JUDE r 
DUa&ittg for tljf fotntg. 
THE HORTICULTURAL CLUB. 
UNCLK MARK. 
The members or the Club have lately manifested 
great Interest In tlielr plants and gardens, as shown 
by the letters I hare received from all quarters. 
All report that they are doing their very best, pre¬ 
paring their gardens, sowing their seed, and set¬ 
ting out their plants most carefully. I trust that 
the warm weather and swarms of musqultoesihat 
are now coming on will not affect their zeal unfa¬ 
vorably, for of all seasons this Is the one when the 
garden must have attention. Next to seeding and 
planting there Is nothing more important In gard¬ 
ening, than culture. The weeds must be killed, 
the ground loosened, the plants receive stakes and 
be tied up, or otherwise att ended to. Below I will 
give a few brief directions for the treatment of such 
plants as you are most likely to have In your gar¬ 
dens and begin with 
Musk Melons 
as every boy and girl is sure to relish this delicious 
fruit, and therefore quite apt to have a few plants 
under cultivation. To protect the plants from their 
Insect enemies, dust them with wood ashes and 
plaster. If you wish to grow very large and line 
melons, allow only two plants to each hill, four by 
four feet apart. Water them with liquid manure 
made by stirring nalt a pound of rich guano In a 
pall of water ; {pulverized hen manure will do as 
well,) and lead the vines out where they will have 
room to grow without being entangled with each 
other. When the melons are as large as a tea-cup, 
pinch off tVie ends of all the vines, to lead the 
strength to the fruit, arid cut off all bul live mel¬ 
ons to each plant. This depends, however, upon 
the size of the variety ; If the fruit la naturally 
small, more can be grown on a atrongplant, If very 
large only three or tour should be left. You will 
notice that there are two kinds of Bowers ou your 
melons, as there also are on cucumbers, pumpkins, 
and all plants of the sai tie family. < me kind has a 
knot or large swelling just below the nower; this Is 
the ovary or young fruit, and the Bower Is called a 
pistillate or female flow er. The other kind is small¬ 
er. generally appear first and has no swelling be¬ 
low It, this Is the stammate or male flower, 
and before the fruit cau- develop, some of the 
pollen or tine dust from the flowers must 
be brought lri contact with the organs In the 
pistillate flower. This Is generally dune by bi¬ 
sects. but to be sure that your flrst fruit-flowers 
are fertilized, so that you cau get ripe fruit 
as early as possible, you can transfer some of this 
pollen yourselves, with a camel's hair brush. When 
the pollen Ls« taken from other varieties It 
Is called (ross-ttrt(lizat ion . Melons are a so 
common fruit With us that there is danger we 
lo not appreciate them as highly as we ought to. 
In England and in middle and northern Europe, 
where melons cau be grown only on hot-beds, they 
are considered a great delicacy, and can be had 
only by rich people, who cau afford to keep train¬ 
ed gardeners who know how to grow them. 
Much more might be said on this subject, but I 
have already given It too much space, and will, 
therefore, go on with 
The Strawberry, 
which Is or no less Importance. Every one of our 
members should have a small bed of strawberries, 
if possible; they are so healthy, so delicate and so 
easy to cultivate. Beds can be planted at any time 
during the summer, but It Is commonly done lu the 
spring or in the early fall when the runners have 
gained sufficient strength to be set out. 
At present keep the weeds down between your 
plants with the hoe, and if you do not wish to In¬ 
crease your stock, cut off the runners as they ap¬ 
pear. Spread some grass around the plants as 
soon as the fruit Is formed, to keep It clean. Plants 
that were set out In the spring should not he al¬ 
lowed to hear any rruii this summer. Pick off both 
flowers and runners; they will bear the better 
next year. Choice new varieties which you want 
to propagate may lie allowed to send out runners, 
but cut these oil above the./ow joint as soon as the 
yuuug plant has taken root, and assist it In dolugso 
by placing a small lump on the vine to keep it in 
place. You will thus get line young plants, which 
can be set out next August. There are both 
white and green strawberries when ripe, but red, 
as you know, are the most common. 
If you have any 
Raspberries, 
the canes must he tied to the trellis or stakes. 
The young shoots that are now coming will be 
next year's bearing canes and should be taken care 
of; five or six may be left on each strong plant, the 
rest are superfluous. 
