California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



smoke ■srill kill the insects -without in- 

 juring the plants unless they are exposed 

 to the fumes over fifteen minutes. Hot 

 water will kill insects. A single, quick 

 jjliinge into, or pouring of hot water 

 upon plants, will kill all aphids without 

 killing the plants. The insects get under 

 as well as upon the leaves, and must be 

 reached, whatever the means used to de- 

 stroy them. A drop of carbolic acid in a 

 wine glass of water will kill aphids if 

 put upon them. 



These lice are hatched from eggs that a 

 small fly, the size of a gnat, with long 

 wings, lays upon the plants. Once kill- 

 ing of them may not last forever, as 

 more eggs may be laid and another crop 

 soon grow. But keep atfhem. They are 

 mortal, and will succumb to persistent 

 treatment, generation after generation. 



Illustrations. — We present a picture 

 of an ornamental, hinged, metalic win- 

 dow bracket, and also another of an ele- 

 gant single flower-pot stand, to set ujjon 

 a shelf or table. These convenient and 

 beautiful articles we see for sale at 51r. 

 T. W. Mitchell's floral depot, in San 

 Jose, who sells a variety of ornamental 

 flower furniture at low i^rices. They 

 will also suggest to the reader rustic 

 work that can be constructed at home, 

 out of such materials as can be obtained 

 in the vicinity of most homes. A thous- 

 and things can be made to beautify the 

 home, bv the exercise of a little ingenu- 

 ity. 



Window Gaedenino.— It may be be- 

 yond the reach of a good many to pos- 

 sess a greenhouse, says an experenced 

 gardener, but there is no one but may 

 have a few plants in the window. The 

 culture of plants has a weighty moral in- 

 fluence upon those who indulge in it for 

 the love of it. In fact, a study of nature 

 in any of her varied forms leads the mind 

 away from that which is ignoble to that 

 which ennobles it. Especially is this 

 the case with the young, and it should 

 be the aim of every head of a household 

 to bring the younger members under the 

 influence of whatever teaches morality, 

 and helps to direct the Intellectual abili- 

 ties in a legitimate channel. A study of 

 nature, therefore, as she exhibits herself 

 in the floral world, is within the reach of 

 nearly all; and every one possessing the 

 convenience should endeavor to cultivate 

 a few plants for the sake of amusement, 

 as well as to help make home attractive 

 for the younger members of the house- 

 hold 



That the plants be in good healthy 

 condition, is really more needful with 

 regard to what is required for the window 

 than for the greenhouse. In the window, 

 although the atmoijihere is suitalile for 

 plants to continue to flower and keep in 

 health, if in good health when put in, 

 yet it is diflicult to revive into luxuriant 

 health when sickness has ruined the 

 constitution. In the genial atmosphere 

 of the greenhouse, a sick plant nuiy be 

 brought into good health again. There- 

 fore, for the house, get suuill but healthy 

 l>lants. Large i>lauts soon till the si)acu 

 allotted for them, and have not room for 

 freedom of growth, and look miserable. 

 Small ones, in healthy condition, give 

 i the owner considerable pleasure in see- 

 ing them grow, and also do best. Largo 

 plants cannot be grown very satisfac- 

 torily where they get insufficient light, 

 and enough cannot be given them when 

 liauipered in a small place. A window 

 with a southern or eastern aspect is (!on- 

 sidered the most suitable. Keeping the 

 glass in the window clean has often a 

 good eft'ect on the plants, hi hot, sunny 

 days in summer, a thin muslin between 

 the sun and plants will prevent scorchiii" 



and drying of foliage. Careful washing 

 of the leaves cleans off all dust which 

 may accumulate upon them. 



"When it is necessary to repot plants, 

 do so with care. Destroy the roots as 

 little as possible; after jjlaeing the drain- 

 age, then as much soil as will raise the 

 base of the plant so high that about an 

 inch will be left from the surface of the 

 roots to the rim of the pot. Use a nar- 

 row strip of wood to press the soil be- 

 tween the roots and the side of the pot, 

 taking care that no empty spaces are left 

 around the roots, especially if it is a hard 

 wooded plant. If empty spaces are 

 left when potting it is very difBcult to 

 tell when the plant is dry, as it has al- 

 ways an empty and dry sound even when 

 saturated with water. "When pots are 

 kept in saucers in windows, do not al- 

 low much, if any, water to remain in 

 them long after \vatering the plant. 

 Never water the plant by putting the 

 water into the saucers, but water always 

 at the surface of the jjot, and allow it to 

 drain through the roots, which is the far 

 superior and more natural way. Plants 

 allowed to remain in stagnant water get 

 so saturated that their health is soon de- 

 stroyed. 



