i4o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
MARCH i 
can stand a shower occasionally. After 
using this cart two years and watch¬ 
ing the use of spraying carts cost¬ 
ing four times as much, I prefer sprinkling 
to spraying, as the force used in the latter 
process seems to drive the poison into the 
tender parts of the plants so strongly that 
they appear to be injured and their growth 
seems checked. One of my neighbors has a 
force pump, geared from the wheels, at¬ 
tached to the top of the barrel for spraying 
his orchards, and uses it. 
Various, 
A SUMMER OUTING IN THE NORTH 
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS. 
VIII. 
MARY WAGER-FISHER. 
Snake lore; the commodore’s fresh meat; 
the boy and the roasted mouse; s me 
native cures. 
Our various expeditions on horse-back 
for “ views ” and to visit water-falls, were 
on no occasion attended with mishaps or 
disasters. The horses were well-behaved, 
and although we usually went without 
company, no thought of insecurity from 
man or beast ever troubled us. The only 
danger that haunted my mind was the pos¬ 
sibility of the laddie being bitten by a 
rattlesnake; but he was so charged with 
precautions and instructions concerning a 
chance meeting with a member of the 
Crotalus family, and so alert with eyes and 
ears, that I tried to feel that he was equal 
to any emergency in that line. But, much 
as we tramped in field and wood, we never 
once saw a rattler, and the laddie who was 
longing to embalm one in alcohol, had to 
be content with a fresh skin, which was 
brought to one of the stores for sale. It 
had five rattles on it, was spotted with 
yellow and black, and was four feet long. 
He paid half a dollar for it, and “cured ” 
it by spreading on the inside of the skin a 
paste made of powdered alum, salt, and 
flour moistened with water, and a strip of 
paper was then laid over the paste, and the 
skin was rolled up for two or three days, 
when it was scraped free of the paste and 
stretched on a board to dry. A large, 
black rattlesnake was found in a hay 
field a mile or so out of the town, 
and the gentleman upon whose do¬ 
main it was killed, skinned it, and he 
told me that in the process the beheaded 
snake repeatedly struck at him, and the 
snake had been killed half an hour before 
its head had been cut off. Imagine the 
nerve required to do such a piece of work ! 
The skin was very handsome, and the rat¬ 
tles numbered 11. When within about four 
inches of the rattles, in the skinning pro¬ 
cess, strong muscles were met with, which 
connected directly with the tail, and the 
rapidity with which these muscles shake 
the rattles, is remarkable. I saw when in 
California two freshly captured and caged 
rattlesnakes whose rattling at the approach 
of a visitor was so rapid as to make the mo¬ 
tion quite indistinct. A mountaineer 
woman who told me snake stories one day 
as she watched me making a sketch of a 
tree, could well imitate the fearful whir-r 
of the rattle. It appears that the number 
of rattles do not always indicate the year of 
the snake’s life, as being of a brittle char¬ 
acter they are sometimes broken off. The 
concurrent testimony from the many snake- 
experienced people with whom I talked, 
was that the rattlesnake is a sluggish 
beast, that it must coil before it can strike 
to bite, that it can jump scarcely its length, 
and that if unmolested, it will, as a rule 
crawl quietly away. It likes a sunny ex¬ 
posure, to lie on a warm rock, across a 
trail, or along the warm side of a log. Un¬ 
less the poison from the bite enters a blood 
channel leading to the heart, an adult rare¬ 
ly dies, if where he can quickly apply reme¬ 
dies. Whisky taken internally in large 
measure is principally relied upon. A tea 
made of snake-root is also found to be ef¬ 
ficacious; salt and soda, are applied to the 
wound. The bitten limb is also tightly 
bandaged to arrest the progress of the 
poison. The rattlesnake emits a peculiar 
odor, which is quickly perceived by' horses 
and cattle. The owner of an intelligent sad¬ 
dle-horse which was often kindly given us to 
ride, said, in reply to a fear I had expressed, 
that in riding the animal in all sorts of 
places he might be bitten: “You need 
have no fear. If a snake is any where 
near, ‘Coaly’ will smell it, and stiffen 
every muscle in his body, and then retreat 
or advance, according to the direction of 
the danger.” A lady said that to her sense, 
the odor was like that of the he-goat. A 
man said it smelt like a cucumber ! I was 
told of some young men in Highlands, of 
an experimental turn, who dissected a 
“rattler” and then cooked the meat, 
which they found to be very white, fine and 
sweet, probably equal to that of the eel. 
