390 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



ffoodlmd, Jpwtw nnd <§<trden. 



* 



WINDOW OR PARLOR GARDENING. 



KUMBER V. 

 "When the flowers and trees are waving, 



Birds will sing their sweetest song; 

 Where the purest thought will linger, 



Confidence and love belong. 



Snch a home makes man the better; 



Sweet and lasting its control — 

 Home, with pure and bright surroundings 



Leaves the impress on the soul. 



IN this paper we will attempt to give our readers some 

 more advanced and elaborate plans for the adornment 

 of our parlor recess and bay windows. We will suppose, 

 however, all our readers, and more especially our lady 

 readers, have become quite well acquainted with the fore- 

 going suggestions upon parlor plant growing in their most 

 practical forms. First, they have learned from the single 

 specimen of plant growing in one pot how richly a little 

 care and patience is repaid, as illustrated by a single rose 

 geranium, grown high up amid the damp fog of "Coiner's 

 Court," and the magnificent unfoldings of the rose tree in 

 our humble rural home. Next, we passed in review the 

 first effort of the tyro in growing flowers in a common 

 parlor or sitting room window of some half dozen common 

 plants ranged upon a common shelf. We endeavored to 

 show in our simple illustrations of plant life how easily 

 apparent difficulties could be overcome, when one readily 

 and resolutely set about doing the same. We endeavored 

 to show our many lady readers, and others interested in 

 this delightful occupation, how easily even the poorest rus- 

 tic home could be made fresh and beautiful, and to literally 

 blossom like the rose, even in the severity of mid-winter. 

 AVe have taught the wild flowering jessamine of the trop- 

 ics to throw its fragrant sweets, its rich perfume in these, 

 our northern homes. Now we can rejoice in cheerful glad- 

 ness, even at this time, this frosty season of the year, amid 

 all the floral beauties of many climes. 



And how have ve been able to accomplish all this? By 

 attending to a few well known, practical suggestions, that 

 in all cases will give a like rich reward. We found that our 

 box in the window, fitted to a shelf of some larger dimen- 

 sions gave us our first idea of a window garden in its most 

 simple form. This box we filled with carefully selected 

 plants, well adapted to the situations in which they were to 

 grow, after having given the necessary soils, their chemical 

 union, and component elements. 



In our more advanced conversations, after noting the 

 simpler elements, a knowledge of which is always neces- 

 sary to success in any undertaking, we noted the more 

 elaborate, or what might be called the initiative, of com- 

 position element in window gardening, under the forms of 

 the zinc, pan, and the culture of bulbs. 



In the progress of our third paper we gave some idea of 

 the management of the different bulbs, the simpler forms 

 of the ferns, the introduction of the cacti, and the mixing 

 of the different kinds of bulbous plants together. We 

 spoke of the fine effects that we had produced by the group- 

 ing of the New Zealand plants with those imported from 

 Australia and California. We gave the simple forms, or 

 what we called foundation rules, for the construction of 

 small crags or miniature rock work within the window. In 

 our fourth and last paper a recapitulation or analysis of all 

 which Ave deem necessary to a better understanding of our 

 present paper was given. <- 



In this article we present to you for consideration the 

 first part of a full window garden of care and fine plants, 

 intermingled in a more natural and pleasing form. As 

 Shakespeare has truthfully written— 



"This is an art which does mend Nature- 

 Changes it rather, but the art is Nature:" 



