davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-03-18
For Sale.

The following varieties of flower seeds
[ will sell at cents a packet, five pack
cts for 8 cents, seven for 10 cents, when
a stamped envelope is sent with order:
Balsams, mixed; Balloon vine, Balsam
apple, Bey onopsis marble vlne), Gamma
Nepalensis, G. faccida, and scarlet
lowered Gamma Castor bean (Ricinus),
Crotalaria retusa (Florida sweet pea or
West Indian rattle-box), Cypress vine,
white; Lantana, Marigold, Thunbergia,
yellow; " istaria, blue; Velvet bean, Tin.
MIA, Watermelon {Kolb GEM. For these
two very fine Ipomeas I ask 5 cents per
packet, Mexicana hybrida alba white
Mexican moon fower) and Brazilian
Morning Glory, delicate lavender.
| have also a few bulbs and tubers
Chat may be sent by maiD at following
prices: Amaryllis equestre, 6 cents
each, three for Is cents; Tube rose.
double, cents. four for Is cents; smaller
bulbs, 10 cents per dozen: Caladium (or
for cents; Butterfly lily, cents.
| can supply Gamma roots, Pereskia
Aculeata, and many others, at reason
able rates on application.
Though / ask you to pay the postage,
you will notice you always get the worth
of your money, especially when order
ing five packets or more of seeds. If
satisfaction is not given, would always
be glad to be informed of it,
NJ G. MILLS.
st. Thomas, Pasco County, Fla.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-03-18
The Sponge Plant.

10 mOSG persons the lQea OIL raising
sponges in the garden seems preposter-
Gus. Yet they can be so raised-and
good ones too as easily as we raise Gu
cumbers or tomatoes.
The sponge plant is variety of gourd,
scientifically known as Luffa acutangula,
though blessed with variety Of simpler
names, as luffa, loofa, sponge gourd,
dish rag or dish cloth gourd, towel gourd
bonnet gourd, and the Chinese appella-
ton, Sing kwa.
The vine is rapid grower and with its
luxuriant, dark-green foliage decked with
large, abundant, golden-yellow blossoms
and long, tapering, dark-striped, green
fruit is extremely ornamental; indeed,
the plant when trelised reminds me
somewhat of the beauty Of a Jackmanni
clematis. Mr.. Chllds says truly that it
is ornamental enough for house vine.
This gourd is OF Eastern origin, the
immature fruit being used in India and
Japan as garden vegetable, either
cooked like squash or sliced and eaten
raw like cucumbers. The seeds, and
pounded leaves as poultices, have re
puted medicinal properties. But it is
chiefly for the tough, spongy mass of fl
bres lining the fruit that the plant pos.
sesses interest and utility.
Here in the North the seasons are
rather too short to fully mature the
sponge when planted out-of-doors, so it
is highly desirable to start the plants in
the house early. about the time of start
ing tomatoes. Plant the seeds in boxes
or pots, giving plenty of room for each
so the roots need not be disturbed when
transplanted in the open ground. Set
four or five inches apart in row, or in
hills.
AS the gourd is as tender to frost as
the cucumber, transplanting should not
be done until sure of settled warm
weather. AT least not unless we'll pro-
tected during cool intervals. A sunny,
sheltered location and rich soil are de-
sirable as is also trellis five or six feet
high which the plants will soon cover
with sheir ornamental foliage, flowers,
and curious fruits. The size of these last
and also the sponges will depend much
on the richness of the soil, varying from
eight or ten inches to two feet in length.
When ripened the skins turn yellow
and finally brown, when ready for har-
vesting. In case frost kills the vines
before maturity, if the gourds are put
in warm place in a house, as on shelf
near the stove. they will ripen ina month
or so. It is best to let them get quite
dry, then the skin peels off easily and
the seeds readily shake out Of the three
longitudinal cells, leaving the sponge,
after washing, ready for use. For most
purposes, however, it is better to slit
them the whole length with the scissors,
also cutting along the center in such
way that the sponge will open fat-then
you have dish cloth, flesh brush,
scrub cloth, bath sponge, stable cloth or
a towel not easily bettered. 1t is curl
oslty for the mantel, piece of natural
cloth to be made into a bonnet or many
another little conceit as ones fancy die
tates.
But it is especially adapted for clean,
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-03-18
Roofing Slips.

