at a mom¬ 
ent’s notice. It is a very good plan, when 
buying braid for a skirt, to buy two pieces 
instead of one, so there is no trouble about 
matching when the braid is to be removed. 
OUT-DOOR STUDIES. 
II. 
STUDYING BY ANALYSIS. 
W HEN one begins to know a few 
flowers by sight and name, one 
begins to ask why this is a ranunculus and 
that an epigiea; why an elm tree and a 
nettle should belong to the same order— 
in fact, we begin to think about the bare 
scientific skeleton which we cover with so 
much beauty. To understand analytical 
botany, we ought to begin with something 
we already know, just as we dissect or 
amplify our conjugations and declensions 
before attacking Virgil. 
The artificial classification of plants in¬ 
troduced by Linnams, is now out of date; 
we go by the simpler natural system. The 
lower orders of cryptogamous or flowerless 
plants—ferns, mosses, and lichens—we need 
not discuss now. Flowering plants are di¬ 
vided int o two great classes—the exoyens and 
endogens. The first class has a stem formed 
of bark, pith and wood ; the leaves have 
netted veins, and the parts of the flowers 
are mostly in fours or fives. We will take 
an ordinary dog-rose as a representative 
exogen, or any tree, in fact. The endogens 
do not have bark or pith; the stems have 
the wood collected into bundles or threads; 
the leaves have parallel instead of netted 
veins, and the parts of the flowers are gen¬ 
erally in threes. Any lily will do as a rep¬ 
resentative endogen. 
Before attempting analysis, the student 
must, of course, learn the parts of the 
plant. We all know the five great divis¬ 
ions: root, stem, leaves, flower and fruit. 
The flower consists of the calyx, or outer 
cup, formed of sepals; the corolla, formed 
of the bright-lined petals; the stamens, con¬ 
sisting of filament and anther, the latter 
containing pollen, and the pistil, formed of 
ovary, containing embryo seeds, style, and 
stigma. We should roughly divide flowers 
into two great classes—simple and com¬ 
pound. Take the rose again, as a repre¬ 
sentative of simple flowers; each blossom is 
alone and independent. But what we call 
a daisy is a compound flower; that yellow 
center is really a mass of tiny blossoms, 
surrounded by a leafy basket which serves 
as calyx to the whole. Each little flower, 
or floret, is perfect by itself, while in some 
of the family, such as the daisy, the mar¬ 
ginal florets have their corollas lengthened 
sideways, so as to give the rayed appear¬ 
ance to the flower. These compound flow¬ 
ers form the family of Composite. 
Try to analyze something you are very 
familiar with—for example, a rose. You 
know it is an exogen, and a simple flower. 
Next thing you notice is that it has both 
calyx and corolla—a green calyx, which 
swells as it ripens, until it becomes an or¬ 
namental fruit; a row of green sepals 
around the corolla; five or more briglit- 
hued petals, inserted with the stamens on 
the edge of a disk within the calyx tube; 
numerous stamens, and one to many pis¬ 
tils. These are the general characteristics 
of the large family known as the Rosace* *, 
which includes raspberry, strawberry, pear 
and many other well-known fruits. Exam¬ 
ine your rose more closely. You find that 
the calyx is tubular and urn-shaped 
the upper part spread into five divisions, 
making it appear as if those above were the 
real calyx, and as if they were on the top of 
a solitary ovary. Make a vertical section 
through this calyx, and you will find sev¬ 
eral ovaries concealed in this lower urn¬ 
shaped portion, while the pistil which looks 
like one style with several stigmas at the 
top, is really a consolidation of many styles; 
where they struggle through the narrow 
neck of the calyx. Other members of the 
rose family show the same style 
of flower, but the arrangement of fruit and 
seeds differs so strongly as to destroy all 
resemblance. 