You can, if you have a large sized bow window, have a 

 box constructed to rest upon short legs, with rollers at- 

 tached, by which means it may be removed back and forth 

 to the window, as may. be desirable. This box may be one 

 and a half feet in height, and of such width as will allow 

 it to just fit in evenly with the outside coverings of the win- 

 dow. We suppose the depth of this bow window to be 

 three feet and six inches in width. This will allow us to 

 have a box made say twenty-one inches, or one half the 

 width of our window, and allow sufficient space to place 

 on the sill of the same, another box of like dimensions and 

 measurement, if we choose so to do; but our plan has been 

 to have the upper box on the one which rests upon the 

 shelf upon the sill of the window ten inches in depth in- 

 stead of a greater depth, this size being found upon use as 

 best adapted to the growth of the plants we place within 

 the same. Having filled our smaller sized box, according 

 to previous direction with earth, adapted to the growth of 

 the plants designed to be grown in the same, you will pro- 

 ceed to plant them, varying them in arrangement to suit 

 your own fancy somewhat, being careful always to place 

 all of one species together, care also being had as to the 

 sods best adapted to this arrangement of plants. If you 

 would like to try as an experiment the cacti, of different 

 species, an arrangement like the following will give you 

 much pleasure (we have succeeded with such an arrange- 

 ment), and we think you will not fail if careful not to 

 overdo your plants. There is such a thing as over-nursing, 

 or taking too good care of a plant, and the cacti of some 

 species are very impatient, and by their appearance say to 



you more plainly, perhaps, than any other plant, "Let me 

 alone." They shrink from too much water, and will live 

 and thrive and send out huge clusters and long plumed 

 blossoms from a very dry base. Being a Mexican plant, 

 having their origin among hot, arid soils of rocky, silicious 

 formations, their very nature is of course different to many 

 other plants, a fact to be kept always in mind. 



I have placed a narrow, long box, say four inches wide 

 and five inches in depth, on the top of the upper box, well 

 filled with coarse gravelly sand and pieces of brick of the 

 size of a walnut and less, to within three inches of the top; 

 you will then select your cacti plants from the best cata- 

 logue you may deem best. They succeed best in sandy 

 loam, and this, mixed with brick and lime rubbish, a little 

 peat and rotted manure, should fill up your cactus box. 

 The tallest and more rapidly growing plants should be 

 placed nearest the ends of the box, filling up the centre 

 space with the smaller kinds. The drooping kind may be 

 planted at the front side, or sides of the box next the 

 room, and form a pretty appearance hanging over the front 

 of the box, which may be painted of any color, and they 

 add much to the general effect. Of the plants denomina- 

 ted succulent, the aloe and cactus seem, by their very na- 

 ture, adapted to very dry climates, and enter into parlor 

 gardening very naturally, and are easily taken care of. 

 Like many other plants in some respects, they are in others 

 very unlike. There is no plant that we have ever cultiva- 

 ted as an indoor plant that requiress less care than this cu- 

 rious plant. I have, as a general thing, let it take care of 

 itself, after carefully preparing its receptacle of earth for 

 it. It should be kept quite dry, except when growing, 

 when it should be watered freely. These unique plants 

 will repay all your attention. They are designed by nature 

 to 'endure a recess from moisture, their organization fits 

 them peculiarly for it, and they are of a flat, fleshy texture, 

 covered with a thick, tough, leather-like coat or bark, 

 which does not respire so freely as other plants. 



You can procure from the florist all the best known vari- 

 eties of cactus, many of the older varieties being far pref- 

 erable to the newer crosses. Among your selected plants 

 you may place Jackinsonu, MaUsonia, and Aclcermanii. 

 The Opuntia microdias has beautiful foliage, and, being 

 tufted over with regular rows of yellow spires, is truly 

 worth all the time and patience bestowed upon it, With 

 these few named plants you may fill your narrow box, and 

 leave them to take care of themselves while you next give 

 your attention to your second box, which rests upon' the 

 window sill. 



With the previous suggestions given, you will be pre- 

 pared somewhat, to enter upon your work with a good de- 

 gree of confidence, and in arranging the plants in your 

 second box you will be quite particular to observe the fol- 

 lowing rules, which will prevent many incongruities in the 

 grouping of the different plants. Avoid placing rose color 

 next to scarlet, orange, or violet; never place orange next 

 to yellow, or blue next to violet. Orange will harmonize 

 well wi !•> blue, and yellow with violet. Rose color and 

 purple may be placed side by side, and the effect is harmo- 

 nious. You now have the white, with which to relieve any 

 color, but it is never to be placed next to yellow. 



Having brought our lady friends thus far in our attempts 

 to make our parlors and sitting rooms sources of pleasure 

 during the winter months, we would remark that while we 

 could easily designate by name every plant to be used for 

 the filling of our second box (and which we shall do in the 

 course of these papers), we deem it more for the interest of 

 our readers to try these experiments to a certain extent, 

 unaided by more minute directions from us. 



In our next we will give a continuation of the manner of 

 our own planting— Box No. II.— and other and more inter- 

 esting matter relative to the subject of parlor decoration. 



Ollipod Quill. 



