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180 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



What is the matter with the Hens? 



"Have not had an egg for a week, and the 

 corn they eat is a caution in these hard times." 

 They are shut up in a yard, of course, and can- 

 not have access to the green grass, and to the 

 iaaects, which Froviience has provided for them 

 in summer. "Man shall not live by bread 

 alone." Aud tae proverb is true of fowls. 

 What could you expect of sensible heas, but 

 that they would stop layiag wbeQ you cut off 

 the supplies. Now get a liver from the bntcher's 

 stall, or any other cheap meat, and see with 

 what avidity they will devour Jfc and almost 

 quarrel for Vue last morsel. Onff from the fish 

 market, or any animal food, will answrr quite as 

 well. If at & distance from markets upon the 

 farm, and you confine your beng, mix coarse 

 meal with vrhey, cr skimmed milk, to satisfy 

 their craving for animal food. Supply them 

 also with clear water, and gra^g or weeds daily, 

 and ashes and oyster shells. Look also at the 

 roosts, and keep the droppings well sprinkled 

 with plaster and muck. Attend to thpse things, 

 and you and the hens will soon sing a new song 

 over fresh laid eggs. 



-— — *&t~ 



Bugs. — We met a friend the other day, who 

 "let on" in this style: 



"I say, Mr. Editor, what'a thu'der did you 

 publish that whole column about bugs for, when 

 you know of a much better way to get ride of 

 the plaguey things?" 



"Do we?" we asked. 



"Why, yes — sperits turp'ntine! Don't you 

 know you told me of it? Well, the little tor- 

 ments were destroying my water, musk and 

 other "millions" tremendjusly; so I got a quart 

 of the sperits, went home and sprinkled it about 

 the hills, dipped some feathers in it, and stuck 

 them down all around, and, oh, scissors! you 

 ought to have seen 'em travel. I don't know 

 how fast a bug ought to fly, but I'll bet high 

 that at any bug sweep-stakes they'd take the 

 pile, for they did make beautiful time." 



"But they will return again," we said. 



"Just so; and then you will have the fun of 

 giving 'em another dose. I only gave 'em the 

 spcsrits twice, and I haven't seen nary bug for 

 about two weeks. I think you ought to put 

 that plan in your paper, for it's worth a V to 

 any one." — Ottawa Free Trader. 



-*•*- 



Bugs awd Cucumbers. — Mr. Bergen of Lopg 

 Island, recently stated that some farmers in his 

 neighborhood plant as many as ten acres each of 

 cucumbers, and that the way they save them 

 from bugs, is to use plenty ot seed at first and 

 then at four or five successive periods they plant 

 on » new side of the hill, a lot more ot seed. 

 This supplies an abundance of young plants for 

 the bugs to feed on, and they leave the stronger 

 growing plants untouched. When well out of 

 the way ot bugs the surplus plants are dug up 

 with the hoe. This is a similar plan to one we 

 have recommended strongly for y«ari past, and 

 have found it successful io practice. See Ag- 

 riculturist Vol. XII, page 88. 



THE FLOMST. 



The flower garden should at all times be kept 

 free from weeds. If you commence this in sea- 

 son, the work will be comparatively light. 



Do not crowd your flowering plants.- They 

 must have space if you wish them to show their 

 flowers in perfection. Some require a good deal 

 of room. The Petunia will co?er a space of 

 r^round too feet square, and will be all the better 

 for having this room in which to unfold its 

 beauties. So of most other flowering plants. 

 The Verbenas sometimes havs a disposition to 

 grow erect, and at others to trail on the ground. 

 They look well when made to spread over tha 

 ground, but if you desire to make them grow 

 erect, you can train them on frames or sticks. 



Some hardy shrubbery has a disposition to 

 spread and make unsightly plants. Their 

 growth can be checked by pinching off the 

 terminal shoots. This is very early and quickly 

 done. 



Hardy perpetual roses, to make them blossom 

 in ths fall, should be cut back, so as to make 

 them throw out new wood. Bolh these and the 

 tender perpetuals would be greatly benefitted by 

 liquid manure. This should be applied to the 

 ground within their reach and not on the plants. 

 A liquid manure can be obtained from hen or 

 pigeon or animal dung; the two first are the 

 best. Be careful that it is not too strong, and 

 afterwards, and repeatedly, give good water- 



To Preserve Flowers. 



The secret of preserving flowers and leaves 

 in their original colors, yet perfectly dry, is dry- 

 ing quickly, and under suflBcient pres.-;ure to pre- 

 vent the shrivelling of the leaf. This may be 

 done thus: Prepare an abundance of bibulous 

 paper — this is such paper as common newspapers 

 are printed on, and which absorbs water so fast 

 that you cannot write on it with ink, and when 

 you touch jour tongue to it, it wets through 

 directly; lay this paper in the sun to become 

 warm and dry. 



The plants which you wish to prcss,if they are 

 to be preserved as botanical specimens, should, if 

 possible, show the whole plant, characteristic of 

 the season in which it is picked; that is, root, 

 root-leaves, ground-sprouts or "suckers," if these 

 are characteristic of the plant, leaves, flowers 

 and seed at the highest state of maturity at 

 which it will press well. Generally plants press 

 best when fresh, but if slightly wilted, stiff, 

 brittle leaved plants do better. 



The specimen should be laid down on a sheet 

 of white paper, of the kind described, in its most 

 becoming position, withered and deformed por- 

 tions being removed. Wherever leaves lie one 

 apon another, and especially when flowers or 