Tomato Plants 
should never be allowed to lie on the ground, they 
give less and Inferior fruit and it will ripen late If 
they do. The best way Is to train them to a trellis 
made either of w ire or of wooden strips. Every 
branch should be tied up, and later, when a quan¬ 
tity of fruit Is formed, the Ups pinched off; you 
win then be surprised to see the amount and size 
of the fruit you can gather from a single plant. I n 
lieu of a trellis, you can use low, spreading brush 
to raise the plants from the ground, but It is not 
so efficient. 
Peas 
growing over a foot In height should be supplied 
with brush on which to climb. Trim each brush 
with a hatchet Into a flattened or fan-shaped 
form, sharpeu the euds so they can easily he stuck 
lu the ground and set a row of brush to each row 
of peas, lu beds ol two rows the brush should be 
set on the outside, the tops leaning a little toward 
each other. 
Radishes 
should now be freely supplied with water, other¬ 
wise they will be spongy and unfit to eat. To have 
a constant supply or tills excellent vegetable, sow 
a short row every week, say every Saturday, They 
can be grown between the rows of cabbage and 
Other vegetables, but water them freely. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Some of the members have told us of tlielr suc¬ 
cess In growing 
Onions. 
It affords me great pleasure to receive such en¬ 
couraging reports, and I trust that all who have 
tried it, and many others who have heard of what 
an Industrious boy cau do In a garden, have t his 
year sown a patch of onions. The rows should 
now be thinned It the seed Is sown too thick, and 
spare no effort to suppress the weeds. 
The Flowers 
need also constant attention. To all admirers of 
flowers, this Is a labor of love, which Is done wil¬ 
lingly and with pleasure, and not an Imposed task, 
that Is done only from a sense of duty. Work 
among them in the morning before you go to 
school, and in the evening after you get home, 
and at all times whenever > ou have a few minutes 
to spare from other duties. Watch their develop¬ 
ment; notice, the difference between different 
varieties, and be ever on the look-out to tie up and 
pinch off straying branches, to stir the ground, 
and to water them whenever necessary. Weeds 
should never be found In the 1 lower beds. If you 
have made any att empt at ribbon or carpet-plant¬ 
ing on your beds, you must now keep the plants 
trimmed and of an even growth, 
Tuberoses 
should be supported by stakes as should also Dah¬ 
lias, the large varieties or Gladiolus and all other 
tall-growing plants. 
Verbenas 
on the other hand should bo kept close to the 
ground. Spread out the branches mall directions 
so they will cover the ground nicely and keep them 
In place with small wooden hooks. Thus fastened, 
the branches will take roots, which will groatly 
invigorate the plants, The unpretending but 
sweet little 
Mignonette 
should be found in every flower garden, sow some 
seed lu a pot or box, set the young plants in 
four inch pots one In each, and train them up tor 
window decoration, l have transplanted young 
plants very successfully In t lie garden by carefully 
shading- and watering them till they began to 
grow. 
The Geranium 
tn all Us varieties is an excellent bedding plant, 
and will generally do well on light but rich soil, 
when supplied with water. 
F uchslas 
can also be used for bedding. They will do pretty 
well In a shaded place. 
Callus that have been flowering indoors during 
the spring, should now be laid on the side, under 
the shade of some trees, to rest and dryout, and all 
other house plants should be set out doors; either 
planted out or the pots sunk In (he ground. I se 
the hoe and the rake vigorously, give attention to 
every plant, in your gardens, and remember that 
“whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also 
reap,” Is as true In gardening as In the spiritual 
sense. 
THE FRUIT-GROWER’S FAMILY. 
HENRY S. CUJBB. 
on the East Shore of Lake Michigan near the 
center of the celebrated Peach Belt, and not far 
from one of the best harbors ou the lake, there Is, 
nestling in the rear of the range of sand hills that 
at this point protect, the Inhabitants from the lake 
storms, a cozy farm-house and a clearing or about 
30 acres mostly planted to fruit, chiefly peach 
trees. The occupation of the owner of tills place 
is that of fruit-fanner, and in addition to himself 
and wife he has six children who share with him, 
as far as they are able, the labors and enjoyments 
of that rural calling. 
The eldest boy Is eighteen, and consequently 
capable ot rendering important assistance on the 
farm. He was named after Ills uncle William. He 
had passed through the public schools and hud 
graduated creditably at the high school or the 
neighboring city. He had acquired, at school, an 
especial taste for botanical pursuits and was quite 
familiar with the flora of the Lake Shore region. 
