farmers' miscellany. 101 



Teat care is necessary not to break the fibres of the roots. They 

 Ihould be taken up with as much earth as possible, the roots 

 pread out equally on all sides, as the earth is put in ; shake the pot, 

 o settle the earth firmly around them. Give them a good water- 

 flor, soaking the earth effectually. The same care is necessary in 

 emoving cuttings and layers into their respective pots. 



There is no trouble in removing plants from one pot to another. 

 They can be taken out with the ball of earth entire and placed 

 a the centre of the new pot, fresh earth shaken in around them, 

 nd gently pressed down. If the ball does not turn out readily, in- 

 ert the pot and strike on the top of it with something solid, or push 

 -ently with a stick, through the bottom, at the same time hold- 

 ig the hand firmly on the earth in it, to prevent its falling. 



Plants are apt to be infested with insects — the most common of 

 ,'hich, is the aphis — usually called the green fly. Enclose the 

 ilant in some tight vessel, and fill it with tobacco-smoke for one 

 r two minutes. This wall kill them ; or they may be destroyed 

 y hand. The red spider can be killed by fumigating with 

 lilphur. 



j When flowers have withered after being cut off from the plant, 

 jiey may be revived by cutting off their stems and immersing 

 aem for a few minutes in hot or boiling w^ater. When it is 

 esirable to preserve flowers or buds, after being cut, for several 

 ays, they should have their stems immersed in water and placed 

 1 a perfectly dark place till wanted. 



ANIMALS USEFUL TO THE FARMER. 



Under this head we are not about to write a dissertation on the 

 orse, the ox, the sheep, nor the alpaca. This, we fear, would be 

 libor lost. But we mean to call the attention of the farmer to 

 pme other creatures, which are not only sadly neglected by him, 

 tut actually destroyed wantonly, and whose life, we should per- 

 aps be fully warranted in saying, would have saved to him more 

 lian the value of many sheep. They are none other than the 

 Ittle birds. If it were only for the beauty they add to this world, 

 ■e should think that alone would restrain the wanton hand that 

 jestroys them. But few^ are aware of their actual use. 



