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WINDFALLS. 



These fruits ripen with the cherries, and so long as one 

 remains, the feathered choir will let the cherries alone. 

 The mulberry and service-berry are natives of the state ; 

 the former is found in our creek bottoms, the latter fur- 

 ther east. — Edward B. Heaton. 



Calypso. 



A RARE ORCHID OF THE NORTH. 



Calypso, goddess of an ancient time, 

 (I learn it not from any Grecian rhyme, 

 But still the story I can vouch is true). 

 Beneath a pine-tree lost her dainty shoe. 



No workmanship of mortal can compare 

 With what's exhibited in beauty there. 

 And looking at the treasure 'neath the tree, 

 The goddess's self I almost hope to see. 



The tints of purple and the texture fine ; 

 The curves of beauty shown in every line; 

 The fringes exquisite, of golden hue, 

 Perfect the wonders of the fairy shoe. 



The goddess surely must have been in haste. 

 Like Daphne fleeing when Apollo chased. 

 And losing here her slipper by the way. 

 Intends to find it on another day. 



And will she come to seek it here, or no? 

 The day is lengthening, but I cannot go 

 Until I see her bring the absent mate 

 Of this rare beauty, though the time is late. 



1 watch, but still no classic form 1 see. 

 Nought but the slipper 'neath the forest tree. 

 And so, for fear of some purloining elf, 

 The precious relic I secure myself. 



— Wm. Whitman Bailey. 



Chrysanthemum Propagating. — So simple and easy 

 is chrysanthemum propagating that the plant may be 

 started in many ways, nearly all ways good. The com- 

 mercial florist will continue to strike cuttings in sand 

 with more or less bottom-heat and afterwards pot them 

 iji small pots, where they remain until sold. In my vis- 

 its among the chrysanthemum growers I observe other 

 ways of starting them. 



The stock plant should be in full vigor, healthy, strong 

 growing at the time of taking off the cutting or slip. 

 Weak, spindling shoots never make good plants. The 

 cuttings may be made from the sprouts started up 

 around an old plant or from tops of the plant itself, any 

 time they can be had in good growing condition. A 

 slip or side shoot two inches long, broken down and 

 pulled away from the trunk near the ground of an old 

 plant, makes a first-class starter, and strong growing 

 sprouts dug up with a few roots, or even without roots, 

 will make very strong growing plants. 



I preferably start all, be they cuttings, sprouts, slips or 

 shoots, by planting them direct in good garden soil in 

 two and one-half inch pots set in a cool part of the 

 house, watering but lightly ; they will all grow, and as 

 they commence growing set the pots apart to allow the 

 air to circulate about them, and when they get six to 

 eight inches high stop them or cut back, using the 

 cuttings for more plants ; then in ten days afterwards 

 side branches will show starting. Now is the time to 



move the plant up into four inch pots, which should be 

 done carefully, not disturbing the roots and planting no 

 deeper than before. At first place the pots close together, 

 moving apart as they grow, and to give air about the 

 plants and pots, watering as needed. Another cut back 

 or stopping, and afterwards move into larger pots as 

 needed, and according to the strength of the plant. 

 Such may be a general treatment to be made, more or 

 less according to time of starting and what is intended 

 to make of the plant. Early flowering plants should be 

 started in March, or before. 



It is often said the best time to start them is in Feb- 

 ruary. Last year my best pot-plant, L. Canning, com- 

 ing into bloom November 15, was started in May of top 

 cuttings from plants started in December. My best 

 largest blooms, Mrs. F. Thomson, November 20, from 

 plants started in March, once cut back. My best largest 

 plants, W. H. Singerly, November i, were started in 

 November the year before, three times cut back. Some 

 Snowball, now in bloom December 20, were started in 

 August, no stopping or cut back. In practice, I start 

 more or less plants every month in the year. — John 

 Lane, Cliicago. 



The Paeony. — Paeonies have never been more beauti- 

 ful than last year, having had plenty of water during 

 their season of bloom, which they like, and but little 

 sunshine, which they dislike. Our attention was attracted 

 to them for their own sakes, but we intended to let them 

 pass without comment, and should but for casually tak- 

 ing up a book by Alphonse Karr and reading his remarks 

 on common flowers, among which is included the pasony. 

 He says ■ 



"Here is a paeony, a sort of gigantic rose, of the 

 most beautiful red There are no amateurs of the 

 pseony unless it be the tree-paeony, because that is per- 

 haps less beautiful, more difficult to cultivate, but more 

 scarce. The ordinary paeony, red, rose-colored or white, 

 is held in no esteem. 



" But it is so common ! Thanks, O Lord, for all that 

 thou hast created common ! thanks for the blue heavens, 

 the sun, the stars, murmuring waters and the shade of 

 embowering oaks ; thanks for the corn-flowers of the 

 fields and the gilly-flowers of the walls; thanks for the 

 songs of the linnets and the hymns of the nightingale ; 

 thanks for the perfumes of the air and the sighing of 

 the winds among the trees ; thanks for the magnificent 

 clouds gilded by the sun at its setting and rising ; thanks 

 for love, the most common sentiment of all ; thanks for 

 all the beautiful things thy stupendous bounty has made 

 common. 



"The pajony was formerly, however, much cele- 

 brated ; it drove away tempests, broke enchantments, 

 defeated witchcraft, and now and then cured epilepsy. 

 Its name, ftronia, came from Paeon, a celebrated physi- 

 cian, who employed it to cure Pluto, when wounded by 

 Hercules. The root of the paeony, therefore, was not 

 taken lightly ; it was at a certain hour of the night, and 

 during a certain phase of the moon ; and still further, it 

 was necessary to take care not to be observed by the 