-4V«*~ ■ 



A Bit of Nature in the Parlor — While in Jackson- 

 ville, Florida, we saw something so pretty, and in such good 

 taste that we will try to describe it, and perhaps some of our 

 northern ladies may avail themselves of the idea, which 

 may be developed in many ways. In a shadowy corner of 

 the room a shelf was covered with a large quantity of va- 

 rious kinds of dried native grasses, over which the beauti- 

 ful Spanish moss of Florida was hanging in festoons from 

 short branches until it almost touched the tops or mingled 

 with the grasses. Within it looked as dreamy and as dark 

 as the recesses of the swamps and forests. Just among 

 the grasses, and half concealed by the hanging moss, stood 

 a beautiful, small, snow white heron, nicely and perfectly 

 stuffed, and looking remarkably life-like. He seemed to 

 be standing in his native marsh, and his attitude was as if 

 he had just spied the observer, and, startled by the intru- 

 sion, was about to take flight. The poise of the head and 

 the wild glance of the eye were perfect. The illusion was 

 complete, and the whole formed one af the most tasteful 

 and beautiful decoration s for a par lor we have ever seen. 



The efforts now being made in Colorado for the pres- 

 ervation of the timber are of the most praiseworthy kind. 

 Mining interests are suffering from the wanton destruction 

 of the timber. The Governor attributes this wanton waste 

 either to the recklessness or maliciousness of parties by whom 

 entire districts of timber are fired and destroyed, and ad- 

 vocates stringent measures more severe than those already 

 existing, and that a standing reward be offered for the ap- 

 prehension all who violate the law in this particular. 



tfltmal tfffatarg. 



THE WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN.— Lago- 

 pus leucurus. 



Editor. Forest and Stream:— 



The Lagopus leucurus is the smallest of its genus, and inhabits the 

 lushest ranges of the Eocky Mountains. It was first taken by Douglas 

 and presented to the Zoological Society of London. Since then speci- 

 mens of it have been taken by the U. S. Expeditions, and during the 

 last summer I collected several adults and one young chick while in the 

 Sierra Madre Mountains with the TJ. S. Geological Survey under Dr. F. 

 V. Hayden. The White tailed Ptarmigan is the only one of its family 

 that is found in the Sonthern Rocky Mountains. During the summer 

 months they are found in pairs near the snow banks on the bare tops of 

 the mountains. Their nests I have seen on several occasions, all of 

 which had been deserted by the young. They are generally placed in 

 some little cavity among the loose rocks, and are constructed of dried 

 grasses. The nests are small in proportion to those of the different spe- 

 cies of grouse, and scantily built. In fact they select just such places' 

 for their nest in the rocks of the mountains as the Uria grylle (black guille- 

 mot) would on the rocky islands of the Atlantic ocean. I do not think 

 the Lagopus leucurus ever has more than three or four young at a brood, 

 as I have seen pairs of old birds with their young on several occasions, 

 and at such times have never observed more than four chicks in a fam- 

 ily. It is barely possible that their numbers may have been lessened by 

 being devoured by hawks or by the cold rains, which may have chilled 

 and killed them. It is a well known fact to most Naturalists that large 

 numbers of the young ruffed grouse often perish from exposure during 

 late springs accompanied by cold rains. I have several times found them 

 dead and in a dying state, caused by exposure in the woods near Spring- 

 field, Mass. I do not think that is the case with the young Ptarmigans, 

 however, as they are hatched late in the season, and last spring was a fa- 

 vorable one for their propagation. Neither do I think they are destroyed 

 by hawks, as there are none where the Ptarmigans breed, with the ex- 

 ception of a few straggling sparrow hawks, which are rarely seen. 

 Therefore I think the Lagopus leucurus has but three or four eggs at a 

 sitting, and but one brood in a season. They have a continued moult 

 which lasts during the summer months and the variation in their plum- 

 age is so great that it is almost impossible to find two individuals in the 

 same plumage. During the months from April to September their 

 plumage is very scant and ragged; but when in their full winter plum- 

 age their feathers are heavy and compact, which gives them a much 

 larger appearance than when seen in the summer dress, mottled with 

 brown, and grayish white. The tail at all times is pnre white. They 

 are generally known in Colorado as White and Mountain Quails by the 

 hunters, miners and ranchmen. When with their young they will fight 

 the ornithological robber, flying so near as to hit one with their wings, 

 in their endeavor to protect their chickens. Both male and female are 

 equally courageous, and will defend their young. In the summer they 

 are very tame, and when approached will run among the rocks or in the 

 dwarf willows, a few yards from the hunter, and squat and will not con- 

 tinue their retreat until the hunter is upon them. When raised they fly 

 in a straight line for seventy-five or a hundred yards, and alight on some 

 elevated rock, stretching out the neck its full length to see if ihey are 

 followed, and if nothing is seen to excite their suspicion they walk off 

 from the rocks and commence to feed as usual. During deep snows in 

 the winter the Ptarmigan descend from the mountains and feed in the 

 edges of the timber and on the hill sides. Last winter some were seen 

 as far east as South Park, Colorado, feeding on the foothills. 

