Sending Plants by Express, and 
Their Care on Arrival. 
During the next two months there will 
no doubt be millions of Cabbage, Celery 
and other plants shipped from the growers 
to those who wish to set them or sell them, 
and a few hints in regard to the proper 
manner of handling and keeping them may 
save a great many losses. Many people 
think that the sooner a plant is re-set after 
being taken from the seed-bed the better. 
This is an error. It actually benefits a 
plant to be taken up for twenty-four hours 
beiore being re-set. It is impossible to take 
up or remove a plant from the seed-bed 
without breaking or destroying many of 
the fine rootlets, at the ends of which are 
the minute mouths, by which the plant 
sucks up its substance from the soil. In 
this way the elements of plant growth are 
taken into the svstem as it were, and the 
excess of moisture evaporates from the 
leaves and passes away, much after the 
manner that an animal derives support 
from the air which passes through its lungs 
and food through its stomach. When 
these mouths or suckers are broken or de¬ 
tached, of course the supply of moisture is 
cut off, yet if exposed to the sun or wind 
the evaportion continues to go on from the 
leaves, hence the plant wilts badly. If the 
plants can have their roots wet and leaves 
shaded for twenty-four hours after being 
taken from the seed-bed new rootlets will 
form and a re action takes place with a vig¬ 
orous determination to live and re-establish 
themselves. If set then, they will wilt less 
and start much quicker than if immediate¬ 
ly re-set. Plants which are packed for 
transportation most frequently spoil by 
heating and turning yellow where tightly 
packed. The leaves and stems should be 
kept as dry as possible or they are likely to 
rot. Nothing will spoil a lot of packed 
plants quicker than to pour water upon 
them. If the ground is in readiness for 
them upon arrival no doubt the best thing 
to do is to set them at once. But if it is 
not, and it is necessary to keep them for 
any length of time, unpack them immedi¬ 
ately and dip only the roots of eaclx bunch 
in a puddle of loamy soil and water stirred 
to about the thickness of good cream. 
Then proceed to “hill them in ? as a nur¬ 
seryman would fruit trees. That is, dig a 
shallow" trench in the garden and open the 
bundles and set them in so a hundred 
plants will occupy two or three feet of drill. 
Pour water along to settle the soil around 
the roots and leave the tops dry and ex¬ 
posed to the sun. The roots will start and 
the plants keep in this way for weeks if 
necessary. They can thus be watered and 
shaded with very little trouble if necessary, 
and kept until the weather is suitable for 
setting in the field. 
AMONG OUR EXCHANGES, 
The Ladies’ Floral Cabinet for May contains 
some elegant engravings and descriptions of new or¬ 
namental Plants, among which are the Crinium, the 
Asparagus Plumosus and the Tree Dahlia. Excel¬ 
lent articles on Flowers and ornamental gardening, 
with Poems and Stories make up an exceedingly in¬ 
teresting number. $1.25 per year. Published at 2£ 
VeseySt., N. Y. 
The high standard of excellence set by the late 
James Vick in the publication of Vick’s Monthly 
Magazine has been fully appreciated by his worthy 
successors and no falling off has been permitted in 
any of its departments. The floral department is es¬ 
pecially fine, thoroughly practical directions being- 
given for the cultivation of all kinds of flowers and 
foliage plants each month, with original illustrations 
of all novelties. Rochester, N. Y. $1.25 per year. 
Outing. An Illustrated Magazine of Recreation 
published at Albany, N. Y., commences its second 
volume with the May number, and is certainly a 
unique publication filling a place never before oc¬ 
cupied by any American Magazine. Articles on 
Trout Fishing, Velocipeding, Hunting and Boating, 
with descriptions of the most popular resorts for 
spending vacation are given in every number. It 
also contains many excellent illustrations by ffrst 
class artists. We predict for it a successful future 
and trust its publishers may be rewarded for their 
enterprise by a hearty support. $2.00 per year 
with Seed-Time and Harvest. 
Messrs. D. Lothrop & Co., the great Boston pub¬ 
lishing house whose large advertisements of valuable 
new books are to be found in this issue, are also 
publishers of The Pansy and Wide Awake, two of 
the finest juvenile monthlies in the worid. Our 
young folks watch for their monthly visits with 
great anxiety and derive a host of pleasure and in¬ 
struction from their pages. And the interest in 
them is by no means confined to the juvenile por¬ 
tion of the family. We find them among the most 
interesting of all our exchanges. 
Arthur’s Home Magzine. —Every number of “Ar¬ 
thur” is a treasure. The June.Number will contain, 
among other attractions, a beautiful Frontispiece 
entitled, •‘Crowned in Summer,” "A Reminiscence 
of Horace Greeley,” by Mrs. C. I. Baker, “A Border 
Sketch,” by Isadore Rogers, “The Money Question,” 
by Celia Sanford, “Walter Scott and his Assistants,” 
“The Chemistry of Bread Making,” “The Nature 
and Use of Prayer,” by Rev. Chauncy Giles, The 
Mother's Department, Boys’ and Girls’ .Treasury, 
The Home Circle, Young Ladies’ Department, Fash- 
Department, &c., are well sustained. We can truly 
say of it, the best Magazine for the price in America. 
T. S. Arthur & Son, Philadelphia. $2.00 a year. 
