California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



plant Ibcm in ]iots containing sand, en- 

 riched with a little fine stable manure, 

 well mixed together. Keep the soil well 

 moistened in a warm place until the 

 vines start, the put wherever you wish 

 the vines to climb, and with jjroper care 

 the growth will soon delight and aston- 

 ish you. The English ivy is often seen 

 growing in bottles of water hung up be- 

 hind picture frames. It is very pretty. 

 The Wandering Jew is also grown in the 

 same manner. But while these latter 

 plants are fine ornaments, the Madeira 

 vine is, for delicacy and beauty, as far 

 ahead of them as you can well imagine. 



We are assured that many of our 

 lady readers are much jjleased with tlie 

 "City Gardening" department. We 

 thiulc they would be much better pleased 

 if each reader would contribute some lit- 

 tle fact gleaned from her own exijerience 

 in cultivating plants, and also ask for in- 

 formation about any particular plant or 

 manner of cultivating that she would 

 like to know more about. We want each 

 one to feel enough interest to contribute 

 to this department. 



Feen Culturk in the Parlok. — The 

 following, from the Coimtry Gentleman, is 

 splendid advice to follow: 



Ferns are plants the culture of which 

 is very interesting, either in the green- 

 house or the parlor. Nothing adorns a 

 sitting-room more than a case of ferns in 

 luxuriant health. A case for this pur- 

 pose may be made of any size, and id- 

 most any shape. In their construction, 

 however, several particular points have 

 to be borne in 'fmind, for thej benefit of 

 the plants which are to grow in them, 

 the first of which is a means of obtain- 

 ing' a tharough draina(je. More failures 

 occur in the cultivation of plants in 

 Wardian cases, from imperfect drainage, 

 than from any other cause, nothing be- 

 ing more injurious to the plants than 

 sour, stagnant soil; and however jiorous 

 the soil itself may be, without perfect 

 drainage it cannot be long in a condition 

 suitable for supplying a healthy food for 

 plants; the water retained in the soil hav- 

 ing no means of escape, sours it. To 

 secure good drainage, also dryness and 

 tidiness in that part of the room where 

 the case stands, two bottoms are neces- 

 sary ; one, the true bottom, which should 

 be thoroughly perforated to allow the 

 free escape of the water; below this one, 

 another should be placed to receive the 

 water as it passes from the soil, and 

 therefore requires to be water-tight, and 

 so adjusted that it can be emptied and 

 cleaned without disturbing any other 

 part of the case. On the upper bottom 

 place a good thick layer of pot-shreds 

 and charcoal for drainage. Upon this 

 put a small mound of suitable soil for 

 ferns — peat, loam and a good mixture of 

 sand — secure in this mound small stones 

 and shells, so as to imitate a small rock 

 work, allowing sufficient cavities for 

 planting ferns and mosses. 



Proper means of ventilation is also 

 necessary, which is best acquired by 

 having part of the roof movable. When 

 so constructed that the movable part can 

 slide over the fixed part, it gives the least 

 trouble, and is the most convenient when 

 cleaning, watering or planting the ferns. 

 Top ventilation is better for the welfare 

 of the ]ilants than when side ventilation 

 is adopted, as then there can be no ill 

 effects arising from cold draughts pass- 

 ing thnmgh thcni. 



When planting the ferns, put some 

 erect growing kinds at the top, and the 

 more dwarf and bushy ones on the sides 

 of the mound, using moss for carpeting 

 the whole. Upon removing the plants 

 from the pots, do not break up the balls 



any before planting; the roots will soon 

 make a start in the fresh soil, which 

 should be pressed rather firmly around 

 the roots. After the plants are in, give 

 a good watering, and shut close for a few 

 days. 



In selecting plants for such purposes, 

 dwarf-grown jilants, in small pots, are 

 the best. 



Pretty Arrangement of Plants in 

 Pots. — Among the prettiest things we 

 ever seen in the London flower market, 

 says the Garden, are small pots contain- 

 ing growing plants of forced Lilies of the 

 Valley, and a few fine crimson Tulips, 

 growing out of a healthy little tuft of the 

 common Maiden-hair ferns. 



The same journal, of January 1st, said 

 among the most beautiful of all pot 

 plants now brought to Covent Garden 

 market is the lovely little Siberian Squill 

 with drooping flowers of the clearest and 

 most vivid blue color imaginable. Noth- 

 ing could be psettier than pots of Lilies 

 of the \'alley and tender young ferns, 

 neatly but not too regularly margined 

 with this beautiful little Alpiue bulb. 



