190 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



April 



we still doubt the necessity of appropriating j 

 the funds of our agricultural societies to the i 

 payment of large preniiunis for plantations of | 

 forest trees. We recently owned a portion of j 

 a lot of wood of saw-log size growing amid 

 corn hills which distinctly marked the rows of I 

 afield cultivated "both ways," some fifty years 

 a"-o, which though entirely spontaneous in its 

 growth, could hardly have been improved by 

 artificial cultivation, or a thousand dollar pre- 

 mium. 



For the Keio England Famier. 

 PLOWEB GAHDEifnSTG FOB. MARCH, 



"Forth from a soullieni covert, warm and deep, ■ 

 Came Spring, and looked old Winter on his front aus- 



And lightly slept about hkc one in fear, 



And where she trod the flowers began to peep." 



The "wild, tempestuous" days of March are 

 come, and niohtly the bowlings winds com- 

 mence their advent ; but we give them kindly 

 greeting, — thev have a mission to perform, a 

 work to accoinplish that must not be left un- 

 done. The sun has greatly increased in 

 warmth, and it comes to us earlier m the 

 morning, and lingers more lovingly towards 

 evening. The winter may not be "over and 

 gone,"'"nor "the time for the singing of the 

 birds" arrived; nor is "the voice of the turtle 

 heard in the land," but we know that all these 

 pleasures are close at hand. _ 



As we turn over the pages of the florists , 

 catalogues we mark the varieties we would like' 

 to posless. Then, Avhen the last leaf is turned, 

 the last illustration admired, we foot up the 

 list. Its sum total amazes us. That will 

 never do ! So we go over the list again, and 

 strike out names here and there, and again 

 reckon its amount. But, alas, that is more 

 than our slender resources will permit us to 

 enjoy. So, Avith joyless fingers, we erase all 

 but the indispensables. 



We must have Pansies ; their bright faces 

 cannot be given up ; their glorious purples, 

 yellows bronze and mottled colorings are truly 

 indispensable. They cost high— fifty cents 

 per package for the choicest kinds, and we 

 cannot afford to plant any others. We cher- 

 ish our floral pets with kind and loving care, 

 and we must have the best that can be raised. 

 Asters are also essential. Think of a Septem- 

 ber without them! Twenty-five _ cents per 

 packet is needed for one mixed variety. Bal- 

 sams are indispensable. Smith's Prize we mvi>t 

 have. Another twenty-five cents. Jai)an 

 Pinks are also a necessity, and they call for 

 twenty cents. 



So ' the list increases, but the flowers are 



all essentials. No garden should or could be 



planted without them, and economy must be 



■ practiced on some other department ; not so 



many new dresses purchased ; old gloves re- 



mended ; ribbons, tempting ribbons, passed. 

 Vjy. Can their silken glories equal the perfect 

 colorings of the flowers God has given us? 

 No, indeed ; one small bed of Pansies is worth 

 all the ribbons one could desire ! 



It is too early to plant flower seeds in New 

 England as yet." unless some tender darlings 

 are cherished in boxes or in hot-beds. _ Ver- 

 benas are worthy of being forced, and if the 

 seeds are soaked over night in warmish water, 

 and then planted in a light, sandy loam, they 

 will flourish finely, and blossom by the middle 

 or last of June. Often two or three dozen 

 plants of splendid colors can be produced from 

 a twenty -five cent package of seeds, and one 

 dollar per dozen plants is the least price for 

 which they can be procured from a florist. 

 Seedling verbenas are profuse bloomers, and 

 will be covered with flowers until the frost. 

 No plant gives more satisfaction than the ver- 

 bena, if rightly cultivated. For several years 

 we had not attained to our usual success, so 

 last summer we asked for a small bed in the 

 vecctable garden, though we do not like to 

 see beautiful flowers in close proximity te cab- 

 bages, melons, &c. But we were determined 

 to have fine verbenas, so the bed was planted 

 with a dozen fine plants from a green-house, 

 and an iron tablespoonful of the Grafton Min- 

 eral Fertilizer was dug around each plant. 

 The result was glorious ! Such a blaze of 

 color no other garden could boast in all the 

 village, and a large bouquet of them was gath- 

 ered as late as October 19th. 



Our "Window Gardens 

 require close attention during this month. If 

 our readers have followed all the minute di- 

 rections given in these articles, some oi tlleir 

 plants will now be in full bloom, while many 

 others are budding, and will soon be a glory. 

 They must have a good compost to grow in, 

 plenty of sunlight, cleanliness, all the fresh 

 air that can be given at noonday, when the 

 sun is hot, and a proper amount of moisture. 

 If these important requisites are not attended 

 to, success will not crown your efforts. 



Watering is one of the most important points 

 in plant culture. When the surface soil is dry, 

 give a copious supply of warm water, so that 

 The roots can drink it up plentifully, then pour 

 away what remains in the saucer. Nearly 

 every plant is injured by standing in water. 

 Calla Lilies and Lobelias are exceptions to the 

 general rule. Place the pots as close to the 

 window glass as possible, and keep the glass 

 clean. All the leaves and branches will turn 

 to the health-giving sun ; so be sure and turn 

 the plant a "little daily. If your stand is so 

 full that this cannot be done easily, turn them 

 entirely round every third or fourth day. If 

 you have not done this during the winter, turn 

 your plants after reading this, and see the 

 ch.anc;e you will produce in their appearance. 

 Want of light and too great a supi)ly of warmth 

 at night aj-e the two causes which produce 



