I may here remark, for the benefit of those who may desire to 
keep other plants than Verbenas, in this way, that I had one or 
two Heliotropes, a couple of Salvias, a Geranium, and a few 
Petunias, all of which came out in the Spring in fine healthy 
condition, although the thermometer outside indicated 14 to 16 
degrees below zero two or three nights during the Winter, and 
no artificial heat was used inside the pit during the time. 
dttltitration in ibt (ffiarbeit. 
The ground should be prepared in the Fall, by throwing it into 
high ridges and spreading over it a coat of wood ashes, and upon 
these, old and well decomposed stable manure. In thus exposing 
the whole to the sction of frost, the worms, larva of insects, and 
that worst of all enemies with whicji the Verbena has to contend, 
(the root louse,) are in a great measure destroyed. The soil be- 
comes pulverized, and receives a share of Ammonia from the 
snows and rains of Winter. 
If the soil be too sandy, so much so as to be incapable of re- 
taining sufficient thoisture to sustain the plants in very dry 
weather, there should be a compost of equal parts clay and leaf- 
mold thoroughly incorporated with it. In preparing the beds in 
the Spring, care must be taken not to get them too high, or the 
plants will suffer from drouth ; although the Verbena requires all 
the sun it can have, yet they will not blossom freely unless there 
be a good degree of moisture kept up at the root. This must be 
done by watering them thoroughly every evening during very dry 
weather, always stirring the soil immediately after to prevent its 
becoming hard-baked. 
The greatest pests of the Verbena in the garden, are the root 
louse, and a small worm that encloses itself in the truss, eating 
out the undeveloped umbels. It sometimes does serious mischief 
in this way, by drawing together a number of tresses and des- 
troying them entirely. They are easily detected by the pips being 
drawn upon one side, and wove together, thus forming a sort of 
cocoon in which the worm may be found. I have found no 
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