The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-07
NOTES FROM A woMAN.s FARM.

previous knowledge of the farming bust
prominent disposition 10 play scientist in
an investigation after the why's and where
fores of things, had purchased farm and,
all through her own efforts was making it a
| decided success. This week that lady farmer
(Mrs. Addington) has kindly supplied Us
with the following under title of Notes
from a Woman's Farm She says:
The most lovely vines that climb over my
veranda are passion flowers. In the South
we call them May pops. 40. Ed The
Passitora constance of Elliot is certainly a
| treasure. 1t is evergreen and hardy here,
| with luXuriant lace-like foliage; and fur
thermore. it is first among the plants to
| give flowers in spring, continuing in bloom
| throughout the summer 1t is most
and star-like, and richly odorous. No
| description could convey to the unin-
(, formed 4 correct idea of this magnificent
| climber.
| Next comes Passihora eleati, 4 species
not quite so hardy as constance, though 4
| little protection will preserve it in the open
| ground. 1t has larger leaves and flowers,
and is of more simple growth than the
4 other species just mentioned.
! But the most magnificent passion flower
\ of them all is Passifiora Splendeus. 1t is
| OF grand StatueSque growth, carrying i'm
! mense heart-shaped tropical-like leaves and
large purple flowers, the latter overcast
| with Il decided rosy tinge. Upon the queer
! stamens and pistIls of this species was
based the old legend giving the scientific
name 10 the gcnera-they were supposed TO
represent the crown Of thorns, the nails
| and he cross figuring at the crucifiXion of
our Lord. This species must not be grown
for shade, but merely FOR ornament. Beauty
must be the only excuse given for its cul-
ture. Arrange it so that its leaves, stems
and fowers will east shadows on the We
randa floor by both sunlight and moonlight,
and you Will never regret having planted
il. Must be treated as a sub-tropical plant,
and given the protectioA of a greenhouse in
winter. If you cannot afford this, new
root may be purchased OF the regular florist
for starting it with each spring
The passion flowers are indigenous to the
South, and though some may regard them
as something common on this account,
they are certainly qualified to give much
more satisfaction than many of the far
fetched climbers we often strive after, as
clematis ana akebia, for instance.
We can heartily indorse everything Mrs.
Arlington says in favor of the passion
flower as an ornamental climber. There
are several other species not named by her,
all of which are highly ornamental. The
Passifiora incanata nhe one CARRYING the
common name of May pop'') grows as
wild weed in Alabama, Georgia and the
Carolinas. It is regarded as quite pest in
the cultivated fields, tying up with its long
running vines the corn, cotton, etc Early
in the spring the people gather the young
sprouts and press them into service as one
of the two ingredients making up bacon
and greens" 1t bears fruit about the size
of an ordinary apple, pleasantly sub-acid in
flavor, and much priced by the children as
something entirely good to eat. 1t has
much the flavor and aroma of Mayapple
GPodophyllum peltatum.) Though highly
ornamental nobody over there ever thinks
of it as d climber for the sumner house or
veranda-it is two common you know.
It is a perennial and entirely hardy, as to
root, in all of the lower Southern states.
The flowers are large, purplish and most
decidedly beautiful Referring to her
strawberry culture Mrs. Addington says:
Last week ! walked over my straw berry |
patch in despair Plants full of blossoms |
and fruit and the soil as dry as bone. |
An artificial lake is near, but windmill, |
pipes, etc, for irrigation are not yet in |
place. | drove to the brickyard and bor- !
rOwed from the proprietor a hand force |
pump to be worked by one man, intending |
10 get it into position next morning with |
view to saving my strawberry crop That |
very night q regular food of rain came. and |
my plants, though five days since have |
been under foot of water. Possibly it |
may not ruin them, for it is written that the |
l.t Il -.
straw berry is plenty of moisture. l am
little in Strawberries this
season. and therefore now have in my test
plat fifty plants each of the Hayeland, Mar
field, Pearl and Nunan varieties.
For best results the strawberry requires
a good deal of moisture, as our correspond
ent suggests, but it must be applied on well
drained ground so located that any surplus |
viii at once run off. We'd take it that five
days of submergeRnce would
De rather against the crop. In note on
her vegetables Mrs. Addineton says her
garden seems To have been 'voodooed''
his season. The queer spring weather,
he rabbits. an inefficient gardener, the
ogether have proven most decidedly out
ioing. But she has not lost heart in the
natter, and SO is now starting her garden
new with renewed efforts That is the
way to do it. A person cuitivating the soil
must never give up and sit down TO indulge
II lamentations over what might have been
,ut for the swarm of ifs that happened |
o come that way. Those ''ifsn are bad |
OF that should never be honored. She
dds:
But my regular farm crops are unexcep-
ionable. Last fall on taking possession of |
ny farm | was impatient to plant some
hing. The soil looked mighty poor as |
hey say, and / had no time for giving it | ;
so concluded to go in on the |
culture" plan. ] plowed deep
deep as l could persuade the hired man {
nd his team TO 90. After breaking the
md was narrowed, rolled, cross-plowed !
nd then narrowed and rolled some more
nto land so prepared the wheat was drilled
II this mighty poor'' land. Now the real | '
state agents are calling upon me to beg | ,
'iSps OF wheat for exhibition at their offices | .
$ an earnest of what the lands in this re-
ion OF country are capable of doing My | ]
inter barley looks extremely fine, though | t
can see some blasted heads here and there | ,
l il. My spring barley seems to be every |
hing that could be asked, but really I !
hight not be safe Judge in that case, | '
wing TO the fact that never before saw
rop of barley growing. But good or bad | ::
IN say this much: Persons have visited
" place to look at my barley, and as 4 re- | I
N-.a,.t lN,Hr~l hale