190 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



Aprfl 



' NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



The American Natlralist, a Popular Illustrated 

 Mag izine of Natural History. Edited by A. 8. Tacb- 

 ara, Jr., E. 8. Morse, A. Hyatt, and F. W. Putnam. 

 Vol. III. Salem, Mass. : Peabody Academy of Sci- 

 ences. 1870. For sale by Crosby & Damrell, 100 

 Washington St., Boston. $4 a year. 



The February number completes the third vol- 

 nme of this work, and furnishes the title-page, 

 index, &c. "Skates' Eggs and Young," "Notes on 

 some of the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts," "Our 

 Common Fresh Water Shells," "What is Bathy- 

 bius ?" are among the illustrated articles in this 

 closing number of the third volume of the Amer- 

 ican Naturalist. The twelve monthly numbers 

 make a volume of nearly 700 pages, with eleven 

 plates and 102 wood cats, forming an illustrated 

 encyclopasdia of natural history of a non-technical 

 character, designed for the student, the farmer and 

 for the general reader who is interested in the 

 mysteries of nature. We are pleased to notice 

 that the publishers propose to give eight pages of 

 reading matter in each number for the next vol- 

 ume, which commences in March, more than was 

 given the past year. We invite parents and others 

 who question the influence of the "light litera- 

 ture" which is now so abundant in nearly every 

 family, to consider the claims of this publication 

 on their patronage. 



Barns, Outbuildings and Fences. By Geo. E. 

 Harney, Architect, Newburg and Cold Springs, N. 

 Y. New York: Geo. E. Woodward. Engraved aud 

 Printed by Korff Bros. Quarto, $10. 



Our readers who have had an opportunity of 

 seeing wood-cut illustrations in newspaper print 

 of Mr. Harney's taste, skill and judgment as an 

 architect, will be curious to see fine lithographic 

 representations of the same, on clear paper, and 

 in elegant book form. This volume contains a 

 series of 120 original designs and plans, with de- 

 scriptive matter, for the different kinds ofout- 

 buildmgs required on farms and village lots. It 

 is divided into three sections. The first com- 

 prises stables; the second, wood-houses, work- 

 shops, poultiy-houses, ice-houses, &c. ; the third, 

 rustic and finished fences and gate-ways, covered 

 gate-ways, carriage-gates, gate and gate-house 

 combined, rustic stables, summer-houses, well- 

 houses, &c. We notice that one whole page is 

 devoted to an illustration of "a new method of 

 hanging up harness," which not only pleases us 

 much, as we have had so much trouble in keeping 

 our harness in place, but illustrates the minute- 

 ness of detail which characterizes these designs 

 and plans. If the book is too costly for individual 

 farmers, we would call the attention of the li- 

 brary committees to this splendid volumie. It is 

 for sale in Boston by A. Williams & Co., at the 

 comer of Washington and School Sts. 



— A correspondent of the New York fiwra/ recom- 

 mends the following lotion for chilblains ; 1 drachm 

 tincture of opium ; 2 drachms tincture arnica ; 1 

 drachm best oil of peppermint. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 ■WTNDO-W GARDENINO.—No. 4. 



Now the wild March winds roar through 

 forest and vale — and they have their work to 

 accomplish — they prepare the soil for the far- 

 mer and gardener. It has been said that "a 

 bushel of March dust is worth a king's ran- 

 som." It indicates that there has been drying 

 winds, and in April the fields will be ready for 

 the seed. Another proverb runs thus: "A 

 dry, cold March never begs bread." And still 

 another: "A wet, warm March makes a sad 

 autumn." So we will hope that high winds 

 may prevail, and make ready the gardens 

 which will nurture our "window pets" and an- 

 nuals. 



For the past week the seedsmen's catalogues 

 have attracted our attention from our "Win- 

 dow Gardening." Five cents will purchase a 

 packet of seeds which may produce fifty fine 

 plants — ten for a cent ; one dollar will buy 

 t wenty different kinds . Only thepooresthovel 

 need be without its flower garden, as well as 

 vegetables. The only novelty we especially 

 desire is the Diadem Pink of which you gave 

 your readers such a tempting illustration. 

 Fifty cents must be expended for that, at any 

 rate. 



If our plants have been carefully tended, 

 well watered, stimulated and washed— ^reef? 

 from all clogging dust — this month tells the 

 story to all passers-by. Their gorgeous blos- 

 soms fully repay all our cultivation. Bedding- 

 out geraniums are now vieing with tropical 

 birds in the color and size of their clusters of 

 flowers. Tom Thumb ''Lady Mary,'''' purely 

 white with red anthers, turns its snowy flowers 

 proudly to the sunlight. ''Gen. Orant,'''' the 

 ne plus idtra of the Scarlets, rivals all its com- 

 peers. "Herald of Spring,'''' with its trusses 

 of cherry-red is worthily named. Christine, 

 a bright rosy pink, vies with the color of June 

 roses. Bicolor, with a salmon pink centre 

 shading to white is very lovely. All the Tom 

 Thumb varieties are desirable for house cul- 

 ture ; they make such stocky plants, and are 

 covered with such large clusters of flowers. 

 We possess nineteen pots of different colored 

 geraniums, and nearly all are budded, or will 

 be soon. By the last of .this month they will 

 be in a blaze of glory, and when the summer 

 is here they will fill a mound with their green 

 leaves and bright flowers. There is no plant 

 more adapted to amateur cultivation than these 

 so-called hedding-out or Zonale Gtraniums. 

 No aphides approach them, even the detesta- 

 ble red spider keeps at a distance. The foli- 

 age of many of them is very ornamental, though 

 the variegated-leaved geraniums do not pro- 

 duce beautiful flowers. They blossom, but the 

 flowers are inferior. Still they are a decided 

 addition to a "window garden;" some of the 

 new varieties are very ornamental — nothing 

 can exceed the beauty of these interesting 

 "sports." Mountain of Snow has pure white 



