154 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
round their roots, into little horns of 
paper, and carefully slip from these into 
the place prepared for them; plant some 
distance apart, to allow for growth ; gently 
press the earth down round them, and 
lightly rake over the border, water, and 
shade for a day or two with papers or 
matting, until the plants have taken root, 
which you can generally tell by their be- 
ginning to put out new leaves. 
In planting seeds you must have a 
mental view of the plants they will make ; 
here you see how your taste and imagina- 
tion is appealed to. You must avoid plant- 
ing, low-growing varieties where they will 
be hidden by tall ones, and be sure of 
having agreeing colors next each other. 
Put labels by each kind of seed you sow ; 
here the pointed sticks come in. Now 
keep a watchful eye for stray cats and 
chickens, and dogs with bones to bury ; 
none of these creatures feel any compunc- 
tion at uprooting your choicest seedlings, 
and undermining your favorite plants, 
and scattering your carefully-planted 
seeds. 
After your garden is once planted, your 
work will be to keep the weeds at bay, and 
water when the dews and rains forget to 
visit you. As the plants grow, a little 
amputation will not hurt them; if you 
take off here and there a straggling stalk, 
and pinch off buds that appear in the 
wrong places, you Avill have a family of 
well-shaped plants, not a deformed or 
crippled one amongst tliem. 
Let me give you a list of flowers of an 
accommodating disposition, that will 
grow with the very smallest encourage- 
ment. The following comprise a good 
range of colors : Phlox drummondi, por- 
tulacca, dianthus heddewiggi (Indian 
pink), pansy, browallia, mignonette, and 
sweet alyssum; and for climbers, sweet 
pea, maurandia, and nasturtium. These 
are a very few from the very many that 
may be grown in an ordinary garden-lot, 
but enough to experiment on, and enough 
to afford you much delight, if, as they are 
likely to do, they flourish under your 
care. 
Bulbs planted last autumn should be 
blooming now, and I hope you will re- 
member them next fall, so that you may 
have them to brighten the garden while 
the seeds are just starting, and to help 
you wait with patience for the summer 
flowers. Hyacinths, tulips, and narcissi 
should make your borders gay, and cro- 
cuses and snowdrops come up through 
the grass-plot, or cluster under trees, or 
in any place where a bit of spring bright- 
ness would be most appreciated. 
I cannot, in one little talk, tell you 
more than the very initiatory steps to the 
growing of flowers, and all I could say 
would still leave you the greater part to 
discover by experience; but if you will 
bring what Nature has given you of en- 
thusiasm, patience, and common sense to 
bear on your experiments, I am not afraid 
that you will fail of good results. Good 
speed to you in your gardening ! 
Nellie Hooper. 
The Stephanoceros. 
BY MAEY H. WHEELER. 
The microscope is on the stand. 
The lighted lamp in place ; 
With slender forceps in my hand 
I draw from out its case 
A tiny water-milfoil spray. 
Of lovely, verdant tint. 
And focusing the usual way. 
Look down the tube asquint. 
" What do I see ?" A cell-built leaf. 
With thorny apex crowned ; 
But what is that long hairy sheaf 
Attached to something round? 
Bound, did I say ? 'Tis oval now. 
And shining like a gem ; 
And fastened to the leaf somehow 
By something like a stem. 
The stem grows longer. See. 0 see! 
What is the thing about ? 
The hairs spread fanlike ; can it be 
'Tis turning inside out? 
There now it lies, a form complete. 
With five long arms spread wide ; 
And mark that organ's steady beat 
In its transparent side. 
The arms have formed a cup, you see. 
The long hairs meet and cross. 
Ah, now I know it must, must be 
A Stephanoceros. 
0 King of Animalculse!— 
For surely thou art crowned- 
Long vainly have I sought for thee. 
But now you're found! you're fouucll 
Pittsfield, N. H. 