An old commodore in the South, whose 
exact locality I do not remember, is quite 
famous for his gastronomy in the way of 
rats, mice and snakes. A story is told of 
the aversion his young son had to eating a 
cooked mouse, when his father shut him up 
in a room with nothing but the roasted 
mouse for him to eat. The boy held out 
until overcome by the pangs of hunger 
when he tasted the tiny roast, and liked it! 
In later years, when he, too, had become a 
naval officer, and all his comrades on board 
ship had only salt meat to eat, he could re¬ 
gale himself with fresh rats and mice! 
That we regard certain animals as edible 
and others as not is largely due to educa¬ 
tion or prejudice. When one considers 
what poultry that run at large feed upon, 
one should not suppose the poultry eater 
capable of sneering at the eater of a clean 
and well-fed mouse. 
Negroes do not as a rule, live so high up 
on the mountains as Highlands, preferring 
the lower country both for climate and for 
population. A few came up in the sum¬ 
mer, to engage in household service, or to 
do laundering for the “summer boarders.” 
Jane, the negro servant of our hostess, had 
been born in slavery, but had no white 
blood in her veins. She was tall and strong, 
could neither read nor write, but was en¬ 
dowed with excellent qualities that made 
her unusually valuable. She was neat, in¬ 
telligent, honest and faithful, and she in¬ 
terested me also, because of her familiarity 
with the lowly life of the South, and its 
superstitions. One day the laddie had 
brought me some Indian Pipes (Monotropa 
uniflora.) which Jane called “fits plant,” 
and upon asking her why they were so 
called, she said that they dried the roots of 
the plant, powdered it, and gave it to cure 
“fits.” I wrote down two other “ cures ” 
practiced among her people. This, for nau¬ 
sea : “ Take a piece of pork on a fork ; light 
a torch full of resin and hold it under the 
pork. Catch the drippings in water, which 
sweeten with brown sugar and a table¬ 
spoonful of corn whisky. This swallowed 
cures nausea ”—the other cure is for croup: 
“ Take the child having croup out to the 
side of the house. Bore a hole through the 
side with an auger, then make a wooden 
plug to fit in the hole. Take a lock of the 
child’s hair at the back of the head, put it 
into the hole, then drive in the plug, and 
cut off the hair, when the child recovers.” 
That such superstitions exist in this coun¬ 
try among our own citizens seems incredi¬ 
ble, yet these are but a sample or two, in¬ 
dicative of the profound and wide-spread 
ignorance that prevails over a large part of 
the country. 
ijorticiillural. 
A HORTICULTURAL BIT OF 
SOPHISM. 
There are not a few people who cherish 
an idea that it is not practicable to pur¬ 
chase plants from the professional seeds¬ 
men. To their minds there are several 
“good and sufficient reasons” why this 
cannot be done. That this is rank fallacy, 
all who have had any experience in pur¬ 
chasing know full well, so that it becomes 
a veritable wonder that such an idea should 
prevail. Millions of flowering plants are 
sold every year, and millions more would 
be if these people would get rid of their 
notion. I have been at some pains to as¬ 
certain the reasons for this impression, and 
here they are. 
Reason 1.—“Don’t believe in green¬ 
house plants, anyway. They have been 
reared in a hot, artificial climate, and when 
transplanted to the open soil, are pretty 
sure to prove weak and sickly.” Presuma¬ 
bly such objectors have never visited a seeds¬ 
man’s greenhouses. Basing my remarks 
on observations on the grounds of Mr. 
