FoodNetArchive

The new practical housekeeping

1890

Page 587

Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Then there is the Escholotz, a (California poppy), very showy, having a long tap root, and Mignonette, which, with the sweet peas, must be sown where they are to bloom, as they do not take kindly to transplanting. CLIMBINO VINXS. Vines, while they are the most graceful of plants, are very easily culti- vated. The Maderia vine is one of the easiest grown, and a very rapid climber. In the spring put a tuber in the ground as you would a potato, and 668 THE FLOWER GARDEN. in a very short time it will cover a large gpace. Dig up the roots in fall and winter, same as potatoes in a cellar. For a most graceful climber and a rapid grower, as well as beantifnl bell-shaped flowers ; there is nothing equal to the cobea. The seeds are verv' thin, almost flat, and require to be planted on their edges. Needs consid- erable heat to start the seed. Florists usually supply young plants for less than amateurs can raise them for. Being tender, the cobea must not be set out doors until the weather is quite warm. The cypress vine, both red and white, with their lovely foliage; are very beautiful trained upon strings. I remember of a post with a bird-house on top. At the base the ground was spaded up in a circle some three feet across^ and cypress vine trained from there upon strines to the alighting board of the bird-house. It was much admired. The seeds of the cypress vine, canna and other hard shelled kinds may be hastened in germination by soaking for 24 hours in warm water. Maurandia is a somewhat delicate vine that comes readily from seed. It does well on trellesis or even brush, such as given to support peas. A few maurandia seeds placed in a cow's horn, previously filled with soil, has given us a most beautiful living screen in the parlor window. Strings were woven, backward and forward for it to run upon, and it has done well. Nasturtiums, — the tall growing kinds, are pretty grown upon strings or trellesis during summer. Gourds, with their curious and wonderful forms, are worthy of culti* vation. One of the most singular is what is called the ' 'nest-egg' ', from the fact that the fruit makes an excellent substitute for the nest-egg in the poultry-house. The fruit is in shape, size and color, as near as can be, a counterfeit egg. The dipper gourd is made by cutting away the side of Her- cules club. The so-called sugar-trough variety is useful for many purposes. There are one or two other climbing vines which once grown are sure to bocome permanent favorites. These are the Balsam Apple and Pear and Bryonopsis Laciniata. The fruit of the latter is very attractive and the f oilage as graceful as can be imagined. The vines that have been spoken of are all annuals, that is, the seed is sown from which plants spring up, bloom, mature their seed and then die all in one season. There are a few vines whose roots are perennial, and which may be grown from seed sown in Autumn. One of these is the Alle- gheny Vine, or Mountain Fringe.* It is quite common in the woods in East- ern States, but I have never seen it wild elsewhere. For beautiful featherly- like foliage and gracefulness it has no equal. It stands our severe Iowa winters with impunity.