Ozone Generated by Plants and 

 Flowers. — One of the most important 

 of the late discoveries in chemistry is 

 that ozone is generated in immense quan- 

 tities by all plants and flowers possess- 

 ing green leaves and aromatic odors as, 

 for instance. Hyacinths, Hehotroj^e, 

 Mint, Lavender and the like. So pow- 

 erful is this great atmo.spheric purifier, 

 says the Hanilary Itemrd, that it is the 

 belief of chemists that whole districts 

 can be redeemed from the deadly malaria 

 which infects them, liy simply covering 

 them with aromatic vegetation. Every 

 little flower pot, therefore, is merely a 

 thing of beauty while it lasts, but a direct 

 and beneficial influence upon the health 

 of the neighborhood in which it is found. 



Beautiful Floral Ornament. — Take 

 a soup-plate or a pickle-dish, and fill it 

 with sand. Moisten the sand with water 

 and heap it to a cone, and then thrust 

 into the wet sand flowers and foliage 

 enough to cover the whole surface, and 

 you will have, if you arrauge it well, the 

 most beautiful floral ornament that can 

 be imagined. This is an excellent way 

 for arranging short-stemed flowers, or 

 those the jjetals of which are too soft to 

 be tied without injury among stiff'er ones. 

 Or place in the centre of your soup-plate 

 a tea-cup, a child's mug, or a wine-glass, 

 in which insert a small bouquet, and 

 then proceed as above. This will make 

 a better cone than the first method. 



Cheap and beautiful hanging baskets 

 are made of round sticks, about one inch 

 in diameter, eight inches in length at 

 the bottom, increasing to fourteen at the 

 top. In constructing, begin at the bot- 

 tom and build up, log-cabin fashitm; 

 chink the openings with green moss, and 

 line the whole basket with the same. 

 They are easily kept moist, and the 

 plants droop and twine over them very 

 gracefully. — Gardener's MonilUy. 



Cheap Land, or Dear Victuals ?— 



On the Overland train which arrived in 

 San Francisco at six o'clock July 2C>, 

 there was rn old man from the " Sucker 

 State" on whose brows rested the snows 

 of eighty winters, come to thaw them in 

 our sunny clime and bathe his wrinkled 

 visage in the gentle zephers of San Fran- 

 cisco. He seemed gi-eatly disgusl<d with 

 the countiy between here and Omaha and 

 said that it anyone would give him a pa- 

 tent title for all the land he had seen on 

 this side the Missouri Eiver, in exchange 

 for a meal of victuals, he would ask 12% 

 cents to boot! 



A DAIRY HOUSE FOR HOT 

 WEATHER. 



Mr. Editor: As you are "suppose to 

 know everything" in regard to farming, 

 can you inform me how to build a cheap 

 dairy house — one that will keep milk and 

 butter cool in such weather as we have 

 had for two weeks jjast? 



Yours, W. A. T. 



The above was received too late for 

 our July number. 



We can tell you how to make a good 

 dairy so as to keep cool in hot weather, 

 in fact, of even temperature during the 

 year. This is a building entirely above 

 gi'ound, so as to secure perfect ventila- 

 tion, boarded uuon studding with 

 matched or battened boards, inside and 

 out, with roof also double, unless effect- 

 ually shaded by trees. The floor should 

 be above ground, and so arranged as to 

 allow of a circulation of air between the 

 floor and ground, through registers that 

 may be closed in real hot days, or at will. 

 Then, in connection with a wind-mill 

 jjump or other convenient ajiparatus, 

 open troughs that can be supplied with 

 fresh, cool well or spring water, in a 

 slow, constant stream, at will, should be 

 arranged about the room aud milk 

 shelves. Some dairies set the milk in 

 pans or deep cans which are surrounded 

 by this flowing water. A dairj' room 

 made upon this plan can be well venti- 

 lated even in very hot days, and still be 

 kept cool by the water. The water 

 evaporates, as it circulates through the 

 room, sufficiently to cool the .air admit- 

 ted through screened windows necessary 

 to sweetlj' ventilate the room. The best 

 is generally the cheapest in the end. 



A very cheap dairy on a small scale 

 can be made by excavating, and making 

 a room half above and half below ground, 

 with ground floor, and roof either cov- 

 ered with earth or shaded by trees, 

 boards, brush, etc. In this sort of a 

 dairy but poor ventilation is generally 

 given, and cleanliness seldom observed. 

 Such a room may be well aired at night 

 and on cool days, and by sanding the 

 floor and cleaning up once a week, Ije 

 kept in tolerably sweet condition. So 

 long as nothing is allowed to get musty, 

 and no rotten lumber is in walls or roof, 

 such a cheai) dairy may answer a very 

 good temporary purpose, and is soon 

 made by any one. 



