The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-02-17
Money in the Garden for Women.

There is one way for women fond
oi gardening TO earn a supply of
spending money in an easy way. 1t
is by raising herbs for druggists and
market men; the latter will take
most OF them while green, a regu-
lar supply being delivered every
second day. 1t is light work after
the planting has been accomplished,
and some of the roots being peren
nial, they do without replacing for
several years. Lavender, sage,
thyme, mint and hoarhound are
among the perennials. Sage and
parsley are most commonly planted, /,
but thyme, mint, hoarhound, mar
loram, summer savory and lavender
are as easily raised and pay fully as
well. When raising them for mar
ket-men, make yonr arrangements
with them early in the season, agree
ing to furnish as much per week of
the green herbs, in bulk or tied in
punches, as his business requires.
The balance not used in this way
can be dried and the dried product
can be readily sold to druggists.
During the summer, parsley, mar
joram, mint, sage and thyme are
freely used in large markets, pars-
ley, summer savory, and thyme be
ing sent out with the soup pieces,
mint with lamb, and the sage is
used for seasoning chopped meats.
Leaves for decorating, also, can be
sold to these men, Swiss Chard and
the variegated beet being especially
valuable fer such work.
When drying your herbs, pick
the young tender shoots before the
plant shows signs of blossoming, a
dry day being the best for the work.
They should be well shaken to re-
move the dirt, and then spread on
papers to dry, the color being bet
ter if dried in a room where there is
no sunlight and no currents of air.
The mass should be turned every
day, and will be dry in few days !;
the herbs can then be put up in
paper bags and hung in a dry place
1t is well not to sell TOO early, as if
it is offered before the bulk of the
new crop is in the market it will be
called last years. Most of these
common herbs are very hardy, Law
ender being the least hardy of any
of those mentioned. 1t can be pro-
tected in the fall, however, so that
many of the plants will live over
winter.
it is a good idea with any of the
perennials to sow few new seeds
each spring, to take the place of the
plants hat winter kills, and to keep
a new stock always coming on. They
transplant easily and it is always
better to root out an old, slow grow
ing plant and replace it with new
one. The herbs can be cut several
times during the season, and if
properly cut, the last crop will be
as good as the first.
My plan is this AS soon as the
plants have grown new shoots in the
spring to the height of three inches,
| cut off all the large leaves and
new shoots, then allow them to
grow again, cutting as before. This
IS kept up during the whole season,
care being exercised not to cut any
hard, woody stems, but just the
arge leaves and tender stems. The
herbs require a rich soil to do well,
md the hoe or rake must be used
,ften, to keep the ground stirred
around the roots of the plants. If
he hose can be turned on every
night during the hot, dry summer
he plants will quickly pay for the
extra attention, but mine have new
sr had any water except the rain
hat falls on them. There is some
Inference in the seed to be procur-
ID when planting these herbs, and
always get the best. The broad
eaved thyme is the best variety of
hat plant, and the mammoth leaved
sage will be found the best of its
lass. From Vick's Magazine for
February.