or the first of March is to my notion, the
best time to root slips, although l have
very good success almost any time.
1 use sand for roofing and this seems
to be very sure. Take a shallow dish
and fill with sharp sand, wet this very
wet, but not so that it will be muddy, or
so that the water will stand on the sur
face. Insert the slips in this sand and
never let it get dried out; this is the Sc
cret of success-keep the sand wet all
the time, and rememb Der that it. dries
out rapidly. If you have never had any
'luck" roofing slips and if you will try
this method thoroughly, and exactly,
will warrant you will have excellent
success.
Besides the sand there are other things
to be considered. In the first place the
slips must be selected with care; if you
want to root geranium slip for in
stance. choose one that is strong and
healthy, and not woody. like large
slip, but some choose the smallest they
can cut hold that large slip has
good deal Of vitality in itself and stands
good chance to live,-far better than
the small slip, because that has not much
strength in itself.
Almost anything will root in this wet
sand. If you want to root a good many
slips, box or something that could be
covered with glass would be best. Fill
this partially full Of sand, and have no
drainage; insert the slips and cover with
glass, put the box in a sunny window
and raise the back end so that the box
will be thrown with it's entire surface to
the sunshine. Slips will root rapidly,
and when well rooted they may be trans
planted. One person who claims the
very best success, says that he pulls the
slips up every few days to see If they are
roofing, and then those that are are all
put in one end of the box; and she thus
gets all the rooted ones together and lets
them stand until we'll rooted. She de-
clares that in spite of people thinking
they cannot root under such treatment
hers do root and with astonishing GER
tainty. So this will be worth trying.
If you begin early you will have plants
for summer blooming and those that
have bioomed during the winter may
take rest and have their buds pinched
off to fit them for service another winter.
1t is fact that plant will produce
more flowers as it grows older if it IS
cared for. Of course plants may get too
old, but think this is the exception
rather than the rule.
Now word about potting rooted
slips; these must be handled with care,
and here is where [ think the novice
makes great mistake. Do not put a
tiny rooted slip or good sized rooted
slip into big pot, use very small one;
it will not put the plant back to trans
plant it from time to time, it will do it
good, it will make it strong and stocky,
instead OF letting it grow up splndling
and weak. Use drainage always in the
bottom of the pot, and for the first pot
ting use rather poor soil, and put sand
about the roots at first When the plant
is we'll established and growing well then
transplant ii to pot one size larger, and
use as oood soil as it NAV require: if YOU
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-03-18
FLORAL DEPARTMENT.

Address all communications to Floral Depart.
ment AGRIcULTURIST. DeLand, Fla.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-03-18
Real Estate Directory.

Any one contemplating the purchase Of rSas
estate TN Florida Sh0stld qOr5te to the Pa,ties
6elozU in zOhate0er section they 7OiSh to 0catea
tits Mee6ort Of the A<g,icmltmr1st to haze nOn
but first class firms represented in this colsss'st
ID EST BARGAINS ever given in orange groves
ID houses, city lots, improved and unimproved
lands. Call address Fl. A. DeLand, De-
Land, Fla.
TOHN l.. NUCKOLS, dealer In Improved and
- Unimproved Real Estate, DeLand, Fla.
HAVE some of the finest Orange Groves and
l. Wild Land, Large or Small properties-Some
in the Indian River section. Send for circular.
G. P. WILLIAMS, Oviedo, Fla.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-03-18
SMOOTH CAYENNE
Pineapple Plants
Always Ready for Shipment.

The Hawaiian Fruit and Packing Company
offer Strong Plants of the above from 10 to IL
in ches long at
$1,000 per Hundred,
$1,000 per Thousand,
And at five cents each in lots of $4,000 or more
F o. B., at Honolulu. We make a speciality
of Smooth Cayennes and have more plants
than all other growers mbned in this country.
Terms Cash with Order, or will draw against
Bill OF Lading if money is deposited with Bishop
& Co., Bankers, Honolulu.
Address
JOHN KIDWEIL,
Honolulu. I I'll.
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16
Joke on Her.