RETROSPECTION. 



Farmers, at this season, when the 

 crops are harvested, or being harvested, 

 should take note of the same with an 

 eye to improving upon all mistakes that 

 have in any way been made this season. 

 In what way could you have done better 

 than you are doing this season? Did 

 you plow just as j'ou should have done, 

 and put in crops during the right 

 months':' Did you procure the best seed 

 aud sow it just thick enough to produce 

 the best crop'? Would not that piece of 

 laiul sown to wheat this season, which 

 was very foul, have paid just as well de- 

 voted to bay and pasturage'? Could you 

 not have destroj'ed a crop of weeds, and 

 prevented them from seeding the ground 

 in this way, so as to get a cleaner croj) 

 of grain next season? Will it not pay to 

 rutate from grain to pasturage and hay, 

 and back to grain again, better than to 

 sow grain on the same ground every sea- 

 son? Have you made us much, clear of 

 expenses, as you think a good, prudent 

 farmer should make, one year with an- 

 other? If not, why not? Doubtless 

 you will commence to think that you 

 were not able to do any better, and in 

 some way make personal excuses. But, 



leaving self and all self-satisfied pride 

 out of the question, looking at your af- 

 fairs as an outsider would, how 

 is it? Surely, if you are not either 

 very fortunate or nearly perfect, there is 

 some slight chance for improvement 

 somewhere in your management, and it 

 is a duty you owe yourself to ascertain 

 ill what direction, and to strive to do 

 better next time; not to repeat the same 

 mistakes, stupidly, from year to year. 

 There are many branches of farming, and 

 each locality, owing to conditions of 

 soil, moisture, climate and sun-oundiugs, 

 ijceds a little dift'erent management in 

 some particulars, from others. You 

 should study to know what system is 

 best suited to your farm ; what crops 

 should prejionderate ; what kinds of 

 stock, and how much, and in what pro- 

 portion to keep, how to feed and market 

 them to the best advantage, etc. What- 

 ever your natural advantages or disad- 

 vantages, you should aim to make your 

 farm a complete one, well balanced in 

 every respect, with an eye to home com- 

 forts, conveniences, and farm profits. A 

 sagacious man will profit by his mistakes 

 by correcting them. A wise man will 

 strive to profit by the success of others 

 by adopting best methods. Only the 

 self-conceited and ignorant man will 

 think he knows ^it all, and be satisfied 

 with hard work ill directed, when brains 

 combined with muscle would make bet- 

 .ter progress w-ith greater ease. 



Farmers, study your own farms, your 

 own business, and do not be contented 

 without each year improving ujion form- 

 er ones in a manner to make your farm 

 better, more profitable, more convenient, 

 more fruitful, and your home in ever)' 

 respect a better and happier one. 



DISEASED ORANGE TREES IN 

 LOS ANGELES. 



We have frequentty read about a dis- 

 ease that is killing the orange and lemon 

 trees in Los Angeles. Several newspa- 

 pers have I'eported the cause to be an 

 insect or fungus which causes the bark 

 of the stalk near the ground to decay, 

 with a slimy substance between the bark 

 and the wood. We have lately had a 

 talk with Mr. Eldred, of Orange, a gen- 

 tleman who has an orange orchard and 

 who has made thorough observations. 

 He declares that the cause of this trouble 

 and loss of trees is from stagnant water 

 about the roots. Too much irrigation of 

 trees iilaiited in heavj', ill-drained soil, 

 at the season when trees need little wat- 

 er, is the cause of the whole trouble. 

 We have read of trees dying in Louisi- 

 ana from diseased roots, caused by too 

 much water in the subsoil. These would 

 first show signs of disease in the leaves 

 near the top of the tree, and the fruit 

 would crack open before rij'e, finally the 

 whole tree would die with slippery bark. 



Too much irrigation upon heavy soil 

 would certainly be likely to cause just 

 such a disease as the Los Angeles orch- 

 ardists complain of. In proof of his as- 

 sertion, Mr. Eldred mentioned several 

 orchards not irrigated, excepting once or 

 twice in summer, that are entirely free 

 from the bark disease. He says that 

 there is nothing to be dreaded about this 

 disease, and that it never has, and nevei- 

 will trouble trees that are not in too wet 

 soil, or in soil kept too wet by irrigation. 

 We trust that his premises are correct, 

 as they seem plausible enough. We 

 wait for further information. „'..'-_„. 



To have the natural ability to perform 

 an act without the moral ability, is no 

 ability at all- -is an absurdity. Without 

 the will, there is no power. 