 They are gregarious in winter. The White-tailed Ptarmigan is 26.25 

 inches in extent and 14.50 inches long; eye. hazel; superciliary mem- 

 brane, red; toes, feathered half their length in summer, and are entirely 

 covered with hair-like feathers in the winter; claws, blackish— lighter 

 at their tips, long, broad and strong, rounded above, concave beneath, 

 arched, edges sharp, and in some individuals the claws are notched on 

 the sides. Jos. II. Batty, U. S. G. Survey. 



(Dr. F. V. Hayden in charge.) 

 <••> 



"DO QUAIL VOLUNTARILY RETAIN 

 THEIR SCENT." 



Editor Forest and Stream:— 



It has long been a question of argument whether the ortyx Virginianus, 

 or quail, can retain its scent or not at its pleasure. Certainly every 

 sportsman has noticed, after having flushed a covey, and marked it 

 down and scattered it in some open grass field or tussock meadow, how 

 much more difficult it is to restart the single birds than he expected, in 

 fact how totally at fault his dogs appear to be notwithstanding their re- 

 liability and superiority, and only until almost trodden upon will the 

 quail whirr from under his feet or the setter's nose. 



I am satisfied they give out no scent at this time, but by no means con- 

 vinced they possess the power of retaining it as some argue, for when the 

 frightened covey is started, and having been shot at, in their haste to 

 flee from danger they pitch directly into a spot and alight without run- 

 ning afterwards, into the smallest space possible in order to hide, and 

 their feathers are pressed closely against the body from which the scent 

 proceeds, and none for a time tells the tale to the pointer and setter. 



Not until the bird has moved can he be pointed, and the sportsman 

 having shot at the flushed covey, goes directly where he has marked 

 them down, which occupies but little time, and he wastes much labor in 

 tramping them up; if on the contrary he waits ten or fifteen minutes 

 quietly, and the quail have gotten over their fright, and move a little, he 

 will most certainly have his dog point them singly. 



While resting on the side of a field the past November, I noticed a quail 

 under full headway, pursued by a hawk, pitch into a growth of high 

 grass bordering a small pond, and escape, while the hawk disappointed in 

 his first chase began a search in the grass, trusting to his sharp eye to 

 find his prey. Knowing exactly to a foot where the quail alighted, but 

 with the intention of killing the hawk, I crept to the pond and shot the 

 robber down, and then called my dog for the purpose of seeing if he could 

 point the quail. 



I saw it crouched closely to the ground, and in no direction could get 

 a stand from my dog, noted for his superior nose. I called him off and 

 patiently waited for the bird to move, and could distinctly see its move- 

 ments, if any were made. After a lapse of a few minutes the bird turned 

 over as if to change its position, still hugging the ground in its fright. I 

 then moved towards it with "Grouse," and he stood staunchly. 



I would like the opinion of some of your correspondents as to this 

 question. "Homo." 

 =*♦<*■ 



>v AS TO PORCUPINES. 



New York, January 19, 1874. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



An article in your columns of January 8th, 1874, in relation to porcu- 

 pines, suggests to me this communication, which Ihope will help to cor 

 rect the erroneous idea, but very general one, (even among those who re 

 side in the parts of the country where these animals are plentiful,) tha 

 the porcupine shoots its quills. By experiments I have not only com- 

 pletely satisfied myself that they do not "shoot" or "throw" their quills, 

 bnt also that they can at will strike with their offensive and defensive 

 weapon, the tail, without leaving quills in the object struck- My experi- 

 ments were made with the animal known in New England as the "hedge 

 h6g," the quills of which vary from one quarter inch to four inches in 

 length. 



An account of the capture of one alive may be of interest. At Con- 

 way, N. II. , in the latter part of a summer afternoon, I was driving down 



