PLANS FOR WORK. 19 



in midwinter than to think over and plan for next 

 summer, Nothing better for guide and companion 

 on long winter evenings than a good book. Buy if 

 you can, borrow if you must. Next to a good book, 

 and, in some respects, better, is a good horticultural 

 paper, and The American Garden is one of the best. 

 If nothing better can be afforded, get the seedsmen's 

 catalogues. Some of these can be obtained on appli- 

 cation, others cost from ten to twenty-five cents, and 

 are worth the money. Some of them are positively 

 delightful. The descriptions of the seeds are so ap- 

 petizing, and the pictures so inspiring, that we long 

 for summer to come that we may enjoy these entic- 

 ing heads of lettuce, these phenomenal beans, and 

 gaze in awe upon our own monster squashes. The 

 wise home-gardener will, of course, read the seeds- 

 man's catalogue with a dignified reserve in regard to 

 some of the more bewildering pictures and their 

 legends, yet he will read to learn, for nearly all these 

 books are well worthy careful study, for the fund of 

 valuable information they contain. At the same time, 

 don't read less than three, each from a different city. 

 Philadelphia, Boston, and New York, for instance, and 

 read to compare opinions on the various standard 

 sorts of vegetables. 



Of books, I would recommend the following: The 

 *' Home Acre," a series of eight articles, by the late 

 E. P. Roe, and published in Harper's Magazine, be- 

 ginning in March, 1886. As a handkerchief garden 

 should include some fruit, " Success with Small 

 Fruits," by the same author, should be procured. It 

 is a fine book, and beautifully illustrated ; price, $2.50. 

 " Harris' Gardening for Young and Old " is a good 

 book for general purposes ; price, $1.25. Bailey's new 

 " Horticulturists' Rule Book " is full of valuable rules, 

 recipes, methods, etc., for gardening folk; price, fi.oo. 



