Q: What is the origin of the calling card (and not the type we use today for telephones)?

A: To answer this question, you must understand what “calling” meant to our ancestors. Before telephones, calling meant visiting, and was more ritualized. Middle-class women felt that “calling” was very important. Calls were made almost every day, and visiting or calling cards were essential for those calls. The cards served as tangible evidence of meeting social obligations, as well as streamlined letters of introduction. Calling cards also reminded people who had visited and who might need a call in return.

According to many sources, the custom of using a decorative, small card grew out of a French habit of scribbling messages and invitations on the back of playing cards, more than 230 years ago. When one paid a call, a playing card was left with the visitor’s name written on the back. The card was usually left with a servant of the house.

In the middle of the 18th century, card playing fell into disrepute, and playing cards themselves were considered lowly and unworthy objects. As a result of this social ostracism, special cards were printed with picturesque landscapes or landmarks. People still handwrote their names on these cards when they left them behind.

For a time, everyone tried to have unique cards. The fancier the calling card the better. Some were even cut to look like a fan, or were made to look like silk.

Sometimes a card was so intricate it would be hard to find the caller’s name on it. In 1878, the trend returned to a simple card. While business cards seem to be similar to calling cards, back then, they were entirely different. Calling cards were not business-oriented at all.

Q: The land around our home is covered with poison ivy. How can I get rid of this annoying plant without using chemicals?

A: There are a few nonchemical methods you may want to try. The first is manual removal of the entire plant – leaves, stems and roots. You must be sure to get it all. Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and two pairs of gloves, a plastic pair over a cotton pair. This is in case the plastic gloves tear.

The challenge with manual removal is, of course, that you are exposing yourself to the poison ivy. You should take every precaution to not let this plant come into contact with your skin. Be sure to wash all of your clothes immediately.

Once you’ve pulled out the whole plant, do not burn it, as this could cause lung irritation. Check with your local municipality about the removal of these plants.

Another method is to make a mixture of 1 cup of salt, 1 gallon of vinegar and about 8 drops of dish detergent. Combine the salt and vinegar in a pan and heat to dissolve the salt.

Allow it to cool, then add the liquid detergent and put the mixture in a spray bottle. You can spray the poison ivy or pour the mixture onto it. Be aware that this mixture will kill all the vegetation that comes into contact with it, not just the poison ivy. Be careful not to spray it on plants you want to keep.

If you have a question for the Farmers’ Almanac write to Farmers’ Almanac, P.O. Box 1609, Lewiston, ME 04241 or e-mail: [email protected].