1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



149 



imens of the dark-leaved Sanguinaria, called 

 by the eountry peoiile Blood-root, for its deli- 

 cate flower so nearly resembles the orange 

 blossom that it can very well take its place at 

 any wedding of our friends next winter. We 

 will take also a plenty of the damp, boggy 

 earth where it dwells, so that it shall not miss 

 its usual nutriment ; and, gently loosening its 

 root, by the aid of the trowel, from the tangled 

 vines around it, place it with this soil in the 

 basket. 



Next we will select a group of Hepaticas, 

 or Liver-wort ; and cutting the turf carefully 

 with the knife, lest the roots should be detached 

 from the fibrous peat where it first opened its 

 eyes, lift the whole clump with the spade, and 

 place it with the Sanguinaria. These are all 

 the roots wanted to-day. We shall gather 

 from among the last year's dead leaves hand- 

 fuls of the sweet Arbutus, or Mayflower, for 

 vases at the home ; and set the children hunting 

 for the tiny buds of the Houstonia, or, as we love 

 to call it. Innocence ; and look ourselves after 

 the shy violets ; by and bye, when the sunshine 

 has lured them from their beds, and the velvet 

 casket of the young spring grass is lit up with 

 their sapphires and pearls, we will come and 

 take our choice for a new setting with our fam- 

 ily jewels. But we must not spend the whole 

 day in the woods, — the roots we have taken 

 ought to be potted immediately. 



It will be well to set the two Sanguinarias in 

 separate pots ; in the autumn they can be put 

 together, if both live. Pots three inches in 

 diameter at the top will be the proper size — 

 No. 9. Let the children gather a handful of 

 pebltles about the size of a plum-stone. Put 

 eight or ten of these in the bottom of each pot, 

 then a little of the bog earth, to which you 

 have added — sprinkling it in with the hand — 

 loam, from an old bed in the garden ; then 

 more of the bog earth. Now, set the root of 

 the plant exactly in the centre, hold it gently 

 in place with the left hand, with the right add 

 more of the soil and loam, till the pot is nearly 

 fuU. Press it lightly around Ae collar of the 

 plant — ^just enough to keep it steady, not hard, 

 nor closely. Strike the side of the pot two or 

 three times, to settle the earth firmly. Add a 

 little more soil, and strike in the same manner, 

 till the earth lies evenly around the plant. Fill 

 the pot nearly to the rim. Water with warm 

 Water. If, after watering, the soil is loosened 

 around the plant, add a little more. Pinch off 



the ilovvcr buds. Keep the plant in a shady 

 place till August — watering it every day, free- 

 ly. Then bring it gradually to bear the sun- 

 shine, — but it never needs much ; you can 

 keep it in the winter on a bracket at the side of 

 the window, and it will spread out its large 

 leaves and lift up its pure blossoms as gaily as 

 as in its native marsh. 



The clump of Hepaticas must have a pot of 

 the next larger size. Place the pebbles as for 

 the other plants, cover them Avith rich loam, 

 and then set upon it the turf in which the he- 

 paticas are still firmly fixed — it will do Ijotter if 

 the roots are not disturbed. Fill in around the 

 crevices more of the loam. Shake the pot to 

 settle it well, and water as you did the San- 

 guinarias. Cut off the blossoms, and all the 

 buds as fast as they appear — because you wish 

 for bloom in the winter. Set the pot in the 

 shade. In order that no woi-ms shall get into 

 pots that are kept out of doors in the sum- 

 mer, a space should be set apart for them, 

 and the coal clinkers and fine cinders left from 

 the winter's fires should be spread over it, and 

 on these jilace the pots. Treat this as you do 

 the Sanguinarias, only it will want a front place 

 at the window when cold weather comes, if you 

 desire deep blue flowers. 



When the violets are in bloom go again to 

 the woods, and take your choice of tlie differ- 

 ent species, and do for them as for the hepati- 

 cas. Then, if you wish to domesticate more 

 wild flowers, get the beautiful blue Harebell, in 

 its season ; and then, the elegant Lobelia car- 

 dinalis. There are the Ferns, too, so curious, 

 and of such easy culture ; and the Mosses, — 

 don't forget them. A very pretty ornament 

 for the table, or the mantel, is a dish of Ferns, 

 or of Mosses. Early in October go to some 

 sequestered spot in the woods and bring away 

 as many kinds as you can. Get them, as you 

 did the hepaticas, still clinging to their native 

 soil. A common deep dish is the best thing to 

 hold them. Fill the dish with leaf-mould, — 

 that is, the rotten leaves and fibrous soil of the 

 woods — so that it is a little higher in the cen- 

 tre ; set your Ferns securely in this, and ar- 

 range around them bits of the different kinds 

 of moss. Set this dish witliin another two sizes 

 larger. Fill the outer dish with water. Get 

 a bell-glass to fit the inner dish, like the glass 

 cover used by confectioners and bakers for 

 their show-cake. It will rest, without the in- 