You will notice that the distinguishing 
traits are not the flower, as we ordinarily 
term it; that is not the showy petals. The 
less conspicuous parts of the plant denote 
its proper place. After deciding whether 
it is exogen or endogen, simple or com¬ 
pound, you examine closely for peculiari¬ 
ties of form. Take a rose-mallow. It has 
a green calyx, divided into five segments, 
which suggests a rose, and the petals offer 
some similarity. But in the mallow the 
stamens are united with the base of the 
petals, and rise in the center of the corolla, 
forming a tube in which the pist ils are en¬ 
closed. You may notice this peculiarity, 
very clearly in the common Rose of Shar¬ 
on so familiar in gardens. These plants I 
have mentioned are p>olypetalous\ that is, 
they have both calyx and corolla, the latter 
of separate petals. The next great class is 
called monopetalous ; calyx and corolla are 
both present, but the latter more or less 
united into one piece, as in the morning- 
glory. The third division is termed apetal- 
ous. These have no corolla and sometimes 
the calyx also is wanting. Willow catkins 
are an example. 
After deciding to which of these divisions 
a flower belongs, it is comparatively easy 
to trace it with the aid of an analytical key. 
I say comparatively easy, for it requires an 
amazing power of memory to locate an un¬ 
familiar flower off-hand. Especially is this 
true of the Composite; we should be quite 
accurate in calling them complicated as 
well as composite flowers. While the 
leaves help us to distinguish varieties, they 
are of comparatively little use in discerning 
orders or genera; for this we must look at 
flowers and seed. Much of our work must 
be done with magnifying-glass, but once 
begun, it is extremely fascinating, and can 
be pursued with less expenditure than 
any other science. cottage maid. 
DOMESTIC NOTES. 
T HIS year all our fruit has been put 
up in one way, and that a very easy 
one. We make no pound-for-pound pre¬ 
serves, but can everything after this fash¬ 
ion. The fruit is peeled, or prepared in any 
way desired, and then packed into the bot¬ 
tles, with a sprinkling of sugar all the way 
through. The jars are then filled up with 
water, and stood in the wash-boiler, with 
enough cold water to reach three-fourths up 
the bottles. The bottles are stood on boards to 
prevent them touching thebottom of the ket¬ 
tle, and the lids are put on, but not fastened. 
The boiler is stood on the stove and brought 
to a boil; it is left on for 20 minutes after 
coming to a boil. This cooks the fruit 
thoroughly; very soft fruit will do with a 
little less. When the jars are lifted out, a 
little boiling water must be poured into 
them, so as to fill them up, and they must 
then be sealed immediately. This is a very 
satisfactory way to do strawberries, peaches 
and pears. 
We have been greatly tormented with 
water bugs (croton bugs), a pest that usu¬ 
ally appears where the water is laid on. 
After trying many remedies we at last 
found the only effectual one in “ Concen¬ 
trated Red Seal Lye,” which we scatter in 
and around the sink. It must be used 
with caution, for it is terribly caustic, burn¬ 
ing away paint if allowed to touch it, nor 
must it be allowed to touch the hands, but 
it certainly drives away water bugs and 
roaches. After letting it lie in the sink 
over-night, we wash it away with quanti¬ 
ties of hot water, thus serving a double 
purpose, for the lye is excellent for clean¬ 
ing grease out of the escape pipe of the 
sink. 
Never burn or destroy tissue paper which 
may come in the way of wrappings—it is 
excellent for polishing windows. Ammonia 
and water, applied with a sponge, followed 
by a polish with tissue paper, is our favor¬ 
ite way of window-cleaning. Ammonia 
should always be used in the water for 
cleaning glass or silver—it removes grease 
and gives a good polish. PATTY CARTON. 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
T HE CHRISTIAN UNION says that 
the truest hospitality sometimes 
consists in locking the door, and the truest 
friendship sometimes involves absolute un¬ 
responsiveness to an appeal that ought 
never to have been made. If you wish to 
serve your friend, help him to be self-sup¬ 
porting, but do not let him become depend¬ 
ent upon you. Sting him, if necessary, 
into the consciousness of his own weak¬ 
nesses, even if it cost his good-will. The 
surrender of a friendship for such a reason 
may sometimes be the highest evidence of 
its purity and nobility. 
the Congkegationalist says that it is 
the honey in the glass, and not the elegance 
of the glass, that draws the bees; and it is 
the power of the Gospel in the hearts and 
lives of its professors, and in the preaching 
of the pulpit and labors of the pastor,which 
gives the Word success... 
