In every garden, no matter how much may be done in the way of ornament, there should be somewhere a bed from which the flower- lovers of the household can feel free to cut as they please. Flowers in masses, and ribbon lines, or as specimen plants, are well, but it is much better to have a place where those who really love flowers can go and cut a handful with no gardener to prevent. Such a bed should have, of all things, an abundance of the best kind of mign- onette, and if confined to annuals, the candy tufts, white and crimson, sweet alyssum, sweet peas, stocks, China asters, the annual pinks, and a host of others. Never mind about the arrangement, so that there will be flowers, and a plenty of them ; then all the household can " cut and come again," without feeling that they trespass. Training Tomato Plants. — Many more and better ripened toma- toes can be obtained when the plants are carefully trained, and the labor required in this operation is slight. It is only necessary to drive some stakes into the ground about each plant, and tic the branches to it; this may be done with or without encircling hoops. One way of training that has approved itself is to drive a strong stake 288 THE hearthstone; or, life at home. by each plant, so that it shall stand four or five feet high. Having stopped the plant when young, and made two eyes to start near the top, raise up two stems, and as they grow, wind or train them around the stake until the top is reached, and there stop them, causing numerous branches to form. This is a very simple and excellent method of training. How THE Japanese Restore Faded Flowers, — After a bouquet is drooping beyond all remedies of fresh water, the Japanese can bring it back to all its first glory by a very simple and seemingly most destructive operation. A visitor to Japan says : " I had received some days ago a delightful bundle of flowers from a Japanese ac- quaintance. They continued to live in all their beauty for nearly two weeks, when at last they faded. Just as I was about to have them thrown away the same gentleman (Japanese gentleman) came to see me. I showed him the faded flowers, and told him that, though lasting a long time, they had now become useless. ' Oh, no,' said he, ' only put the ends of the stems into the fire, and they will be as good as before.' I was incredulous ; so he took them himself and held the stems' ends in the fire until they were charred. This was in the morning ; at evening they were again looking fresh and vigorous, and have continued so for another week. What may be the true agent in this reviving process I am unable to determine fully; whether it be the heat driving once more the last juices into every leaflet and vein, or whether it be the bountiful supply of carbon fur- nished by the charring. I am inclined, however, to the latter cause, as the full effect was not produced until some eight hours afterwards, and as it seems that if the heat was the principal agent, it must have been sooner followed by visible changes."

AI-modernized reading of the original text

In every garden, no matter how much may be done in the way of ornament, there should be somewhere a bed from which the flowerlovers of the household can feel free to cut as they please. Flowers in masses, and ribbon lines, or as specimen plants, are well, but it is much better to have a place where those who really love flowers can go and cut a handful with no gardener to prevent. Such a bed should have, of all things, an abundance of the best kind of mignonette, and if confined to annuals, the candy tufts, white and crimson, sweet alyssum, sweet peas, stocks, China asters, the annual pinks, and a host of others. Never mind about the arrangement, so that there will be flowers, and a plenty of them ; then all the household can " cut and come again," without feeling that they trespass. Training Tomato Plants. — Many more and better ripened tomatoes can be obtained when the plants are carefully trained, and the labor required in this operation is slight. It is only necessary to drive some stakes into the ground about each plant, and tic the branches to it; this may be done with or without encircling hoops. One way of training that has approved itself is to drive a strong stake 288 THE hearthstone; or, life at home. by each plant, so that it shall stand four or five feet high. Having stopped the plant when young, and made two eyes to start near the top, raise up two stems, and as they grow, wind or train them around the stake until the top is reached, and there stop them, causing numerous branches to form. This is a very simple and excellent method of training. How the Japanese Restore Faded Flowers, — After a bouquet is drooping beyond all remedies of fresh water, the Japanese can bring it back to all its first glory by a very simple and seemingly most destructive operation. A visitor to Japan says : " I had received some days ago a delightful bundle of flowers from a Japanese acquaintance. They continued to live in all their beauty for nearly two weeks, when at last they faded. Just as I was about to have them thrown away the same gentleman (Japanese gentleman) came to see me. I showed him the faded flowers, and told him that, though lasting a long time, they had now become useless. ' Oh, no,' said he, ' only put the ends of the stems into the fire, and they will be as good as before.' I was incredulous ; so he took them himself and held the stems' ends in the fire until they were charred. This was in the morning ; at evening they were again looking fresh and vigorous, and have continued so for another week. What may be the true agent in this reviving process I am unable to determine fully; whether it be the heat driving once more the last juices into every leaflet and vein, or whether it be the bountiful supply of carbon furnished by the charring. I am inclined, however, to the latter cause, as the full effect was not produced until some eight hours afterwards, and as it seems that if the heat was the principal agent, it must have been sooner followed by visible changes."

The hearthstone; or, Life at home