Amyls a sprightly girl of Is, and although not 
quite through school, manages to devote a good 
deal or time to the collection of botanical speci¬ 
mens, and with the help of her brother WUllam, 
has, In addition to a large collect ion of dried speci¬ 
mens, a very Interesting, little botanical garden. In 
which her pet, wild flowers are growing, not In 
stiff, formal beds or rows, but lu something like 
the c harming disorder or romantic mixture and 
profusion of the wild woods. 
The next girl, Esther, LS years of years of age, Is 
also fond of rambling In the woods with her 
brothers and sisters, but her taste Is in the direc¬ 
tion of pet animals and birds, which she delights 
to tame and train up so that, although ol the most 
opjKislte dispositions they treat each other with 
proper consideration and her school of pete, a cat, 
a Newfoundland pup, a panvt, a squirrel and a 
canary constitute, with a selection from the barn¬ 
yard fowls, a sort of *• happy family,” In the con¬ 
trol and management of which she exhibits 
remarkable skill, and her kind treatment is recip¬ 
rocated by wonderful affection and obedience ou 
the part of her apt scholars. 
Harry, a mischievous boy of ll, Is not specially 
devoted to any pursuit, or hobby, like the older 
children, hut Is fond of playing tricks on Esther's 
pet pupils aiul.ls generally disliked by them. 
Susie nine, and Benny seven, are admitted to 
Esther’s school of pets on school days on condition 
or obedience as scholars. 
As all the children except William are attending 
public schools, they have ouly Saturdays during 
school terms on which to follow their special pur- 
suite, and even that day Is encroached on by du¬ 
ties incident to farm and home life. 
Saturday afternoons, however, are usually de¬ 
voted to their favorite rambles In the woods and 
swamps, botanizing, catching pets and the like. 
The peculiar formation of the land In the vicinity 
of Lake Michigan affords a grand Held for the re¬ 
search. Although at a distance, while passing In 
steamers, the stranger would regard the shore as 
uninteresting, consisting In many places or almost 
barren sand hills; still exploration for a mile or so 
Inland, reveals a great variety of bill and dale In¬ 
terspersed with swamps and water courses, in 
which arc found subjects of great Interest to stu¬ 
dents, and even to children, who, without any 
scientific bias, are simply looking ’for amusement 
and recreation. 
The hills, although presenting a white sandy 
front to the passing steamboat passenger are thick¬ 
ly covered on their eastern slope and with rare 
exceptions tlielr summits, with hemlock, beach, 
maple, pine ami white cedar or arbor vitae, form¬ 
ing a pleasant shade. Nome of the trees are so 
buried In white sand that only their tips are seen 
the storms or the lake having, within the period 
of their growth, piled the sand around them In 
fantastic shapes to a great depth, say forty to 
fifty feet, wild grape vines with roots In the bot¬ 
tom soil are burled year after year In the sand, 
but their growth outcrops the highest sandhills 
and vines flourish perhaps WTO feel from their 
original roots down deep below the drift of sand. 
But even In the hot test weather this drifted sand 
Is moist; w ithin a few inches of the surface and 
trees and vines flourish with wild luxuriance on 
what appears uotblng but white sand. 
It was while rambling on the shore among these 
fantastic sand-drifts and beneath the forest trees 
that I. all at once, came upon a scene which 
awakened my Interest and attention, ilie 
family above described were enjoying the cool 
lake breeze and reclining beneath the shade of a 
half burned hemlock. The youngest children 
were plajiugln the sand tn which Uttle Benny was 
more than halt burled having been discovered 
rast asleep by Harry who had plied the clean 
white sand over his feet arid legs. Susie was sit¬ 
ting near Benny with a crown of trailing albums 
around her head. Tiffs crown as I subsequently 
learned had been made by her sister Amy who 
had a special admiration for this sweet scented 
wax-like flower, clumps of which she well knew 
where to And among the bills. Esther was pet¬ 
ting a little chipmunk which she had caught in a 
knothole Intending to train It up as an addition to 
her school of pete. WUllam and Amy were dis¬ 
cussing several specimens of ferns and mosses 
which they had collected In their rambles and ex¬ 
amining some beautiful columbines, lady-slippers 
and other flowera which they were arranging In a 
handsome bouquet Intended Tor the adornment ol 
tlielr home and a present to their mother. With 
them they hud a basket ot roots Tor planting In 
Amy’s garden. 