The other day in street car man was crowded along in his seat by the very fashionably-dressed young worl- an, who pushed herself in next to him. Her very full dress skirt further incon- venienced him, for she was so anxious to preserve it from wrinkling while sit ting that she swung its folds carelessly over the lap of this man next to her. This person had his own ideas about proper retaliation. He deliberately ad- justed his large, clumsily-shod feet so that they appeared to emerge from be- meath the skirt. It was not long be- fore they were noticed by some one op- posite. The effect of the great, awk- ward feet. as if belonging to the pretty young woman, was indescribably ludi- crous. The looker-on laughed and pointed out the joke to his neighbor. The looks and laughs spread, until all the rest of the car were craning their necks to see the fun. At last the girl herself became conscious of the jest at her expense. With look like thunder she motioned to the conductor and hastily left them all. = Philadelphia Press,
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16
How she Spelled It.

Every one knows how to spell "hard water" with three letters, but prob ably some readers would be puzzled to spell yesterday" with six. A Gin cinnati girl could tell them how, ac. cording to the Enquirer. She does not go to school, but is taught by he, mother at home. The other night her father was hearing her spell. One word after another was successfully disposed of, and then he said: "Now, Annie. I am going to give you hal,l one. If you spell it correctly I'll bring you some candy. How do you spell 'yesterday"" It was hard one. An. nie thought of the candy, and just then her eye caught the calendar hanging against the wall. Then she answered, with a smile of triumph: "F-r-i, yes. ter, d-a-y. day, yesterday."-Atlanta Constitution.
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16
LAUNDERING FINANoiERINo.

Incompetence of the Democratic Admin
 The ablest presentment of the finan- cial question that has been made for a long time is in Senator John Sherman's article in the April number of the Fo- rum Magazine. Jn a most comprehen- sive and striking manner he shows what the democratic tariff for deficit has done for the country and what it must continue to do.
 The whole question turns on the mat ter of governmental receipts. Now they are smaller than the public eX- penditures. Hence there is growing deficit which will not permanently be made good by increasing the public debt.
 The plain truth is the nation wants revenue, and democratic financiering in time of profound peace has not been able to furnish it, though that party has had administration of the affairs of the greatest and richest nation on the globe. Emerging from an exhaus- tive civil war, with public debt that caused the nation to stagger under it's weight, the republican party, though the country was poorer and more sparsely peopled than it is to-day, was able not only to provide means for all current obligations, but succeeded in reducing the public debt faster than the law demanded.
 Now, in a time of peace, with the country richer than it ever was before, the finances have been brought to a condition of such confusion that all business suffers and the public debt grows. In plain words, we want money, and democratic financiering is unable to provide it.
 Various plans have been proposed to make good the deficiency. For exam ple, the New York World proposes to add five dollars to the internal revenue license which the 25O,OOO liquor dealers have to take out. It also proposes to levy an additional tax of ten cents a gallon on the 22,OO0, ,OOO gallons of wines and spirits consumed in the country and five cents gallon on the 1,O36,319,- 2s2 gallons of beer which are drunk in the United States every year.
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16

agonizlng exclamation: "Forevermore! l if haven't gone and put machine oil in the sauce instead of lemon extract!"
 The variety and intensity of expres. | sions on the faces around that table would have furnished funny car toonist with inspiration sufficient to last n month. Some tried to laugh and make light of the affair, but they were those who had eaten the last of the ma. chine oil sauce; some looked sorry and sober and others looked positively ill. Then came moan from the pantry which caused general scramble in that direction, and poor Aunt Martha was dragged forth with her face in her hands and her whole manner denoting the deepest mental distress. She was !nconsolable and declared in the most decided way that she would never be able to look any of them in the face again.
 They went in the parlor and took Aunt Martha with them, and by all sorts of schemes tried to divert her mind from the sauce question, but without avail. She would break out every few moments with self-con. demnatory interjectiops and bitter lam entations, and it was not until her com. pany was leaving, with the most hearty and sincere assurances of their enjoy ment of her hospitality, that she could summon even the faintest smile to her terribly-elongated countenance. As soon as they were all gone she lost nc time in hunting up Matilda and giving her very warm and emphatic lecture upon the reprehensible practice of leav. ing bottles around where they did not belong. "My stars!" she cried, "sup. pose that machine oil had been poison? Twould been used just the same, and here we'd had lot of cold corpses on our hands! It's just a mercy of Divine Providence that it wasn't carbolic acid or some such deadly stuff. My land! but I'll never hear the last of it. It'll travel from Jerusalem to Jericho, and they'll be calling their machine oil Aunt Martha's pudding sauce, see if they don't!"
 When she had finished her lecture, and Martha had a chance, the long-suffering servant said, in her most correct and vigorous English:
 "Aund Marda, didn't vas pud das boddle in der bandry, neider! Id vas
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16
The Judges Little Joke,

