Harper's Round Table, October 22, 1895 Part 13

Ragged-sailor. 16. Wandering-jew. 17 Mint. 18 Dutchman's-breeches. 19 Pennyroyal. 20 Shamrock 21. Bachelor's-b.u.t.tons. 22 Tulips (two lips).

23. Honeysuckle. 24. Foxglove. 25. Lady's-slipper. 26. Rose (rows). 27.

Pickerel-weed. 28 Phlox (flocks). 29. Arrow-head.

GRACE V. BEDINGER.

2 FORRESTER STREET, SALEM, Ma.s.s.

Fruits in Old Jamaica.

Wild strawberries, just like those at home, grow on the mountains in Jamaica, about 6000 feet up, and ripen in June. Apples, small and green, but making good sauce, are brought from the same height, and are ready in July and August. Some few peaches are grown up there also, and ripen in June or July. Grapes vary in season, according to the elevation at which they are grown; they begin to be in market in July, coming from the lowlands.

Pineapples begin about the end of April, but June is the best month for them. They are most delicious here, as they are thoroughly ripe and soft. Bananas and plantains (a large variety of banana eaten only when cooked) are ripe all the year round. The early oranges come in June, but are not really in season until October, December being the best month for them. They last until about March. Limes are in season all the year round, some trees being ready at one time, some at another. Melons are very poor here, very small, and of poor flavor, as they have no good seed apparently. They ripen in spring and summer. Bilberries ripen from June till October; and wild but poor blackberries also. Both these berries grow on the mountains from 2000 feet up.

Of tropical fruits the variety is endless; some are good, others we do not care for. Avocado pears or alligator pears are pear-shaped, but look more like green and brown fresh figs. The skin is peeled off, and the pulp, which is green next the skin and custard-color near the seed, is about like baked custard in looks, and is eaten as a salad. The seed is very large, and confined in a loose outer husk. These are ripe now, and continue a long time in season.

Genips or hog plums are round green b.a.l.l.s about the size of a large plum. The skin is hard, but cracks easily and slips off, leaving the pulp, which is like a grape's, and tastes a little like one. The flesh sticks fast to the seed, and you can only suck them, which is very tantalizing--but the tree holds thousands.

Rose apples are very pretty, light yellow, smelling like attar of roses, and taste the same, and are insipid when raw, but delicious crystallized. They ripen in June. Granadillas are something like melons; they grow on a pa.s.sion-flower vine, and ripen at different times. The pulp is sweet but rather tasteless, but combined with the seeds which are enclosed it is good in a tart jelly. Star apples are so called because when cut in two the seed division forms a five-pointed star. They are sweet, and ripen in spring.

Naseberries are dark brown inside and out, about the size of a small peach, and with a rough skin. The flesh is good, but sandy feeling to the mouth. Gold apples are brilliant yellow; white pulp and black seeds surrounded with jelly. Seeds and all are eaten.

Water cocoanuts are the green nuts before the meat is formed inside. They are as large as a man's head with the husk, and you cut the top off with a machete, and drink the delicious water, cool and sweet. Sour and sweet sops and custard-apples are all more or less alike--sweetish and rather flat. Some like them.

FRED L. HAWTHORNE.

GARDEN HOUSE, KINGSTON, JAMAICA.

An excellent morsel. The Table thanks Sir Fred.

A Visit to a Marble-Mill.

Perhaps the Table will be interested in the account of a visit I made to a large marble-mill. The block of marble, rough but regular, being in position the cutting begins. The saws, which are lowered everyday to cut just so much on the block, are held in a big wooden frame hung above the marble. These saws swing back and forth across the block, gradually cutting into it. A 2-1/2-inch pipe above the saws pours a continual stream of sand and water over the block.

The saws are kept going night and day, yet requiring a week to saw a block 6 by 6 by 5 feet. The saws are strips of steel about 3 inches wide and 18 feet long, and do not cut more than 15 inches a day. The blocks usually are sawed into slabs 2 inches by 6 feet by 5, or blocks 1 by 1 by 5 feet. When the sawing has been completed stone-cutters trim and prepare the marble for s.h.i.+pment. An interesting thing I saw was the marble for a pavilion in the Woman's Exhibit at the Atlanta Exposition. Columns, caps, and bases were being prepared.

The columns are first sawed out in blocks about 1 by 1 by 7 feet.