Theodore Parker, when uttering the 
Lord’s Prayer, used to say: ‘‘Forgive us our 
t respasses as we should forgive those who 
trespass against us!” He also prayed: “Lead 
us from temptation,” instead.of “Lead us 
not into temptation.”. 
It is not intellectual work that injures 
the brain, says the London “Hospital,” 
but emotional excitement. Most men can 
stand the severest thought and study of 
which their brains are capable, and be none 
the worse for it; for neither thought nor 
study interferes with the recuperative in¬ 
fluence of sleep. It is ambition, anxiety f 
and disappointment, the hopes and fears, 
the loves and hates, of our lives, that wear 
out our nervous system and endanger the 
balance of the brain. 
The Christian Union says that truth is 
the foundation of life; it is the principle 
that gives life its stability. It is the foun¬ 
dation of success for the individual, the 
community, the State. So great is it in the 
estimation of earth’s finest beings that 
death is a willing sacrifice for its preserva¬ 
tion. So high a place does truth hold in 
the minds of men that a devotion to it com¬ 
mands respect from those who see errors 
where the advocate sees truth. For even 
truth is susceptible to various interpreta¬ 
tions. Like all great principles, it is best 
understood by those whose mental vision is 
trained to scan the world’s horizon. To the 
mind in the valley, who sees the world 
through the narrow opening between his 
native hills, its largest realms are shadowy 
regions where falsehood dwells. 
There is no special grace in truth that 
reveals itself in brutal statements of facts 
already too evident. Such remarks cannot 
lift men above the level of the earth. No¬ 
where is truth more valuable than in the 
social circle, where men and women send 
out an influence searching and far-reach¬ 
ing. But it is truth combined with char¬ 
ity and with love, with an ever-present con¬ 
sciousness of the many-sided-ness of life, 
and that one mind cannot grasp the inner 
consciousness of every human being that 
chance revolution of time throws within its 
orbit... 
Truth is the foundation of life, but not 
truth alone. To raise a structure fit for 
the indwelling of the divine, it must couple 
with it in construction grace, love, self-con¬ 
trol, and the intuition that sees in every soul 
the possibility of suffering, of living, of de¬ 
votion to a cause. Truth is mighty to up¬ 
lift or to cast down. To see the truth is 
the one desire of every man and woman 
who seeks to reach the divine ideal of t he 
race. But to speak it where only suffering 
can follow the hearing of it reveals a vul¬ 
gar mind, living on a low plane spiritual¬ 
ly, intellectually, socially. Truth for the 
upbuilding of man though he be crucified, 
but silence where its proclaiming means 
only pain!. 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
FEATHER PUDDING. 
One cup of sugar, three table-spoonfuls 
of melted butter, one cup of sweet milk, 
two beaten eggs, 13 ounces (about two cups 
and a-half) of flour and two large t ea-spoon¬ 
fuls of baking powder. Flavor with lemon. 
Bake 25 minutes in a moderate oven. Eat 
with butter and sugar creamed or a liquid 
sauce. Nice as a cake. 
TAPIOCA PUDDING. 
One cup of tapioca soaked over-night in 
a pint of new milk. In the morning scald 
a quart of milk, add the softened tapioca, 
sweeten and flavor as liked, and pdd three 
beaten eggs. Eat wit h sweetened cream. 
M u FEINS. 
One quart of warm milk, one-half cup of 
butter, one cup of home-made yeast, flour to 
make not a very stiff batter, a little salt 
and a little sugar if liked. When light 
bake in muffin rings. 
CORN GEMS. 
Two cups of flour, two cups of milk, one 
cup of Indian meal, two or three eggs, two 
tea-spoonfuls of baking powder, butter the 
iftijwUaumsi §Hlv*rti0ia0. 
When Baby was sick, we gave tier Castotia, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castorla. 
MV hen she became Miss, she clung to Castoria 
When she had Children she cave then? Oaatort 
