58 STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 



the driving snow beating- upon the windows. The spring time 

 passed, the summer and autumn ended, and a cold northern 

 winter upon us. The mountains have put off their beautiful gar- 

 ments of verdure, and valleys and plains are no longer clothed in 

 luxurious green ; the trees and shrubbery without have lost their 

 foliage, and their branches bend naked and forsaken over the ice- 

 bound streamlet, from the bosom of wliich no waters s^nd up their 

 liquid music. The flowers, too, are faded, and nestling upon the 

 bosom of earth beneath her snowy mantle. There is something in 

 this wide-spread desolation of winter that impressed us with sad 

 thoughts, for all these remind us of the sere and falling leaf of 

 age, telling us that the winter of life will soon be upon us and 

 that we too must lie down in the rest of the grave. 



I have said that the flowers sleep beneath the snow through 

 these wintry hours, but soon they shall break forth into glory. ' 

 So, too, I trust, we are all comforted with the bright hope that 

 we shall be permitted to enter that land where the winter comes 

 not and where "fragrant flowers immortal bloom." 



Spring with all its budding beauty will soon return to us again, 

 and with it the call for renewed energy and preparation for its 

 work. For the present the fortunate possessors of house plants 

 will find a mine of pleasure in caring for and watching the early 

 developments of the conservatory and window garden. These now 

 should be coming to maturity, and in a few weeks should amply 

 repay all the care and labor bestowed. It is now too late to offer 

 suggestions for their general management and culture for this sea- 

 eon's bloom. Let all plants be kept free from dust and vermin, 

 and let the temperature be as even as possible, to insure success. 



In window gardening the three great obstacles in the way are 

 these : green fly, red spider and uneven temperature. The first 

 should never be seen, but if you chance to be annoyed with them — 

 and the room in which they are will admit of it — take an iron or 

 earthern vessel, place in it a few burning coals and on this place a 

 handful of tobacco stems, well moistened ; close the room and 

 leave it for the night. This repeated occasionally is the end of 

 green fly or green lice, as they are sometimes called. If you can- 

 not treat them in this manner, takq, out the plants, cover them 

 with paper or spread over a sheet and smoke them lightly until 

 every fly falls to the floor, then with a soft brush go over the 

 plants and return them to their place. Not long since, I saw in 

 one of our^cal papers, "syringing with water" recommended 