Being well acquainted with this Interesting 
family I joined them in their discussion and learned 
t he particulars of their various pursuits as given 
above. I was invited by Amy to come and see 
her garden and by Esther to see the performances 
of her pets while WUllam said he would be pleased 
to show me his nursery of young fruit trees on 
which he was endeavoring to perieet hlmseir in the 
art or budding aud grafting. 
As a matter of fact 1 must say I have never seen 
a family more devoted to their special subjects of 
study and pursuit nor one that seemed so happy 
In their relations to each other. The Idea of do¬ 
mestic felicity in which I had often indulged I11 
connect ion with rural pursuits seemed to me to be 
fully realized In tiffs case. The results of a more 
Intimate acquaintance to which this Interview 
gave rise I will give In future papeis. My next 
will be “ Amy’s Garden.” 
-•-*-♦- 
THE MOUND. 
“What are you trying to build. Sarah,” said 
Father Morse, one day to his son's wife, as he saw 
her leaning on a spade, and ruefully contemplat¬ 
ing a miscellaneous collection of stones. 
“ 1 vvaut to make a mound,” she replied. “ I have 
seen them and they were so pretty that 1 thought 
l should like to have one, and T was considering 
now to manage it.” 
Mr. Morse's race brightened Into a kindly smile. 
“ I’m glad 1 round out before you wasted your 
strength, what you wanted," sahl he, “ for I have 
seen them made, and If yon will rest and look on, I 
will lake It off your hands.” 
After a Utile search he found an empty salt bar¬ 
rel, removed the bottom, and after placing It on the 
desired spot, he speedily rilled It with rich earth. 
Then lie laid a wall of stone around It, fllUng all 
the spaces between them with the same material, 
packing It well as he went, his early skill lu laying 
stone walls •• flown east,” helping him very much 
in the construction. It was far from beUlg an un¬ 
sightly object before It was put to Its legitimate 
use. and Father Morse took almost as much pride 
in it u-> did tils grateful daughter-in-law ; and 
when, later In the season, t he top was tilled with 
Pansies, china-asters, and Geraniums, and from 
every crevice bloomed a variety of other Bowel's; 
and running vines covered the rocks with leaves 
and bloesomfl. It was truly a “ thing of beauty,” 
and llie liurd-vvoiiclng woman who had so seldom 
had au opportunity of gratifying her liner tastes, 
gathered inspiration enough rrom it to ease the 
rugged path or farm labor. She was never too 
tired after tier work was done at night, to water 
her plants anil give each one a loving glance. 
Father Molse inner visited his son afterwards 
without casting an admiring glance at. this tri¬ 
umph of Ills skill, and the pleasure Sarah took tn 
It. was a secret gratification to him; but such Is the 
force of habit with unthinking men, that if Ills 
own wife had asked him to construct a mound for 
her, he would have thought with alarm that If he 
should gratify one of her individual tastes 11 
would be allowing her too much liberty, and that 
she ought to regard such t hings as he usually did, 
with sublime Indifference. But Ills worthy son, 
John, seeing that his wife dirt not neglect any of 
her household duties, to attend to her favorites, 
concluded that It was safe, not to say anything dis¬ 
couraging to her about her flower culture, which 
was quite an advance for htm to make. c. b. d. 
THE LOOM OF LIFE. 
All day, all night, I can hear the Jar 
Of the loom of life, and near and far 
It thrills with its deep and omitted Bound, 
As tireless the wheels go always round. 
Busily, ceaselessly goes the loom. 
In the light of day and the midnight’s gloom. 
The wheels are turning early and late. 
And the wool is wound in the warp of Fate. 
Click, clack ! there's a thread of love woven in ; 
< dick, clack ! another of wrong and sin ! 
What a checkered thing this life will bo, 
When we see it unrolled in eternity ! 
Time, with a face like mystery, 
And hands us busy as haudscau be. 
Sits at the loom with arms outspread, 
To catch in its meshes each glancing thread. 
when shall this wonderful web be done r 
In a thousand years, perhaps, or one. 
Or to morrow. Who knoweth ? Not you or I; 
But the wheels turn ou and the shuttles fly. 
Ah, sad-eyed weavers, the years arc slow, 
But each one is nearer the end 1 know 
And some day the last thread shall be woven in, 
God grant it be love instead of sin. 