Judge Gary has a dry wit with him that is occasionally the cause of his grim courtroom being pervaded by q very audible tittering. The other day one of the attorneys was airing his indignation. He had been robbed Yes, sir, robbed. It was shameful the way things went right there under the eyes of the law.
 Finally Judge Gary noticed the fun. ing and fretting one.
 Whats the matter now?" he asked.
 "Matter? It's confounded outrage. Had my overcoat stolen right from this room."
 The judge smiled little.
 "Overcoat, eh?" he said. "Pab. that's nothing. Whole suits are lost here every day."-Green Bay.
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16

definiteness of purpose to get that done either, though fin the effort much was torn down and great deal of damage was done.
 The tearing-down statesman does not fill large place in the public mind. In- deed, everybody knows that he has only torch for destroying, but no ham, iner for building, and must therefore be not the sort of man progressive na- tion needs. The difficulty with the democratic party is that for more than 30 years it has cultivated that sort of statesmen, and no other-and the prac- tical results are obviously. '. Trib- une.
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16

your own selps. dink you vas make q fiddle on der knife sharper und you didn't vas toog id oud yet"
 Upon thinking the matter over care. fully, Aunt Martha found Matilda was right, and she shouldered the whole blame, and was further humiliated by having to make due acknowledgment to the girl, who, in the depth of her sense of wronged innocence, was saturating her apron with tears. After fully atom ing for her injustice Aunt Martha left the kitchen to Matilda, with the assur- ance that she would trust everything to her in the future.
 The soothing hand of time gradually healed over the terrible wound to Aunt Martha's self-esteem, but she never forgot her awful mistake, and regarded the slightest allusion to it with severe ly silent disapproval.-Chicago Satur- day Evening Herald.
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16
STATESMEN WHO TEAR DOWN
The Kind That Is Developed by the Dem-
 ocratic Party.

Enc Alnd That Is DevelOp0u Dy tn0 Oo@' ocratic Party.
 While the republican party is em. barrassed with riches, democratic can. didates for the presidency are neither numerous nor pervasive. The worship CTS of MT. Cleveland continue to repre-. sent that nothing else can save his party, but there are men who would like to save it if they could. Secretary Car lisle might be persuaded, though it is questionable whether he could com mand either the delegation or the cleo. toral vote of Kentucky. Secretary Ol- ney has chattel mortgage on some delegations from New England if he wants them, but it is to him extremely doubtful whether he wants any delega- tion whatever. It has occurred to him more than once that distinctly un. American administration is not calcu- lated to lift q secretary of state toward glory. MT. Whitney, whose honorable service as secretary of the navy should not be forgotten, would probably prefer not to have that service remembered too obtrusively this year, and MT. Morrison. of Illinois, who has lost himself in his relations with railroads, might perhaps bc as strong as any other candidate of his party, if he had not been conspicu- ous years ago in framing tariff bill.
 The democratic party has never done anything since it kindled rebellion against the union. Possibly there is a relation of cause and effect here; pos sibly the party which kindles rebellion becomes thereby incapable ofdoing any thing else. But the democratic his- tory has been one of negatives. It has threatened and more or less tried to tear down many things. Itdenounced, but was not able to stop, specie redemp- tion of legal-tender notes. It has been rCviling every step taken toward honest money, q sound currency, a safe and uni- form banking system; but the higher powers have mercifully saved the na- ton from even touch of democratic destructiveness in that regard. It has continually threatened to tear down the protective tariff, but, coming into power in all branches of the government, was not able to muster enough sincerity or
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16
THE CITY OF THE DEAD.