Testing Seeds. — All seeds should be 

 tested before planting, especially all 

 small seeds, which can be done in simple 

 ways. One way is to take a saucer and 

 fill it with white sand, and then fill it 

 with enough water to wet the sand and 

 keep it so, place the seed on the wet sand 

 pressing it gently into it so that the seed 

 is about half way imbedded into the sand 

 and set the saucer in a light, warm room, 

 in the sunlight. 



Another plan is to take two thicknesses 

 of woolen cloth — either flannel or fulled 

 cloth will answer. Dampen them with 

 water, and lay them in some shallow 

 dish, as a plate or saucer. Then sprinkle 

 a few seeds on them, being careful not to 

 spread the seeds so thick that one will 

 lay upon the other. Now dampen an- 

 other piece of cloth and lay over the 

 seeds. Keep the plate or saucer in n 

 moderate warm place, and by removing 

 the upper cloth at will you can watch the 

 result. The good seed will gradually 

 swell and finally sprout, while the seed 

 that is too old, or that is bad from any 

 other cause, may swell at first, but, in- 

 stead of growing like the good will mold 

 and rot. 



Still another way; Take a wide- 

 mouthed, clear glass bottle nearly full of 

 clear water, and take lint cotton and mix 

 the seed through it and lay the cotton, 

 after being moistened, on the water. 

 This jDlan has the advantage of keeping 

 the seed in a uniform moisture until it 

 germinates. The bottle should be placed 

 in a light room, where the sun can reach 

 it. Seeds will germinate in from 2-1 

 hours to 10 days, governed by the kind, 

 size and age of the seed and the warmth 

 of the room. The seed being exposed 

 to view can be watched in their daily 

 progress, which will furnish a very in- 

 teresting study to both old and young. 



in a warm, dry room, in dry sand or 



earth, and they will not grow. They 

 may be placed in damp earth, and kept 

 in a low temperature, and they will most 

 likely rot, though some seeds will remain 

 dormant a long time under these circum- 

 stances. But place them in moist, warm 

 earth, and they will commence growth 

 at once, 



After seeds are nicely started, the 

 plants three inches high may be trans- 

 planted with a trowel, with the earth 

 about the roots. 



Eoor GAnDE^^No. — Boof gardening 

 has, in Chicago, one very admirable il- 

 lustration in the case of a hotel. On the 

 roof of the first story is a court, opening 

 outward to the south. Above this, on 

 three sides, in a circular style, run three 

 more stories. This court or roof is sim- 

 ply a garden. The tiles are set over with 

 vases, and these during summer are 

 filled with gorgeous bloom. A hundred j 

 windows ^look out upon this loveliness, 

 and from the second floor persons can 

 walk out for a pleasant promenade. The 

 designer and owner, Mr. Bhinney, tells 

 me the thought came to him while on 

 shipboard crossing the Atlantic, and he 

 hastened to put it into form. Of course 

 the whole establishment becomes a fam- 

 ily. The ordinary hotel barrenness is an 

 iiiiiTOSsibility. A gorgeous display of 

 gilt and fresco is displaced by nature's 

 adornment. That kind of refinement 

 arises which can come only from a fusion 

 of city and country life. Cottage hotels 

 in the smaller cities, such as the Dwight 

 house on the old Dickinson place at 

 Binghampton, surrounded with parks, 

 fountains and flowers, are an easier pos- 

 sibility. Indeed it seems strange that 

 they are not more general; but here is a 

 garden home, for the first time in Ame- 

 rica, embedded for the public in the 

 heart of a vast city.— £. P. 1'., in Oanlm- 

 ers' Monthly. 



Window Plants. — A writer for the 

 Sdeniific Farmer, who professes to know 

 all about it, says that according to the 

 temperature required for the healthy 

 growth of difi'erent plants, they may be 

 divided into tw-o classes, namely; Those 

 that grow well at an average temperature 

 of 50 degrees, that is, ranging from 40 to 

 GO degrees, and these that require a 

 higher temperature, an average of GO de- 

 grees, ranging from GO to 70 degrees. 



The first class will include geraniums, 

 carnations, centaureas, camellias, aza- 

 leas, abutilous, agcratums, eallas, sweet 

 alyssum, English ivies, smilax, mignon- 

 ette, hyacinths, paimulas, stevias, petu- 

 nias, verbenas, lobelias, and roses. In 

 the second class are begonias, bouvard- 

 ias, epiphyllums, cacti, fuchsias, glox- 

 inias, German ivies, heliotrope, pileas, 

 zorrenias, and roses. Hoses are included 

 in both lists, as they will succeed under 

 either conditions. 



Plants grow much better where the 

 temperature runs lower at night than 

 during the day. It never should go be- 

 low 40 degrees in the first case, or below 

 50 degrees in the second case. 



