than those of other colors? We see that whenever 

 we bruise the petals or express the juice from 

 the petals of red tlowers, and expose it to the 

 atmosphere, it changes to a blue color ; is this 

 change of color caused by the absorption of 

 oxj'gen? If so, may not plants consume a 

 greater quantity at the seasons above alluded 

 to, than when in a morerarified state? Or does 

 the intensity of the solar rays alone cause a re- 

 dundancy of the brighter colored flowers during 

 the summer months. 



Another peculiarity is, that blue flowering 

 plants in their native state, are much more fre- 

 quently found growing in moist shaded situa- 

 tions, than in more exposed or sunny spots. 

 There are several plants whose color can be 

 changed from pale red to blue, by employing 

 swamp mould, and keeijing them in the shade, 

 more especially among those that bloom early in 

 the spring. By pursuing the hints thus thrown 

 out by the Creator, can we not be led to try the 

 experiment of producing blue flowers upon 

 plants that now uniformly bear tho.se of other 

 colors. Probably they would require to be car- 

 ried through several generations before their 

 present habits would give way to this artificial 

 treatment. I have very little doubt of success 

 if the experiments were persevered in. 



The peculiarities are so palpable and distinct, 

 that if upon experiment the foregoing sugges- 

 tions should be found to be true either in whole 

 or part, by any person who may have more 

 leisure than your humble servant to try them, 

 I shall be amply repaid for the time employed 

 in writing this fugitive article. J. Van Boren. 

 ClarksvilU, Geo., Oct. 17, 1851. 



PnoTECTiNG Roses and Carnations. — M. 

 Wood, (Pittsburgh.) The hardier China ro- 

 ses, such as Bourbon, Noisettes, &c, will be suflB- 

 ciently protected by bending down the tops and 

 covering them with straw, cornstalks, — or what 

 is much better, branches of evergreens. Cover 

 Tea roses with a little mound of tan bark — and 

 turn a box over the tan to keep the wet out. 



Carnations and picotees, if they have been left 

 in the beds — may be carried through the winter 

 by turning a flat box over the bed — so as to 

 cover all the plants. Raise the box about an 

 inch or two on the north side, by a stone under 

 its edge, and stick down a guard of small sticks 

 all along the open edge, close enough to keep 

 out the mice, but not so close as to keep out the 

 air. Do not touch or remove the box till the 

 spring fairly opens. This is the simplest and 

 best mode. 



Insects in the Ground. — Peter Wall. If 

 you will take the trouble to throw up the soil 

 into ridges under your plum and apple trees — 

 now — before winter — extending the operation as 

 far as the roots go, you will, by the help of Jack 

 Frost, destroy a large part of the curculiosand 

 other insects that have taken lodgings there for 

 the winter. 



EvERGRENS. — B. P., (Cayuga.) If you can 

 remove evergreens with balls of earth about the 

 roots, winter is the verj- best time. If you have 

 to loose the earth from the roots, then wait till 

 the trees begin to start in the spring — for that 

 is much the best time under the latter circum- 

 stances. 



Tiger Flowers. — Jas. Culver, (Royalton.) 

 Sow the seeds in a pot in February, if you have 

 a green-house, or in March if you have a hot- 

 bed. They will come up in a fortnight and 

 flower the next year. There can be no doubt 

 that beautiful hybrids may be raised between 

 Tigridia conchiflora and T. pavonia. The 

 roots of Tiger flowers are such tempting mor- 

 sels to mice, that you must keep them buried 

 in sand or shut up in a box, as well as out of 

 the reach of frost, or you will lo.se them. 



Tan-bark. — W. Jones, (New- York.) There 

 is no better covering for beds or bulbs, (such as 

 hyacinths, and tulips. Ranunculus, &c.,) tender 

 herbaceous plants, &c., than tan laid over the 

 top of the ground a couple of inches thick. A 

 coat of this thickness should be laid over all 

 strawberry beds in parts of the country where 

 the winter frosts are severe upon them. And 

 asparagus beds are much benefited by the same 

 treatment. 



