126 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



and to lofts above; No. 5 horse stable, 18x18, directly 

 over hogs ; No. 6, walk for feeding cattle below, 4 by 18 

 feet; the parallels indicate trap doors for feeding stock 

 in cellar and also for ventilation; the divisions of the 

 bays for hay and grain are indicated by figures 7, all of 

 ■which are 18x18 feet, except the one next to the walk 

 for feeding below, which is 14x18 feet. 



Should Mr. Taylor like the arrangement of 

 this barn and it is too large for him, he can 

 build one of any size he chooses ; but by all 

 means have the posts in same proportion to 

 the size of the barn, as it costs no more to 

 cover the roof of a tall barn than a low one. 

 John M. Fuller. 



Hanover, N. H., Dec. 28. 18G9. 



For the Xew England Farmer, 

 ■WINDOW GAKDEWING. 



In these chilly wintry days, when Nature 

 has droffed her green mantle and shrouded 

 herself in her eider down covering of snow, 

 all lovers of house plants pay close attention 

 to their window gardens, and sigh to see the 

 green leaves fade, the plants wither and finally 

 die. 



As we keep seventy-five pots of house 

 plants, we think that we know a little concern- 

 ing their cultivation. There are some plants 

 which will thrive with scarcely any care ; will 

 send forth new leaves, and then the sweet, 

 pure blossoms, regardless of the treatment 

 they receive. Among these the Chinese Prim- 

 rose takes front rank. Eight to ten months 

 out of the twelve will find it covered with its 

 showy white or brilliant pink flowers. Its 

 cost is small ; a twenty-five cent scrip will pur- 

 chase a well-grown plant — and its flowers are 

 a certainty. Czar Violets blossom all winter, 

 and perfume the air with their wondrous fra- 

 grance. The flower is single, like a wild vio- 

 let ; but its sweetness is unsurpassed by its 

 more dazzling sisters. Belgium Daisies will 

 blossom for months. Ber/onias will also M'ell 

 repay the cultivator, and push forth their waxen 

 petal blossoms during all the gloomy winter 

 season. Bouvaredias, with their coral flowers, 

 adorn a window garden for many months 

 with a (juick succession of buds and blossoms. 

 The variegated foliaged plants are a charm- 

 ing addition to our parterres. Their brightly 

 tinted leaves are almost as beautiful as flowers. 

 The craze for these plants has developed 

 largely of late years, and the Florist's Cata- 

 logues offer us a large assortment. There 

 are various species of Acliyranthus, and of 

 Coleus, each and all of them very desirable 

 to the amateur gardener. All the above men- 

 tioned plants grow without much coaxing, and 

 ■with a Rose geranium, and several varieties 

 of Horse Shoe geraniums, will form a very 

 respectable "window garden ;" and give great 

 pleasure to not only their owner, but to the 

 passer-by. 



Flowers blooming in windows are very at- 

 tractive, far more so than gorgeous upholstery 



and filmy lace. They possess a charm above 

 price. The amateur cultivator finds his great- 

 est difficulty in flowering plants to proceed 

 from the dryness of the air of the room. The 

 plants cannot be sprinkled daily on account 

 of (heir nearness to the windows; but the 

 leaves can be sponged over with a soft cloth or 

 a bit of sponge. This clears them of dust and 

 keeps open the breathing pores, for a plant 

 breathes through its leaves. They are its 

 lungs ; if they are clogged it must wither 

 away and die. Without a suflicient amount 

 of air, light and water they will also become 

 weak and sickly, and will eventually perish. 

 Fresh air should be given every day, unless 

 the thermometer marks beloA^ zero all day. 

 The window at which they stand can be opened 

 from the top if the sun shines bright and 

 warm upon the plants ; if not, open one in an- 

 other part of the room, for ten minutes at 

 least. This supply of pure air is quite as 

 needful for the human life which occupies the 

 room as for the plant life. Every day, while 

 we eat our dinner the parlor is aired by door 

 and window, and when we return the room is 

 so refreshing we enjoy it with the plants. Bad 

 air kills more of our children than any dis- 

 ease, in fact it breeds it — is the cause of dip- 

 theria, fevers, &c., &c., to the end of the 

 catalogue of diseases. 



There is an art in watering plants which a 

 novice rarely knows. They should never be 

 watered unless they are really thirsty ; unless 

 the surface of the soil is dry, then water until 

 it runs out into the saucer. After all are thus 

 thoroughly watered, turn out the surplus 

 which is in the saucers, as it is injurious to 

 most plants to have the pot stand in water. 

 Hydrangeas, Calla Lilies and Lobelias are the 

 exceptions which prove this rule. Plants 

 which are budding and blossoming vigorously 

 require more water than those which are not 

 so healthy. In fact judgment is needful in 

 this matter of watering, and it is only at- 

 tained by practice. One thing is very neces- 

 sary, and that is always to use water warm to 

 the hand. Never apply even one drop of 

 cold water. It chills the roots so that they 

 cannot grow. We had a friend who used to 

 water her plants with the tea left in the tea- 

 pot after breakfast, and her success as a cul- 

 tivator was marvelous ! Rather expensive 

 after "this cruel war;" but it certainly was 

 efficacious. All plants kept in rooms should 

 be well washed at least once a fortnight, and 

 once a week will ensure a more healthy growth. 

 A bathing or a wash tub does the work well. 

 Set the pots in it, sprinkle the tops with warm 

 water ; then scrub off the pots and the sau- 

 cers ; set them in the kitchen to drain for 

 awhile. If you are mistress of the kitchen 

 this process can be accomplished without much 

 trouble. If Bridget or Dinah is mistress — 

 why — the case is altered ! Still cleanliness is 

 all important to plant culture. No plant will 

 flourish unless it is attended to in this respect, 



