1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



191 



margined leaves. Queen of the Queens pos- 

 sesses bright green foliage with a silvery white 

 margin. Mad. Pollock maintains her prestige, 

 and is much sought after. Its bright red zone 

 shades into crimson, and is edged with golden 

 yellow. Oolden Vase has green and golden 

 foliage. Sunset has tri-colored leaves. Space 

 would fail us to enumerate all the "beauties" 

 oflfered to us by the florists, and all of us must 

 have some of them. The leaves are unrivalled 

 for bouquets and vases, and the plants are of 

 most easy growth. 



In this month, we must give our "pets" all 

 the fresh air that is possible. If the room is 

 unoccupied, open the windows for two or 

 three hours in the warmest part of the day. 

 If our readers have used the fertilizers which 

 we have recommended, their plants must.be 

 growing rapidly now. It requires but little 

 skill to grow a plant fast, — stimulating liquids, 

 good compost, and a warm room will always 

 do this ; but remember the faster a plant 

 grows, the wider apart are the leaves, the 

 more stem there is, the more distant the lat- 

 eral branches, and the more gawky the plant ! 

 The skill of the gardener is shown in produc- 

 ing a plant of the best form that it can be 

 grown. Beauty in foliage can never be at- 

 tained when the leaves which should 611 a foot 

 in space, are stretched out to a yard, and the 

 clusters of flowers that should grace a plant 

 two feet in height, are scattered over two 

 yards of half-naked stalks. Slower growth is 

 obtained by lowering the temperature at night, 

 when there is no danger of frost. Shut out 

 the furnace heat entirely, or open the doors 

 and cool off the room. By thus reducing the 

 warmth, and giving all the fresh air which is 

 possible, — and be careful not to water too 

 much, allowing no water to remain in the 

 saucers of any plants but Calla lilies and Lo- 

 belias, — a fine, compact habit can be obtained. 



It is this peculiarity whish makes the ''Tom 

 Thumb'''' class of plants so desirable. By 

 careful hybridization they have been pro- 

 duced, and we have Tom Ihumb Qeraniums, 

 Asters, TropcBolums, Stocks, etc., etc. As 

 yet no florist has produced a 2hm Thumb 

 Fuchsia, but we yearly look for its advent. 

 There is a Fuchsia so called, but it has small 

 flowers. In selecting plants, be sure to choose 

 all the Tom Thumb varieties, for they will 

 never disappoint your expectations. They 

 are novelties much to be desired ; so when 

 our readers inspect the seed catalogues, let 

 them remember this word of advice. 



We have given a variety of receipts for 

 liquid stimulants, but have just heard of 

 another, which those who dislike the odorous 

 compounds, heretofore recommended, may like 

 to try. It is sulphate of ammonia, and is thus 

 prepared : Dissolve two ounces of carbonate 

 of ammonia (common smelling salts) in a 

 pint of water, and then drop in sulphuric 

 acid (oil of vitriol) until all elfervescence or 

 bubbling ceases. A tablespoonf ul of the solu- 



tion of sulphate of ammonia mixed with one 

 gallon of warm water is a most effi acious 

 liquid manure, and not at all disagreeable to use 

 in any parlor or chamber. It should be ap- 

 plied, at first, once a week, then every four 

 or five da>s. 



We wish that we could inspire every wo- 

 man and child with a love for flowers and 

 their cultivation. It is the healthiest and 

 purest of pleasures, and soon the amateur be- 

 comes intensely interested and entertained. 

 In the country, this pursuit will while away 

 many an hour, and confer great benefits upon 

 the florist. Our daughters are suffering in 

 mind and body for open air and exercise 

 The garden offers them all this and infinitely 

 more. The English ladies have devoted 

 their morning hours to gardening for many 

 years. They are not afraid of the trowel or 

 the rake, nor of soiling their dainty fingers, 

 and their fine rosy complexions and robust 

 figures attest the vigor and health these occu- 

 pations have imparted. But these are not all 

 the blessings conferred by gardening : — 



"Not a tree, 

 A plant, a leaf, a bloBSom, but contains 

 A folio volume. We may read, and read. 

 And read again ; and Btill find something new. 

 Something to please, and something to instruct, 

 E'en in the humble weed," 



S. O. J. 



SCAIiDINQ MILK VESSELS. 



It used to be the practice to scald milk pans 

 and milk pails, and it is the practice yet. 



Why is it done? There is no "science" 

 about it ; philosophy has not led to it. What 

 is it then that induced people to engage in what 

 they didn't understand, yet, which was and is 

 a great good ? It is experience. It has been 

 found that scalding a vessel with hot water 

 will have an effect that cannot otherwise be 

 obtained. 



What is that effect ? Simply the destruc- 

 tion of little spores of fermentation, which 

 propagate rapidly in dirt, and ki the least dirt, 

 so little that it cannot be seen (with the naked 

 eye.) Experience led here, and philosophy 

 followed to corroborate it. 



You cannot cleanse a vessel, then, without 

 hot water. And this water must not only be 

 smacking hot, biting your hand, but it must 

 be absolutely boiling hot, up to the point. 

 Then you will kill all the live animalculaj ; 

 otherwise, you will not. 



And when the vessel is thus treated — 

 cleaned first, and scalded afterward — set it 

 away to dry, and do not touch it again till it 

 is wanted for milk. Milk, remember, is a 

 powerful absorbent, like charcoal, or plaster, 

 or earth; and it will hold what it gets, im- 

 proving on the rankness. In winter this is 

 less the case, yet it is the case ; in summer it ia 

 all important to attend to it. 



How necessary then to see that the hands 

 having the handling of milk in charge, are to 



