THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 23 



Changing the water kills more gold fish than any other cause, the 

 hardiest fishes cannot stand it ; and as to purity, it needs only a 

 little patience at first, and the water will keep pure for years. 



The next point is as to feeding. There are some folks who 

 never feed gold fish, " they have been told not to." Eemember how 

 the Frenchman's horse broke down, though fed with diminishing 

 rations. No animal can live long if not fed at all. " But they 

 eat the insects in the water !" Eat fiddlesticks ! Just consider, 

 here are half-a-dozen fishes, weighing eacli a quarter of a pound. 

 Where is the food to support them in that bright liquid ? In ponds 

 they find a thousand things to eat, which few ladies would like to 

 see in their fish globes ; but in such an artificial state they must be 

 fed, or perish. G-ive them the crumb of brown bread, now and then, 

 gentles, flies, or a little millet seed or boiled rice. It is important 

 to give them only as much as they are likely to consume in the 

 course of a few hours, because if food lies about long, it taints the 

 water and spoils its brilliancy. A little observation will soon aff'ord 

 a rule for the quantity, in accordance with the number and size of 

 the fishes. If water snails are kept, the young of the snails will be 

 greedily eaten by tlie fishes, and afi"ord them a very suitable food — 

 carp of all kinds being very partial to young snails ; the snails are 

 useful, too, in keeping down all obnoxious growths on the inner side 

 of the glass. For ornamental purposes the best snails are Plano7'his 

 Cornells, nitidus, and contortis, and JPaludina vivipara. Any of the 

 species of fresh water mussels are ornamental, and highly useful in 

 keeping the water pure. 



Lastly, do not expose gold fish either to intense sun heat in 

 summer, or frost in winter. They are really tender, but must not 

 be coddled. In their native pools they can escape from the glaring 

 sun to some green, shadowy depth, but in globes there is no escape ; 

 and they get blinded, and boiled pretty often, by being exposed in 

 globes that act as lenses, in windows open to the sun for hours 

 together in high summer. S. H. 



TEEE MUEDEE. 



IjE have been occupied many years in advising the public 

 on propagating, planting, pruning, preserving, and im- 

 proving trees for use and ornament, and by way of a 

 change we intend now to offer a few observations on the 

 art of killing trees. 

 We advise, then, that when trees are purchased, that it should be 

 as late as possible in the planting season. By this method the 

 purchaser will make pretty sure of obtaining the weakest and most 

 ugly of the stock left in the nursery, after all the foolish people who 

 .like to keep their trees have had their pick. When the trees arrive 

 home, lay them anywhere, and be sure their roots are not covered. 

 The more the air, frost, and sunshine act on their roots the better. 

 When they are planted, take care to have the ground in a wet, pasty 

 condition ; do not prune them ) let all the bruised and jagged parts 



