Daddy Takes Us to the Garden Part 18

"But I guess the cows enjoyed them as much as we did," she said. "Anyhow there is no use in worrying over what can't be helped."

"Did the cows hurt the egg plants?" asked Aunt Lolly.

"No, they didn't get in that part of the garden," answered Mrs. Blake. "I think well have some for dinner."

"What--Cows or _egg_ plant?" asked Uncle Pennywait, winking his left eye at Mab as he made this joke.

"Egg plant, of course!" laughed Mrs. Blake. "Suppose you go bring one in for me, Uncle Pennywait."

"We'll come, too!" cried Hal and Mab, while the little girl, as she took hold of her uncle's hand, asked:

"Is there really an egg plant? I thought hens laid eggs, and we haven't any hens in our garden."

"There is a plant named egg," Uncle Pennywait said. "I'll show you some.

It's down in the far end of the garden."

Hal and Mab had been so busy with their own part of the garden, hoeing and weeding their corn and beans, that they really did not know all the things Daddy Blake had planted. But when Uncle Pennywait showed them where, growing in a long row, were some big purple-colored things, that looked like small footb.a.l.l.s amid the green leaves, Hal cried:

"Are those egg plants?"

"They are," said his uncle.

"And do we eat them?" asked Mab.

"Surely; and very good they are, too!"

"What makes them call 'em egg plants?" Hal wanted to know. "Do they taste like eggs just like oyster plant tastes like stewed oysters?"

"And how do they cook 'em?" asked Mab.

"Well, you children certainly haven't forgotten to ask questions since your Daddy began telling you things about the woods, fields, flowers and birds," laughed Uncle Pennywait.

"Let me see, now. Well, to begin with, these are called egg plants because they are shaped like an egg you see, only much larger, of course," and Uncle Pennywait held up one he had cut off the stem where it had been growing. "They taste a little like eggs because, when they are fried, some persons dip them in egg batter. But first they cut them in slices, after they are peeled, and soak them in salt water."

"What for?" asked Hal.

"Oh, maybe to make them nice and crisp, or maybe to draw out a strong flavor they have; I really don't know about that part of it. At any rate we're going to have some fried egg plant for lunch, and I like it."

So did Hal and Mab, when they had tasted it. They were beginning to find out that many things good to eat grew in their garden.

About a week after this some of Hal's corn ears were large enough to pick and very delicious they were boiled, and eaten from the cob with salt and b.u.t.ter on. Mother Blake also cooked some of the lima beans Mab had planted when she made her garden, and the corn and beans, cooked together, made a dish called "succotash," which name the Indians gave it many years ago.

"What does the name mean?" asked Hal.

"I can't answer that, for I don't know," replied Daddy Blake.

"I know what it means," said Uncle Pennywait.

"What?" asked Mab.

"It means fine, good, very good," replied her uncle. "Or, if it doesn't, it ought to. Those Indians knew what was good, all right! I'll have some more, Mother Blake," and he pa.s.sed his dish the second time.

One day, when Hal and Mab had finished cutting down some weeds in their garden plots they saw their father carrying some long boards down to the lower end of the lot next door.

"Are you going to build a bridge, Daddy?" asked Hal, for there was a little brook not far away.

"No, I am going to make my celery grow white?" he answered.

"Make celery grow white?" exclaimed Mab. "I thought it grew white, or light green, all of itself."

"No," replied her father, "it doesn't. If celery were left to grow as it comes up from seed the stalks would be green, or at least only the hearts, or the most inside part, would be white.

"To make celery white all over we have to keep the sun from s.h.i.+ning on it.

For it is the rays of the sun, together with the juices, or sap, inside leaves and plants, that makes them green. Celery has to be bleached, and one way of doing it is to set long boards on each side of the row of celery plants, fastening them close up, and covering them with straw and dirt to keep out all the light.

"Some farmers bank up the dirt on both sides of their plants, not using any boards, but I like the boards because they are clean, and keep the soil from getting inside the celery stalks. Another way is to put a small wooden tube, or barrel around each plant so that no sunlight can get to the sides of the stalk to make them green."

"Isn't it queer," said Mab. "I thought celery always grew white, like we get it at the table. And so it has to be bleached. If you keep the light from anything green will it turn white, Daddy?"

"Well, almost anything, like plants. Children turn pale if they do not get enough sunlight and so does celery. Only we like pale celery but it is not healthful for children to be too white. Just try a little experiment yourself. Take a flat stone and put it over some gra.s.s. In a week or so lift up the stone and see what has happened."

Hal and Mab did this, after they had helped their father put the boards on the celery. Then, a week later, they lifted up the stone which they had laid over a spot on the lawn.

"Why, the green gra.s.s has all turned white!" cried Hal. And so it had.

"That's how my celery will turn," said his father. "The gra.s.s grew pale from being in the dark so long. It did not like it, and if you left the stone there too long the gra.s.s would die. Now take it away and in a day or so the gra.s.s will be green again."

And that's exactly what happened. The sun had tanned the gra.s.s green as it tans children brown at the seash.o.r.e.

One day, when Mab and Hal had started out with their father who was going to show them how to dig potatoes, which is not as easy as it sounds, the children suddenly heard a yelping and barking sound in Mr. Porter's garden.

"There's Roly-Poly in trouble again!" called Mr. Blake.

"Yes, and he's hurt, too!" added Hal, for the little poodle was yelping as if in pain.

"Oh, what has happened to him?" cried Mab. "Hurry, Daddy, please, and see!"

CHAPTER XI

GATHERING CROPS

Hal, Mab and their father ran to the gate in the fence that was between their yard and the garden of Mr. Porter. Down where their neighbor's lima beans were planted, and where they were climbing up the poles, they heard the barking and yelping of Roly-Poly sounding loudly.

"He's there!" cried Mab.