Planting Sekds. — If seeds are planted 

 too deep, they either rot in the damp, 

 cold earth, for the want of warmth ne- 

 cessary to their germination, or after 

 germination, perish before the tender 

 shoots can reach the sun and air; and 

 thus tliat which was designed for their 

 nourislimeiit proves their grave. Sand, 

 sawdust, vegetabh' mould or some light 

 material should be used to cover seeds. 

 Then the soil should be kept gently and 

 regularly moist until they are well 

 started. 



Warmth and moisture are necessary to 

 the germination of seeds. Neilhcr^of 

 these will do alone. Seeds may bo kept 



A YOUNG MAN ASKS ABOUT 

 THE STOCK BUSINESS. 



New Yoke, Feb. 11, 187G. 



Ed. AGKICULTtTRIST AND LiVE StOCK 



Journal; Sear Sir — I hope yon will par- 

 don the liberty I take in addressing you, I 

 but I desire some information and do not 

 know who else to apply to. 



Having a desire to go to Southern Cal- 

 ifornia and engage in stock raising, I 

 wish to know what chance there is for a 

 strong, healthy young man. I would 

 like to engage myself to some large stock 

 grower, learn the business thoroughly, 

 and, as soon as possible, start in business 

 for myself. Can you give me any neces- 

 sary information? 



Very truly, yours, 



HoEACE M. King. 



Remarks; As Mr. K. has not intimated 

 what kind of stock raising he wishes to 

 engage in, we hardly know what answer 

 to make. The old w"ay of cattle-breeding 

 on a thousand hills — wild stock with 

 wild vacqueros to herd them over hund- 

 reds of leagues of land, is drawing to a 

 close. As the country gets settled up, a 

 more civilized and better system is being 

 adopted. There is abundant room for 

 introducing the better breeds of all kinds 

 of stock. It will require some money to 

 get land, and time to accomplish much, 

 but there is no surer business if properly 

 conducted. But do not entertain an idea 

 that your services will be valued by 

 such men as adhere lo the old style of 

 cattle and sheep husbandry. All they 

 want is a wide, free range, and Mexican 

 herdsmen mounted upon bronco mus- 

 tangs — a halt-civilized condition and 

 business. We request such of our read- 

 ers as may know of any opening, or as 

 can give information or encouragement, 

 to write to Mr. King. 



Look to Yonn Axles. — How many 

 horses sufl'er by the want of attention to 

 the axles of carts and wagons. We often 

 see the wheels running at an angle ten 

 or fifteen degrees "out of true," the 

 teamster seeming not to realize how 

 much this increases the burden. If the 

 wheel wiW only revolve, it seems all that 

 is needed by the thoughtless driver. 

 'J'hen, again, "want of care in greasing 

 the wheels is another source of unneces- 

 sary labor for the horses. It is only 

 fair, that while we require reasonable 

 labor from our animals, we shall grant 

 them reasonable faeilitic.H for doing it. 



BENTLEY'S HOT-AIK FURNACE 

 FOR DRYING FRUIT. 



Dr. G. J. Beutley, of Michigan City, 

 Ind., who has been spending the winter 

 in Santa Clara, has shown us a device 

 for producing hot air for drying purp. 'si s 

 that seems to be constructed on ratiuual 

 principles and is so simple as to com- 

 mend it as worthy of attention. To us 

 it appears to be just about the thing, 

 whether hot air is required upon a large 

 scale, or is wanted in ever so small 

 quantities, as the furnace can be made of 

 any size, and do equally good work ac- 

 cording to its capacity. Of course, an 

 economical dryer must utilize as much of 

 the heat of the fuel as possible. Dr. 

 Bentleys furnace is so constructed as to 

 waste the least possible amount of heat. 

 He proposes to construct three sizes, 

 worth respectively ?50, $75 and §100, 

 capable of thying 10, 20 and 30 bushels 

 of fruit at a time. The rooms and ap- 

 paratus for drying can be made at the 

 o|)tiou of the "parties using the dryers. 

 The smaller sized need not cost over ?'25, 

 screens and all complete. This would 

 make a dryer and furnace, suitable for 

 any ordinary orchard, cost only $75. 



The dryer is also an excellent heater 

 for dwellings — better than any stove or 

 fireplace. It is already in use in public 

 and private building in various places. 



One of these can bo seen in operation 

 at Mr. Menzell's hardware store, Santa 

 Clara, and also a model of the furnace. 

 Next month we will give a description of 

 this furnace, as wo believe it must prove 

 of great advantage, and is the very thing 

 that our orchardists need. 



Truth and honesty often neglect ap- 

 pearances, hypocrisy and imposture are 

 guarded. 