James Vick, Rochester, N. Y., I have only 
to say that the structures are not only 
heated scientifically, but by means of mod¬ 
ern appliances they are easily graded to 
any temperature, insuring the perfect 
health and vigor of the plants. Under 
skillful supervision, the temperature is 
regulated so that there is no sickliness 
about the plants. It is only the novice who 
manages his greenhouses so that the plants 
lack vigor. 
Reason 2. —“They cannot send plants 
to you as well as you can buy by picking 
them out yourself.” O, yes, they can, and 
they do. Plants can be sent as safely 
through the mail as any other commodity. 
Indeed, the seedsman guarantees their safe 
arrival at any post office in the country, 
distinctly labeled, carefully packed, and 
in the best of order. 
Reason 3.—“But plants sent by mail are 
such small things.” Not necessarily. The 
seedsman will send you a rose, forinstance t 
that is from five to 10, 10 to 15, or 20 
inches high. It is, however, preferable, in 
my opinion, to purchase the smaller sizes, 
rather than those that make a show at once. 
Still if the large size is desired it can be had. 
Reason 4.—“ No plants by mail for us ! 
If we buy we want them in pots, ready to 
put out at once. If they could be sent by 
express!” They can be. The seedsman has 
a system of packing whereby plants can be 
sent by express as safely as if one purchas¬ 
ed in person. The express companies 
handle so many that they take especial 
care of them, and it is rarely that a ship¬ 
ment is injured in transit. So confident is 
the seedsman that the plants will arrive in 
good order, that their safe delivery is war¬ 
ranted, whether the weather is hot orcold. 
REASON 5.—“We want to see what we 
buy.” Patronize a reliable seedsman, 
and you can buy at his counter as well as 
at home. 
Reason 6.—“ We want to get what we 
buy right away after ordering.” You will. 
The orders are filled at once. 
Reason 7.—“ But we live too far away.” 
Plants can be sent by either mail or ex¬ 
press to any part of the country, distance 
forming no impediment to safe transit. 
Reason 8.—“ But we may not want the 
plants that can be sent. We may want 
such as cannot be transported.” Any 
plant can be shipped. I am not aware that 
the seedsman makes any discrimination of 
any kind. I am in earnest in recommending 
the purchase of plants by mail. Hundreds 
of people who would like better gardens, 
are far away in the country, with no op¬ 
portunity to buy personally, and the 
seasons are too short to “raise from the 
seed.” To such I say : “ Itneed not be.” 
Flora. 
Wo man’s Wovh. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
H AVE you tried the effect of borax in 
starch ? It is admirable for giving 
extra stiffness. In mixing a good-sized 
bowl of starch, put two tea-spoonfuls of 
powdered borax in the dry starch, stirring 
it all together, and then proceed in the 
usual way. It is a very good plan on a 
blowy day, when the wind is likely to take 
all the stiffness out of the garments. Many 
laundresses mix borax in the water used to 
dampen shirts and collars, during the pro¬ 
cess of ironing. The exceeding stiffness to 
be noticed in shirts done at a laundry is 
produced by a sort of white glue made 
for the purpose, which is very much 
stiffer than ordinary starch. 
* 
* * 
How many useless steps do you take in a 
day? Just think how much extra work 
we can save by thinking beforehand what 
we have to do. For example, what a nui¬ 
sance it is on baking day, to trot down to 
the cellar for shortening, and then remem¬ 
ber that there is another walk for the 
milk, or the fruit, or eggs; or when sew¬ 
ing, to forget a pattern in one room, or 
thread in another, to run up-stairs for this, 
and down-stairs for that, uselessly expend¬ 
ing the energy so greatly needed in other 
ways. 
