296 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



throw weeds away, but dig a small pit in the corner and there de- 

 posit them, with the scrapings of the walks and the soapsuds and 

 waste liquids from the house. In this way a considerable quanti- 

 ty of valuable manure may be saved for the next year. 



All these remarks apply no less to the flower garden — a most 

 delightful addition to the comforts and taste of any — even the 

 humblest residence. There is no difference in the preparation of 

 the soil — and when this is ready we should be glad to see more of 

 our ladies engaged in the active labor of taking care of its future 

 success. The exercise might serve to transfer some of the bloom 

 of the flowers to cheeks that have been blanched and paled by 

 too much housing. Neither plants nor ladies thrive well shut up 

 in a close room, away from the free air and the light of the bles- 

 sed sun. If we were young — as we used to be — we would dis- 

 course more at large on this latter topic, but we have reached that 

 age when it " don't do " for us to say much about " love among 

 the roses." 



AGRICULTURAL STUDY. 



Before agriculture in this country, reaches the degree of perfec- 

 tion which it has already attained in other countries, our farmer; 

 must devote themselves more to the study of their art. This, w« 

 believe, they have begun, very extensively, to feel. The disposi- 

 tion has heretofore been, to demand from writers on the subject 

 nothing but what was purely practical — not in the true sense o 

 the word — ^but in a false sense — that is, they must have the ver] 

 processes described to them which others have used, and then witl 

 the whole actual result before their eyes, they could venture upoi 

 a trial of them themselves. Had this been the case with all wh( 

 are engaged in the business — had there been none more willing 

 than others to take the first step, agriculture would have been a 

 an amazing low ebb. But some who have been bold enough t( 

 think for themselves, have taken the lead, and to this we owe thi 

 present condition of farming. But these means are, in our view 

 and we believe, in the view of all thinking men, utterly inadequatt 

 to the present demand. A more general information is necessary 

 Farmers must read and study and think for themselves. There i; 

 no practice in the whole range of agriculture whose fuundation i: 

 not laid in reason. Farming is not, in its foundation, practical 



