THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 55 



ever so slight, they invariably perish. The soil must not be used iu 

 a fresh condition— six months is the shortest time that it should lay 

 before using. I have tried a few plants in peat, but the roots get 

 knotty, and they do very little good. When it is desired to get 

 seed, I have adopted a very simple plan for setting the flowers. 

 "When the pollen is in a proper condition for fertilizing the stigma, I 

 merely turn the flower bottom upwards, and let it fall upon it, which 

 accomplishes the desired object quite as well as the most elaborate 

 manipulation. I have now said about all that is necessary to be 

 known, beyond what is common to the other plants, and I cannot 

 conclude better than by asking those who have not yet been so 

 successful as they may desire, to dismiss all preconceived notions, 

 and follow my instructions to the letter, or as near as circumstances 

 will permit. I know there are people who object to the Cliauthus 

 having more warmth than a heath, and who would fain persuade us 

 that they will grow out of doors. Whether they will or not matters 

 little, but that my system of treatment is not far wrong is evinced 

 by the vigour of the plants I have here ; and, after all, nothing 

 beats an ocular demonstration for convincing the sceptical. 



THE EOBIJST AND THE SPAREOW. 



AM very glad you can claim no relationship with me," said a venerable 

 sparrow, as it nestled with all its feathers puffed out to their utmost ex- 

 tent, on the south side of alow terrace wall, to a robin that was making 

 | the most of a sunny October afternoon, searching among the withered 

 leaves and the fiesh turned over soil for something to eat. "Ah," 

 continued the sparrow, " how you smooth down your red waistcoat, and hop about 

 the garden with the airs of one who fancies he has sole possession." 



" And," replied the robin, " I am very glad 1 am not a grey, dingy, sooty 

 sparrow, living among chimneys, and chattering and quarrelling all the day long 

 and half the night through." 



"And you would be noisy too, only you robins lead such lonely lives. Your 

 natural tempers are so incompatible, so uusuited for social harmony, that you drive 

 each other far away. You may shake yourself, and fly up and down fast as you 

 like, but I have heard say more than once that two of you can never agree in one 

 place, you fight to the death for mastery. I wonder you have not long since vanished 

 from every English garden ; for, thougti you build nests, and rear little robins, you. 

 push them out into the world long before they can do for themselves, and 1 daresay 

 most of them perish seeking a field or orchard to settle in, where an older cousin or 

 broiher has already taken up his habitation." 



•'You are mistaken, Mr. Sparrow. A robin is a thrifty fellow, and must work 

 for his living, and his youngsters must do the same. They have the dignity of an 

 ancient, honourable family to maintain, and may not pilfer at every house door, or, 

 like your young sparrows, steal into any stable, or hen-house, or barn, where they 

 can find something to eat without trouble to themselves. And your tribe, numerous 

 as it is, would soon become extinct if it were not for the pirate life you lead around 

 every dwelling." 



"Not so. Think of the hundreds, nay thousands, of caterpillars we pick to feed 

 our young with in spring." 



" You only eat caterpillars when you can get nothing else. You bring up your 

 young ones to the same idle life you lead. Why, I have found a good meal while 

 you have been airing your old coat in the sunshine." 



