Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-09-27

Do / think Aunt Madge# a reality?
OF course l DO, never had the slightest
doubt of it. Why, ! could paint her por-
trait for the M. BIS. = and not half try.
bits of sermonzing be evoked from a
myth? Perish the thought. Long may
Aunt Madge' shine, scattering sunshine
into the lives Of her admirers.
Before bringing forth my floral novel
ties for your inspection, / would Ike to
inquire how many Of the NJ. BIS. have
cultivated Htcottdud aHiHtS. | had long
admired the stately, yet graceful and fra
grant lily blooms on window specimens OF
my nelghbors, and finding per catalogue
that they were easily grown from seed,
resolved 70 have some, OF course waking
"a they do in the evening and sleeping
through the day would in many cases rale
them out OF the garden where oWlets are
not in general favor, still | wanted them,
and transplanted nearly tMo dozen thrifty
seedlings TO various places in nay beds,
chiefly where brilliant t8Ii-growiug bios
SONS, GladloIi, dahIIA- ana London pride
would prove foil te the pure white starry
blows.
Well. they grew. and the bread velvety
leaves, MOI unlike roadside mullin, made
a handsome base for the slender waving
buds. No hint of the nieotiaHa's natural
enemy had been given ME, my only an
tipathy 10 the plant had been lis name
and relation to The tobacco plant. Then
Judge Of my disgust " hen one fine morn
ing found an army e potato bugs yora-
cluusly deyouriug the leaves Of my
"nlCksa, and since then a daily picking
OF the pest has been The only means of
saving the poor things. As II is. at least
half have been stripped to the bare stalk ,
shall content myself IN future with the
single beautiful sample now blooming in
the house, hlch can be renewed by slips
and cutting back. If Mr.. later bug IN
vades the house, then III give up beaten,
and banis the plant entirely.
Among the pretty things received in
May were TWO Scalphas which were new
TO me, NuitQW ona, long, narrow pointed
leaves, bright green with a creamy " hite
margin, presenting graceful wavy APP
pearance; the Macafeana, a perfect little
tree foot and one half high at present,
with beautiful autumn leaves, quite as
brilliant as those Jack Frost uses his paint
brush upon in the forest, with shape and
glossy surface OF the birch, yet with the
colorIng of both birch and maple com
bined.
A Stroblanthus is another novelty to
me III the style of a coleus, com bination
OF purple, chocolate, rose and green. \
Peporamia of which / expected much,
lovely, thick, leathery leaves, bright green
with notified white stripes in i've finger
fashion, seems troubled with indigestion,
certainly its food cannot agree with it as
the new leaves curl and twist in an I'M
healthy way; shall continue to shift it
until 1t is either killed or cured.
Asparagus Sprengeri is lovely thing,
thought not as pretty foliage l think as
its sister, Tennuissumus, so lace-like and
flmy, though the blossoms and buds of
the former are very dainty, the habit Of
growth OF both are curious, throwing up
long whips which in day or two unfold
the feathery foliage.
wanted to speak OF begonias and sew
eral other pets, but have already stretched
my chat over more space than even the
good nature of AUNT Madge' could be
expected to grant. JANET.
You will all be much interested in
Janet's flower novelties One thing
puzzles me; how do you, Janet, find time
to care for so many flowers, for you are a
busy woman?
Ann, OF Bluehill, your recipe for cake is
excellent. Try sitting little sugar over
the mixture when it is in the cake tin and
all ready for the oven, which will give a
"meringuea appearance to the loaf.