Then they are turned on a lathe until they are perfect though rough cylinders. These are polished, first by rubbing sand over them to take off the saw and lathe scratches, and then with three different kinds of grit. After this they are rubbed with a hone perfectly void of grit, and polished with acid. The caps and bases are prepared in the same way, excepting that the blocks are of a different size (almost square, in fact), and that they are turned into their respective shapes. This mill is owned by the Tennessee Producers' Marble Company. The marble quarries of Tennessee are the finest in the United States.

JAMES MAYNARD, R.T.K.

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

Want Corner.

Harold P. Daniels, 73 East 127th Street, New York, collects beetles, and wants to hear from others in the United States and Canada who do the same. M. S. Newman, 722 East Ninth, New York, wants to receive sample copies of amateur papers. Jessie Loomis and Mabel Moreland, Box 156, Creston, Iowa, publish _Our Own Idea_, an amateur paper of much merit, and they want to exchange with other amateur publishers.

Wallace Gibbs, Galva, Ill., publishes _The Sunbeam_, a neat eight-page monthly. He offers to send us a morsel on the experiences of an amateur publisher, if we want it. We want it, Sir Wallace. Send it along. Tell us the discouragements, the pleasure, and the advantages. R. L. Miller, Jun., asks if an autograph of President Diaz is wanted by the Table.

Yes, it is. Can you favor us with one?

THE HALLOWEEN WITCHES

BY MAMIE A. DENTON.

Mildred and Naomi Dean sat at opposite sides of a large room; Naomi with her fingers in her ears, and her elbows resting upon her knees, while Mildred gazed out of the window with dreamy eyes. The two girls were in search of ideas for a Halloween party: they were twin witches, born on witches' night, or Halloween, and had given regulation Halloween parties since their babyhood. Now they wanted a change, and after eagerly reading everything on the subject that came within their reach, they had finally decided to "think something out" themselves.

"It's no use," Mildred exclaimed, suddenly. "I can't think of a single thing except that we must have a party. Aren't you blest with an idea yet, Naomi?" she shouted.

Naomi turned slowly, taking her fingers from her ears. "Yes, I believe I am, but I don't know how you will like it. Why can't we have the girls all come dressed as witches, and then we can give a prize to the most bewitching?"

"The very thing, you dear little conjurer. That idea is worth elaborating, and you know I just exist to elaborate your ideas. Now wait till I finish my part."

Mildred ran to her desk, and was soon deep in its mysteries--wonderful things had been known to come from this desk. When she finally arose she handed Naomi two neat invitations, one of which read:

MISS NINA PRESCOTT,--You are cordially invited to attend a witches' party on the night of the thirty-first. Each lady is expected to represent a witch. A prize will be given to the ugliest, and a "b.o.o.by" prize to the most attractive witch.

TWO WEIRD SISTERS OF HALLOWEEN.

(Mildred and Naomi Dean.)

_Masks on._

"Oh," said Naomi, when she had read the invitation, "it is too bad not to give the prize to the most attractive witch."

"No," replied Mildred; "witches are supposed to be ugly, and I think the one who wears the finest costume should pay the price of her own vanity.

Now read the other invitation."

Naomi read it slowly aloud:

MR. ROY PRESCOTT,--You are requested to act as one of the judges at a witches' contest on the night of the thirty-first, at the home of the

TWO WEIRD SISTERS, (Mildred and Naomi Dean.)

"What do you think of my specimens?" asked Mildred.

"I think they are very brilliant elaborations," Naomi answered; "but I must see Nina, and caution her not to tell her brother what she is going to wear. Yes, I am glad that none of the rest are brothers and sisters."

On the night of the thirty-first the home of the Deans was brilliantly lighted, and the grounds were full of weird lights and mysterious music.

The boys were the first to arrive, and were ushered into the front parlor, where they were commanded to stay until invited to come out. The girls were shown upstairs to a room where a card with a large white number upon it was pinned to each costume. When the boys were admitted to the back parlor the witches were drawn up in line with masks on, and numbers conspicuously displayed. The two weird sisters, unmasked, and making no attempt to conceal their ident.i.ty, pa.s.sed slips of paper to each gentleman, and explained that he must write the number of the one who most nearly represented his idea of a witch, and also the number of her whom he considered the most attractive. One of the boys complained that this was not fair, as they were not allowed to see the faces. When the votes were counted, and the prizes awarded, the signal was given, and the masks were dropped, amid much surprise, laughter, and applause.