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CURRENT GARDEN LORE. 



A strip 1x6 is nailed across the center to strengthen them. 

 "C" gives an end view of section "A," showing the 

 position of the iron rods, and a 2X4-inch strip on the out- 

 side, to which to nail the bottom of the box. Prepare to 

 remove the specimen by carefully digging around it with 

 a sharp spade, in such a manner that the sides of the 

 adhering earth will conform to the shape of the box to 

 be used. Do not attempt to remove the specimen before 

 fixing the box permanently. This should be done by 

 first placing the sections "A" on opposite sides of the 

 ball, passing the rods through the holes already bored in 

 the ends of each section to hold them in position ; then 

 drop the two sections '•' B " in place on the inside of the 

 rods, and screw up the nuts sufficiently to secure the earth. 

 If any soil has broken away from the outside of the 

 ball, fill in carefully with fine soil and crowd down tightly 

 with a pointed stick. Then cut the roots off carefully, 

 level with the bottom of the box, lay the specimen over 



Parham's New Greenhouses. 



on its side and nail on the bottom firmly, leaving spaces 

 for water to escape. The sides of the box should then 

 be nailed firmly all around. In boxes of the size given 

 as an example, or larger ones, the rods should remain in 

 place, but if of smaller size they may be removed after 

 nailing. Water the specimens thoroughly and remove to 

 a shady place to prevent too rapid evaporating. Before 

 their final disposition the boxes should be filled with soil 

 level with the top ; boards should then be placed to form 

 a cover and to protect the ball from fracture, and strong 

 protecting strips nailed across this cover. Whatever 

 sized boxes are used, they should be uniform in shape and 

 proportionately on the same lines as in the example here 

 given. Some deep-rooted specimens will require boxes 

 of greater depth. 



How to Have Potatoes Early. — Except for very 

 expensive seed the best and easiest way to start healthy 

 potato-sprouts is to lay the whole tubers in a single layer 

 in a warm light place. It may be necessary to turn 

 them once, after a good growth of green leaves has 

 started, to give the other sides a chance. The sun shin- 



ing on the tubers will give stocky shoots, often three 

 inches long, with long roots. These will be tough and 

 bear handling without any serious damage. The tubers 

 should not be cut till ready to plant, unless they are put 

 at once in a cool dark place, and then they should not be 

 kept over two or three days, as they will heat and the 

 sprouts will be damaged more or less. I have seen 

 sprouted seed come up and grow large enough to be cul- 

 tivated with a horse in ten days. The furrows were 

 made, the seed planted, fertilizers put in and all covered 

 up within an hour. The crop was immense, and I give 

 most of the credit to the saving of the moisture for start- 

 ing the plant. — Home and Farm. 



Moles in New Jersey Gardens. — What terrible 

 work a few of these rascals will do in hotbeds and cold- 

 frames ! They ruin hundreds and thousands of plants in 

 short order, and worry the life of the poor gardener right 

 out of him. He may set traps and catch some of the in- 

 truders, but others come to take 

 their places. My old neighbor, a 

 market-gardener, tells me that he 

 repeatedly found half -grown lettuce 

 pulled right down into the mole 

 runs, and partly eaten. At first he 

 was inclined to lay the blame on 

 meadow-mice following in the mole- 

 runs ; but he could never succeed 

 in catching one with any kind of 

 trap. At last a mole was caught in 

 the act of pulling a plant down, and 

 another was caught a few days later 

 in the same way. So it seems that 

 even the mole may need or like a 

 little succulent food from time to 

 time, as a change from the usual 

 worm diet. It is a pity that the 

 stomachs of the animals caught 

 were not examined to settle the 

 question beyond dispute. But all this does not help us 

 solve the problem, how to get rid of the mole in beds and 

 greenhouses, and thus put a stop to the destruction of 

 plants. What can be done? — Farm and Fireside. 



Greenhouse Construction Simplified. — The ac- 

 companying illustration is reproduced from the catalogue 

 of an English firm. The material used is mostly glass 

 and iron. The house is put on an under-framing of 

 wrought girder-iron, and glazing-bars and glass form the 

 roof. There are no wood principals or purlins. The 

 iron framing will support any weight. The wood glaz- 

 ing-bars are channeled on their upper side and the 

 glass panes lie on them as closely and tightly as on put- 

 tied bars. Drip grooves are worked on the sides of the 

 bars. 



Greenhouse construction is becoming more perfect and 

 more simple every year. Our French and English neigh- 

 bors have not yet surpassed Yankee invention in this 

 line. Although we quickly and thankfully adopt any 

 good ideas furnished by them, we lend to them as many 

 of our own. 