Are we spinners of wool in this Life web—say ? 
Do we furnish the weaver a thread each day ? 
It were better, then, oh my friends, to spin 
A beautiful thread than a thread of sin. 
-- 
DORCAS AND PETER. 
One of the liveliest occasions connected with the 
recent BaptLst anniversaries In London, was the 
Zeuaoa Breakfast, given at Canon-street Hotel, in 
the Interest of the Zenana missions in India. The 
most taking of the speeches made was by Dr. Stan¬ 
ford. We quote some portion of It : 
Cardinal Manning has spoken with stately elo¬ 
quence about the primacy of Peter, but I think 
something might be said for the primacy of 
Dorcas. Peter was all very well for a man (of 
course l now leave out the mysterious element of 
the supernatural); lie was “a rich, rough gem;” 
he had good sound sense; he was hardy, not fear¬ 
ing to let the wet wind whistle through Ills hair; 
he was loud, that superlative quality in a minis- 
lster, and with a voice accustomed to battle with 
the hiss and roar ot many waters; he was the very 
roan to make everybody hear him in a great crowd, 
that voice of his being doubtless one reason, along 
with others, why divine wisdom appointed him to 
be the preacher to t he Pentecostal crowd. With 
all his distinction, If lie had tried to fill the place 
of Dorcas for only one week, he would have been 
made to feel his own uolhlngness. He was no shy 
violet hiding In the foliage and pouring Its fra¬ 
grance from the shade. A sick-room would not 
have been his sphere. Ills hand would have been 
too clumsy, his voice too noisy, and hLs foot too 
tremendous on the stair for a muse, and he would 
have provoked a saint to say. If a saint had been 
familiar with the quotation, “ A ministering angel, 
thou!” Could you have seen lffm with fumbling 
Ungers and with eyes sweeping the horizon, essay 
to cut out coats and garments, you would have 
seen directly that whatever else he might become, 
he would never become a sempstress. No, but the 
Lady of .Joppa knew how to make the very needle 
evangelical, and she did such beautiful kindnesses 
with It for the women aud children, that with 
grateful delight they fondly lingered on her name, 
calling her “Gazelle." For her dear suke her 
Saviour got a hearing, and we are quite sure that 
if there had been any Zenana work to do in her 
country she would have been the first to do It.— 
The Standard, 
-» ♦ »- 
THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. 
The following- metrical arrangement of the books of 
the Bible, from the Christian at Work, will help chil¬ 
dren, especially, to remember their respective locality 
in the Bible: 
THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
The great Jehovah speaks to us. 
In Genesis ami Exodus; 
Leviticus and Numbers see. 
Followed by Deuteronomy. 
Joshua, and Judges rule the land. 
Both gleans a sheaf with trembling hand ; 
Samuel and numerous Kings appear. 
Whose Chronicles we wondering hear. 
Ezra aud Nehemiuh now, 
Esther the beauteous mourner show; 
.lob speaks in signs, David in Psuhns. 
The Proverbs teach to scatter alms. 
Ecclesiastes next comes on. 
And the sweet Bong of Solomon. 
Isaiah, Jerctiliull then, 
With Lamentations, takes his pen; 
Ezekiel, Duniel, Hosea's lyres," 
Swell Joel’s Amos’, Obadlah’s 
Next, Jonah, Mlvah, Nahum come. 
And softly Hahitkknk tinds room. 
While Zepbatiiali, Haggai calls, 
Kapt Zacharluh builds his walls, 
And Malaclll, with garments rent 
Concludes the ancient Testament. 
THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
Matthew. Murk, Mike and John, 
Record the life of God’s dear Son. 
The Apostles* Acts are next disclosed. 
And Paul’s Epistle, for Rome composed. 
Two other letters to Onrinth sent, 
Are followed by One, for Galatia meant. 
One also Is sent to Ephesus, 
And one to PliiUlppi, one to Colours, 
'Then. Thnsstdonians, Timothy and Titus come on. 
Together with the letter to Philemon. 
'The Epistle to t,ho Hebrews now comes in view, 
Which shows the Old Testament fulfilled in the 
New. 
Now follow Epistles from James, Peter and John, 
In numbers reverse, of three, two aud one. 
And now, at the close, is the Epistle of Jude, 
With John’s Revealed Vision, which, in Patmos he 
viewed. 
