18S5* 
- RICAN garden. 
Ollu'l' 
PALMS AT HOME. 
TIIK ASSAI I'ALIM. 
Kulrriw editlix. 'I'lii.'i hx(m-Is n 
Amazi'iiiiiii Piilms in {jnu^c.t'ul hciuu.y. i(, is 
ioumi pU'utirnll.v aroniul 
is iirolcil'ly I''*' wliifli llr.'<l, Uic 
.iUx'iilioM ol' t,lic newly iiri'ived (.nivcllei-. 
'I’liotninlc of Uie Inrsjicsi. soldoni cxc.eeds a 
few inelu's in diinnel.er, l)n(, ii; wave's its 
i-rown of listlil.-8:n'en drt)n|)inn' IVniids (ifty 
foot ill tlio ail". 
Tills I’iiliii usually g'cows in grou|)s of 
ihiw to live, Hio tniiiks sprinn-ing from (,lie 
same root. It is a hcantiful .siglit (o see 
llii'se trees wlien sf rueU ley a strong wind. 
Tliey will bow almost to tlie ground, buttlnw 
never break and are very seldom uprooted. 
They are generally found in tlie gardens of 
theeity, andgrow in untold numbers upon tlie 
islands of the coast, becoming less numerous 
as one ascends the river. 
The dowers are in featliery spikes wliieli 
spring from the trunk a little below tlie 
crown of leaves; tliey are succeeded by the 
fruit, wliich when ripe is blaclv with a glau¬ 
cous bloom and about the size of a Concord 
Grape. It consists of a hard seed enveloiied 
in a very tiiiu pulp covered liy a thin, liard 
shell. In the delta of tlie Amazon this fruit 
ripens all the year round, but uiion tlie river 
it is only in season for a few montlis in tlie 
spring. Oue can imagine in wliat abundance 
this Palm grows when he knows tliat tlie 
chief food of the lower classes in Para is the 
driuk made from tlie fruit, wliicli is eaten 
with farinha made from tlie Alandioca root. 
This drink is prepared from tlie ripe fruit 
by sliglitly changing it to crack tlie shell, 
and then washing olf in water, one tliiii pulp 
surrounding the seed. Tliis pulp is not 
much thicker than a sheet of jiaper. The 
licfuid is then passed tlirougli a line Palm 
sieve, cold water is added to bring it to a 
proper consistency, and it is ready for use. 
In color and taste it much resembles stewed 
Blackberries; it is called wine of Assai, for 
in Brazil any infusion of fruit in water is 
called wine, the word not necessarily iniply- 
'•ig a fermented liquor. This drink is very 
nourishing and very palatable if a little 
sugar is added; it is also very liealthful. 
One walking in the streets of Para in the 
lower quarters, sees this driiilc in prepara- 
l-lon at times in almost every house. It is 
sold at the street-corners, and is carried 
•'ouiid by iiegresses who bear on tlieir heads .is 
•'uge eartlien bowls full, or broad, Hat trays 
oovered with cups or iiovvls of assai, while 
the air rings witli the shrill cry, “Assai, As- 
Tlie native buys and drinks it with 
''«t>sh, but the foi •cigner, if he has witnesspi 
•'''e preparation of tiie driiilc in the dirty 
s'leds and hovels of the city with all the 
surroundings, prefers not to Us o 
'iss,ai” unless he knows the woman by w loiii 
• Was coinpoimded. , ., 
|*>e fruit of this Palm germinates reach y, 
mieed, outside of the houses where le 
*‘uk is prepared it is no iiucoramon sig i 
the young plants coming up as tine c a 
hn*?’ ‘‘‘t’ present writing, in 
' ®k-yard where the seed has been t u i 
could fill an order of many thousand bee 
idaiits. 
ing III 
119 
'I'lie tree 
,, "f rapid growth, fruit- 
live years from seed. In tlie irrecii- 
^nmse .it is very ornamental, and yom.gtlants 
diiuKu'-talt <'•'0 
■riMO “itACAIlA'’ l*AI.,M. 
inwnirpux Haralw. (Jub,,, dim,rent 
eliaraclcr is tlm tianth,,, wliich is also 
.'"'"“"'I i^ara. 'I'll,, tree is about 
led. Ill lieiglit, 
wliicli is crow,,,..! I... mi-,1,-oopinjr u,„jr 
III 
coin- 
rorly 
thick, Kti'jiiglit trunk, 
cro\VM(*.(I hy H(* 
'lark-gi-,,,m r.-onds arrange,! ,.pposite, wliich 
give tlm tree a ratl.orstill'appearance. It is, 
however, a, stati-ly ti'cc, aii,l wlicii full of tlic 
long, ilrooping spikes of Ci-uic wbicli hang 
from among the lower leaves is very oi-iia- 
mental. The fniit is about the size of that 
ol tlm Assai but is of a rusty-browii eolor. 
A. diink is ])repai'e,i from it in a similar 
manner, wliicli in color resejiibles rieli elioeo- 
late anil eream, and wliich in taste reminds 
one of stewed Gooseberries. 'J'o our ta.ste 
it is far better Gian llm as.sai, but it is saiii 
not to be as wliolesome and tliat a ITeqimiit 
indulgence renilers one liable to cliills ami 
fever. Wc liave, liowevcr, drank it more 
freely tliaii the assai witliout any ill effects. 
The young plants of the liacaha are very 
beautiful, tlm froiiils veiy richly colored, 
varying from deep-maroon to purjilisli-green. 
'I'liis Palm is seldom found in catalogues 
but would well repay cultivation, whieli is 
very easy, as tlie seed is readily procured and 
germinates witliout diflieulty. 