It is an undoubted fact that a woman 
who plans and considers beforehand does 
her work far better and quicker than one 
who begins without any settled idea what 
she is to do. We don’t believe in cast-iron 
rules, which must be carried out whether 
they inconvenience the whole household or 
not; every rule must at times give way. But 
we do certainly believe in a settled routine, 
an arrangement by which all the household 
duties dovetail into one another, so [that 
there is no. jarring or confusion, and no 
wasted time. Administrative ability is as 
much needed in the house-mother as in a 
political leader. When everything is well- 
planned, and the plans are carried out as 
carefully as circumstances will allow, the 
work should be materially lightened. 
* 
* * 
Housework must at times be burden¬ 
some, no matter how carefully it is ar¬ 
ranged. But a great point is not to let it 
fall behind: another, not to impose extra 
tasks when the physical frame is not really 
fit to bear them. It is a very penny-wise 
proceeding to keep on straining body and 
mind until the inevitable break-down 
comes to give enforced rest. Take, for ex¬ 
ample, the woman whose house-cleaning 
must be done by a certain time ; who kfeeps 
on, without any restful intermission, until 
she finishes her cleaning and her strength 
at the same time. Again, for how many 
ills is a weekly sweeping-day responsible : 
we mean a sweeping which includes all the 
house at once. We believe in doing it day 
by day; sweeping and dusting one room 
will fit in with the other work, and not use 
one up as will a general cleaning, which 
takes up the best part of the day. 
* 
■* * 
In planning the work, don’t forget that 
the arrangement must include play as well 
as work. After keeping about all day un¬ 
til after the dinner things are cleared 
away, any woman needs some rest, if she 
does not wish to be old before her time. It 
is often a rest to pick up some sewing or 
mending, and that is always to be done, 
but this should not be the only recre¬ 
ation. There should be a bit of time for 
reading when possible, and certainly half 
an hour in the open air. Even when one is 
tired, a little walk is refreshing, and no 
matter how busy a woman is, it is abso¬ 
lutely suicidal to stay cooped up indoors 
all the time. Nor should the walk be 
simply from one house into another; mak¬ 
ing calls does give change and recreation, 
but it does not answer the need for fresh 
air. By all means, tired housekeepers, try 
the sun-and-air cure for aching nerves. 
LETTERS TO A COUSIN. 
V. 
M Y DEAR COUSIN: “ There’s pansies 
—that’s for thoughts, pray you, love, 
remember,” and there’s violets—the sweet 
English violets you love so well, and the 
tender blue forget-me-nots and sweet peas, 
you will be delighted with them, and Sweet 
William, that I think you said was your 
garden favorite, and heliotrope, petunias, 
lantana and asters and, lastly, abutilon and 
begonia seed. I have sent you some out of 
each little package —no, no ! don’t say 
“ Thank you ; ” they will never grow in the 
world. Popular superstition declares that 
stolen slips grow best, and, of course, the 
same would be true of seeds. You couldn’t 
very well steal them from me, but you can 
refrain from expressing thanks. I have 
never tried to raise abutilons or begonias 
from seeds; but I imagine they will grow 
faster than from slips or cuttings. (Cut¬ 
tings are usually most satisfactory. Ed.) I 
have planted the pansy, violet and forget- 
me-not seed in shallow cigar boxes, whit¬ 
tling the lids down so that they would fall 
flat on the earth, and set the boxes under 
the base-burner for the seed to germinate. 
The soil keeps warm and moist there, 
though, of course, the lids must betaken 
off and the boxes removed to the window 
as soon as the tiny green sprigs begin to 
show up. Boxes in which seeds have been 
planted should never be placed in the sun¬ 
shine, as the ground dries out quickly and 
requires frequent sprinkling, and finally 
bakes, which, of course, is very injurious to 
seed that is slow in germinating. 
You wrote that you had never been suc¬ 
cessful in raising sweet peas, so let me tell 
you to plant them early and plant them 
deep and not too thick. How early? As 
soon as the frost is out of the ground; 
plant them four or five inches deep and 
about an inch apart. Cut the blossoms 
£Hi$ccUuttcouj) guUctit.sing. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castoria, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castorla. 
When she became Miss, she dung to Casiorlt. 
When she had Children, she gave them Castonu 
