“Waste not, want not.” — Green beans preserved this way have more flavour than tinned ones ; and besides, the principle of not wasting anything should never be lost sight of in housekeeping ! They keep all through the winter. In the Karroo they cut up and sun-dry the green beans, and in that dry air they keep very well. 44 VEGETABLES. GREEN CARNATIONS Jan. Planting Seedlings, Kitchen-garden. — But we must provide for the future in the kitchen -garden as well as use what is growing there now, and it is in January we always plant out little cauliflower, cabbage, and celery plants in moist places. In gardens where you are sure you can water you may also put in French beans — the bean itself — and you will have a crop in six weeks’ time. Mr. Gowie’s pamphlet, referred to, p. 38, gives directions for what to plant or sow each month and how to do it. January 15. — Flower-garden. — This week I have been busy budding roses and sowing carnations ; any time this month suits them in a shady place. Carnations will bloom in a few months, especially the “ Marguerite ” carnation. I think I shall try another year to get some of those pots for carnations you see on the Continent, covered with a pretty green glaze which prevents the water evaporating so quickly — the pots are flat on one side and have a hole in that side, so that you can hang them on a nail against the wall rather high, and instead of tying up their heads stiffly as gardeners like to do, they are allowed to grow as they fancy, the stalks bending over with strong angular joints and the heads drooping. I am told the wild pinks grow on the cliffs at Cheddar, in England, hanging down in this fashion, so doubtless it is what that family of pla,nts likes best. I have found an odd little note, where copied from I cannot say; it is headed — “To make green carnations.” It says — “Take a layer and bed it in the heart of a cabbage pulled out of the ground, and when it has taken root, transplant it,” 45 Jan. aRBBN ROSBS. BBGONIAS. PISH Whoever wrote it evidently thought much of altering the natural colour of flowers, for there follows “To obtain green roses. Plant the rose near a holly oak and take a small part of peel (bark) from both,” I suppose it is meant that the peeled parts should be tied together? And again— “Plant carrot or beet near rose, pass the branch through the carrot and cover with earth till branch has rooted, then transplant.” What the result of this last experiment would be is not explained. Begonias strike well from cuttings at this time of year, and all the different varieties make such pretty plants for the stoep or verandah, or for pots in the sitting- rooms. Watering. Where much water is given to plants, manure- water should be given twice a week. A little chicken manure, or guano, say as much as an old condensed milk- tin would hold, put into a large watering-can filled with water and left for a day or two, and then about a cupful given to every plant, will make them thrive (the plants should be well watered afterwards). Rosps, especially, are fond of plenty of “ good stuff.” Geraniums ought to be watered once a week with water in which a lump of rock ammonia has been dissolved, and begonias also like ammonia, and should be watered in a similar way.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

“Waste not, want not.” — Green beans preserved this way have more flavour than tinned ones ; and besides, the principle of not wasting anything should never be lost sight of in housekeeping ! They keep all through the winter. In the Karroo they cut up and sun-dry the green beans, and in that dry air they keep very well. VEGETABLES. GREEN CARNATIONS Jan. Planting Seedlings, Kitchen-garden. — But we must provide for the future in the kitchen -garden as well as use what is growing there now, and it is in January we always plant out little cauliflower, cabbage, and celery plants in moist places. In gardens where you are sure you can water you may also put in French beans — the bean itself — and you will have a crop in six weeks’ time. Mr. Gowie’s pamphlet, referred to, p. 38, gives directions for what to plant or sow each month and how to do it. January 15. — Flower-garden. — This week I have been busy budding roses and sowing carnations ; any time this month suits them in a shady place. Carnations will bloom in a few months, especially the “ Marguerite ” carnation. I think I shall try another year to get some of those pots for carnations you see on the Continent, covered with a pretty green glaze which prevents the water evaporating so quickly — the pots are flat on one side and have a hole in that side, so that you can hang them on a nail against the wall rather high, and instead of tying up their heads stiffly as gardeners like to do, they are allowed to grow as they fancy, the stalks bending over with strong angular joints and the heads drooping. I am told the wild pinks grow on the cliffs at Cheddar, in England, hanging down in this fashion, so doubtless it is what that family of plants likes best. I have found an odd little note, where copied from I cannot say; it is headed — “To make green carnations.” It says — “Take a layer and bed it in the heart of a cabbage pulled out of the ground, and when it has taken root, transplant it,” Jan. aRBBN ROSBS. BBGONIAS. PISH Whoever wrote it evidently thought much of altering the natural colour of flowers, for there follows “To obtain green roses. Plant the rose near a holly oak and take a small part of peel (bark) from both,” I suppose it is meant that the peeled parts should be tied together? And again— “Plant carrot or beet near rose, pass the branch through the carrot and cover with earth till branch has rooted, then transplant.” What the result of this last experiment would be is not explained. Begonias strike well from cuttings at this time of year, and all the different varieties make such pretty plants for the stoep or verandah, or for pots in the sittingrooms. Watering. Where much water is given to plants, manurewater should be given twice a week. A little chicken manure, or guano, say as much as an old condensed milktin would hold, put into a large watering-can filled with water and left for a day or two, and then about a cupful given to every plant, will make them thrive (the plants should be well watered afterwards). Roses, especially, are fond of plenty of “ good stuff.” Geraniums ought to be watered once a week with water in which a lump of rock ammonia has been dissolved, and begonias also like ammonia, and should be watered in a similar way.

Hilda's diary of a Cape housekeeper