E. S. Band. 
VEGETABLE CULTHEE Ilf BEEMUDA, 
Consul Allen says tliat Onions, Potatoes, 
and 'romatocs comprise almost tlie entire 
protluetion of Bermuda, and give employ¬ 
ment to the greater portion of tlie inhabi¬ 
tants, and tlie prosperity of tlie colony de¬ 
pends largcl)' upon tlie success of the crop 
and tlie demands of tlie markets. 
ONIONS. 
In Onion-growing tlie seed used is grown 
in tlie Canary Islands, and is imported in 
the months of August and September; it is 
sown in the iiiontlis of September, October, 
and November, tliicldy in beds, the ground 
liaviiig been lieavily manured with stable 
manure two or tltree luontlis befoic soiling, 
'i'lic wliite seed is sown first, and produces 
tlie earliest crop, tlie sliipmeiit of wliicli 
commences in Marcli. AVhen tlie plants are 
sunicieiitlylarge-aboutsix-to eight inches 
],i,v|i_tlmy are traiis|)lanted into beds about 
four feet wide, tlic plants being set about 
seven iiiclies apart eacli way. 'i'lie plants 
from tlie ivlilto seed arc transplanted as soon 
tliey are large euoiigli, but those from 
the red seed are not usually transplauted 
until tlic Iieginning of January, and tic 
o-romid I'cquires to be only moderately ma¬ 
nured. if transplanted too early, and the 
Sis too rich, the bulb is likely to sph^^^^ 
to several pieces, and is worthless. Attei 
I , iiur tlie soil requires to be light- 
traDsp.aiiti.^>^--dl weeds, removed 
As soon as the top bc- 
cnecl once or 
lu-e pulled and al- 
rt , o lie oil the ground for two or thiec 
when they are cut and packed inboxes 
d.ays, 'iiid sent to market. 
S,ro";“» »Vd.l,v.r«l.. the 
All the for the market, 
shipment *11 ^ t^M y has 
W w » P'”"" ^ 
initials coiisjileiioiisly on each pimkage. It 
is estimated tliat a large iirollt on tlie out¬ 
lay is realizeil, when the crop is large 
and tlic market good, an acre of ground 
sometimes retiiniing as miicli as £120 to £170. 
rOTA'I'OH.S. 
l''or the cultivation of Potatoes tlie seed 
was formerly nearly all imiiorted from the 
United States, but of late years lias come 
largely froiii New Bnmswick, Nova Scotia, 
anil Prince Edward's Island. 'I'lie ground 
for Potatoes is usually plowcl or broken uji 
witli tlie spade and raked, tlie see,I cut into 
liieces with one or two e^’es, and [ilantcd liy 
forcing into tlie ground witli tlie lingers to 
tlie de|)tli of about four inelie.®, in rows 
about twenty indies apart, anil about ciglit 
imdies in tlie rows. Prom six to eight bar¬ 
rels of seed are used to tlie acre. AVIieii the 
lilants are a little above the ground, the soil 
is liglitened lietween the rows witli a fork, 
and when about six indies high the earth 
from between tlie rows is lioed round the 
jilaiits, only one hoeing being required. 
'J'O.MATOES. 
For growing 'foniatoes tlie seed is im¬ 
ported every year, anil is sown about Octo¬ 
ber, ami lraiis])Iaiiteil in December, into 
rows about six feet apart, and tlie |,hints are 
put about four feet ajiart in the rows. As 
soon as traiisiilanted, the ground round tlie 
plants is covered tbiekly witli brusli,.— 
diiefly tile wild .Sage wliieh grows over tlie 
liills,—not only to protect from tlie wind, 
but to Iveep tlie fruit from tlie ground. 'The 
brush is usually raised once bf^ nimiiiig a 
stick under and lifting it euougli to dear tlie 
soil of weeds, no otlier cultivation lieiiig re¬ 
quired. Six or seven quarts of fruit from the 
liill is considered a fair crop. 'I'lie fruit is 
rolled ill paper, and paekeil in boxes 
containing about seven quarts each. 'The 
lirice of laud in Berimida varies from £30 to 
£40 an acre, and in some cases not more 
tlian oiie-eiglitli is susceptible of eiiltivatiou. 
It is estimated tliat tliere is an aiimud export 
of 3.50,000 boxes of Onions, tlie box eoiitaiii- 
ing about fifty pounds, and of Potatoes, 
45,000 barrels .—Scientiric American. 
DWAEFmG TEEES. 
'The Gartenllora gives the following inter¬ 
esting uecount of the metiiod by wliicli tlie 
Chinese produce miniature trees, and which 
could easily be tried witliout trouble or ex¬ 
pense : 'i'lie pulp of an Orange is removed 
by an aperture tlic size of a half dollar, and 
filled with Cocoanut fibre, tow, and pow¬ 
dered diarcoal. In tlie center is placed a 
seed of tlie tree it is wislied to grow. 'I'lie 
Orange is placed in a glass or other vessel, 
and tlie compost kept moist. 'The seedling 
germinates, tlie stem protrudes tlirougli tlie 
liole in tlie Orange, tlie roots penetrate tlie 
rind. Tlie roots as soon as tliey reacli this 
stage arc cut oft' close to tlic riud, and this 
is continued for two or three years. The 
tree ceases to grow, aud assumes the aspect 
of an old tree. 'The roots equally cease to 
grow, aud tlie rind df the Orange is painted 
aud varnished. 
'The Japanese-have a way of dwarfing and 
growing forest trees in comparatively very 
small pots. Visitors at the centennial exhi¬ 
bition in Philadelphia will recollect the odd- 
lookiug specimens broughtfroni Japan, which 
were said to be over a hundred yearS old. 