They do neither plight nor wed Tn the city of the dead, T, the city where they sleep away the hours;
 Rut they lie, while OCT them range Winter blight and summer change. And a hundred happy whisperings o1 flowers. No, they neither wed nor plight, And the day is like the night, Nor their vision is of other kiad than ours. They do neither sing nor sigh In that burgh of by and by, Where the streets have grasses growing cool and long:
 Rut they rest within their bed. Leaving all their thoughts unsaid. Deeming silence better far than sob or song.
 Though the robin be a-wing, Though the leaves of autumn march mill lion strong.
 There is only rest and peace Tn the City of Surcease From the failings and the wailings meath the sun,
 And the wings of the swift years Beat but gently OCT the piers, Making music to the sleepers every one. There is only peace and rest; But to them 1t seemeth best. For they lie at ease and know that life is done. Richard Burton. in Atlanta Constitu- ton.
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16
TWO TEMPTING RECEIPTS.
A ConfectiOn of Figs and a Celebrated
 Rule for Making Chocolate.

A Confection of Figs and Celebrated Rule for Making Chocolate.
 Take dry figs. The choicest thin. skinned ones are not necessary for this purpose. Wash and cut them care. fully to be sure no imperfections are left. Pour boiling water on them and let them simmer until the skins are quiet tender. Then remove the figs and dadd sugar sufficiently tomake rich sirup of the water in which they were boiled, and lemon or grape juice to give color and acidity. Pour this on the figs and set them away to cool.
 When William M. Evarts occupied a seat in the United States senate and a fine house, with his family, in Wash. ington, the chocolate at their afternoon receptions became famous. The re. ceipt for it was as follows: One quart milk, one cake chocolate, essence of vanilla. Crate the chocolate very fine, mix with a teaspoonful of hot water and rub smooth. Allow the milk to come to boil, put in the chocolate and boil about five minutes, or until of de. sired thickness. After removing it from the fire season with the essence of vanilla according to taste. Boil in a farina kettle. The chocolate should then be poured into dainty cups while still in the kitchen and served quickly steaming hot.
 Fill the cups two-thirds full with the delicious brown mixture and add tb;cl, beaten cream. This addition consti. tutes the making of the famous Vienna chocolate introduced at the centennial If only enc square of chocolate is re. quired, draw a line across the two squares at the end dividing them in half. With sharp knife shave of the chocolate until you come to the line, which saves waste of time and material.-Chicago News.
The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-04-16

PiSSiuihS SphiI, she was particularly precise, and espe- cialy in the supervision of the culinary department. The kind-hearted yet se- we're old soul kept after Matilda, the kitchen girl, with a relentless persist ency and a hawk-eyed vigilance which often made the poor girl sigh for relief from her surveillance, for anything that was done amiss had to be careful ly rehearsed under the direct super vision of her inspector-general. As a result the culinary skill of Aunt Martha came to be known and bragged of throughout her wide circle of friends and acquaintances; and when anybody wanted to speak in praise of anybody else's pies or buildings the invariable verdict was: Most as good as Aunt Martha's."
 One evening small but select com pany of Aunt Martha's friends was in- vited to take dinner with Ter, in celebra- ton of her brothers birthday annivcr- sary, and she had given every detail of the cooking thereof her personal at tention. The soup, meat, etc, had all received her approval before being placed before her guests, but when it came to the dessert, that she insisted upon preparing with her own hands. She made one of her famous cabinet buildings, as q treat for the occasion, and there was general rejoicing among her guests over the prospect of insert ing their teeth in the much-vaunted dainty.
 The pudding had been passed ere it dawned upon Aunt Martha that she had not made any sauce for it. Such an oversight would have been almost in- eXcusable on the part of anyone else, and the dear old soul was honest enough to declare that the error was even worse for it's commission by herself. She was compelled to confess that in her haste she had overlooked that important item, but springing to her feet she eXclaimed: Wait moment! I'll make sauce in Jitfy," and darting into the pantry she skirmished around for hardly more than moment and reappeared with look of triumph in her eyes and a bowl of translucent, palatable-looking sauce in her hands.
 "There!' she saith as she proceeded to help each dish generously. q guess we will have sauce if Aunt Martha is a little forgetful. don't see, for the life of me. how came to forget it; but law! I'm getting old and careless
 This candid acknowledgment brought sly smile to the faces around the table, and to thoroughly convince their good hostess of their willingness to forgive