The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-08-29
SOME OF AUNT MARY'S EN-
PERIMENTS.

The following from the Maytlower
is very interesting and amusing. 1t
contains a warning TO let well enough
alone. If your plants are doing well
do not try experiments unless on
plants you are willing to lose
One Of my kcenest delights was to
visit my Aunt Mary at some time dur
ing the summer. ] had dcne so for
many years past, and | returned TO
the city only to look forward to the
time when | should again find myself
under her humble but comfortable
roof. One summer | came upon her
partly unawares and found her in a de-
jectcd mood. | was surprised at tins
Aunt Mary was usually so happy.
"Why, Aunt Mary" | could not
help crying out, "You look troubled.
What Is the matter 2"
Before she answered had TO sit
down and have glass of mix and a
doughnut. You may lave had milk
like that, but a doughnut-nevcr.
DEFY anyone TO produce doughnut
that will equal one of Aunt Mary's.
They are par excellence. After had
partaken of the simple repast Aunt
Mary led the way out into the garden.
followed meckly. Coming to Il wire
Hover stand, she halted, pointing a
trembling finger at what stood upon it.
"Did you ever p she asked.
| had to acknow ledge that "ncvcr.n
"Ef wasn't so all-lired foolish il
never would a happeucd," she hogan
to explain. "Pm always III fur any
KIND OF improvements, you know. 1t
was through me that they drilled fur
gas and found it. They've all been
lhankin' me ever since fur the comfort
it's gwen them. Wei, my plants were
doin' nicely, they looked thrifty, and
they blossomed. John started to take
one o. them city newspapcr-one o.
them that's got 'Wome ems Pages
Chlldren's Pages 'Househod Pages, ,
and 'Floral HINTS 1t was Floral Hints
that done ii. | read 'em all. started
to do ;em. | done 'cm. There's the
result -
We both stood looking in silence.
CTS my ldec," she went on, "that
them that writes floral hints fur city
newspapers never saw no flowers at
all and don't know Carnation from
Rose. Maybe it's them that sweep
the floors and clean out the spittoons
as docs the floral hints when they have
few spare minutes.n
"But Why did you do what they
wrote Il person ought to do ?" | asked
"Surely no one knows better than you
how to take care OF plants. Yours al.
ways look thrifty, they are always
i blossoming."
"l'm great fur experiments, you
know" she rambled on. cit was
queer things they told II person to do
but | did 'em, fool that was"
"iou take the Maynlowcr, Aunt
Mary, don't you p | asked. "That'.
reliable publication"
son yes, take that" she replied
"But John says newspapers are up.to
dater.n
When ! looked at the flower stand
thought they were "up-to-datcst.n
Aunt Mary didn't say ANYTHING 70,
some time, so walked up to tn,
stand and, touching tall plant tha
! had but one leaf at It's summit, ask
ed
"And is This your beautiful Rubbe
plant?"
That's it," Aunt Mary answered
"'For worms in the SOIL" she con
tiEucd, quoting from the "Flora
llints' she had read, "'make Il slron.
solution of baking soda and water
Apply twice week. The worms vii
come hssing to the surface, wr,th
! AMI then die in great agony, aftc
which they may be gathered up an,
thrown away"
Aunt Mary folded her arms an,
looked askancc ut the Rubber plant.
81 didn't gather up no worms,n sh
went on, "but did gather up leaves
And now there's only one more I,
gather up. 1t looks as If it wanted [,
be gathered right away" and she touch
ed it lovingly.
My eyes next rested upon anothc
plant that was as bad off rs the Rubbc
plant just mentioned "Surely this i
not your Coral Begonla ?" | asked.
"'A Coral Begonia will bloom NOR,
freely" she fell to quoting again
"if little cayenne pepper is put int,
the water with which 1t is watcred
This also has tendency to make th,
blossom more brilliant IN hue"
felt like laughing, but the look OF
Aunt Mary's face prevented me.
"Maybc it would make the flower
more brilliant" she said sadly, "bu
Ill never find this out. It's pas
lowering"
"You had such a beautiful Palm
Where is that % next asked.
"lI got scale on" she said 8"
used to pick it off until | read of some
thing that vas better. don't remem
bcr what it was, but John got it from
the drug store. just put it on, ant
do you know, it crt the heart right on
o that plant"
Aunt Mary sighed. could not hell
doing the same.
"And your Cacti % l questioned
merely to break the painful sicnc,
that followed.
"Gone-all gone" she said, YEARLY
"And your Orange tree ?"
Tears now stood in Aunt Mary
eyes, and | led hcr away. was sorr,
| had mentioned the Orange tree. j
had always been her pet. 1t, too, hac
succumbed.
! Then she took me to the beds sh,
had sown with seed. Here everythlns
was delightful to behold. The array
of colors was gorgeous, the iuantit,
of blooms wonderful. Something ike
the old look came back to Aunt Mary!
face. Her eyes, too, regained thci