1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
5 
tinuous salt pork and cabbage, and no fruits 
in their season, have much to do with boys 
leaving the farm. If this matter of bodily 
food, with the lack of mental food in the 
way of books and papers, were properly con¬ 
sidered, we should have fewer farmers writing 
us asking “ how to keep boys on the farm.”... 
At the beginning of the year we all make 
good resolutions, and none better can be made 
by a farmer, be his acres few or many, than 
the resolution to devote a portion of his land 
to a fruit garden. The how we will tell him 
in time. It is enough for this month to get 
the resolution to do it....What we have said 
on the fruit garden applies equally to the 
Kitchen and Market Garden. 
It is the Kitchen Garden which we espe¬ 
cially plead for. There is no reason why a 
city mechanic or a store porter should go 
home to a better dinner than the farmer who 
owns his hundreds of acres—but he does, so 
far 'as variety of vegetables go. We unite 
under one head Kitchen and Market Garden, 
and there is no farmer near a market who 
may not find it profitable to combine the two 
in reality. The books in this department are 
of the best and most practical kind. The 
leader here is “Gardening for Profit,” by 
Peter Henderson, a work that tells how to 
raise vegetables with profit. It is written by 
one who is thoroughly practical and teaches 
from experience. “ Money in the Garden,” 
by P. T. Quinn, covers a similar ground, but 
in a different manner, while “ Farm Garden¬ 
ing and Seed Growing,” by F. Brill, takes a 
still different view of the subject. Each con¬ 
tains enough that the others do not, to make 
them all valuable aids to the private or the 
market gardener. For the Southern States, 
“Gardening for the South,” by W. N. White, 
is commended. There are several special 
crops of importance enough to have a sepa¬ 
rate treatise, among which are pamphlets on 
Onion and Hop-Growing; and the Culture 
of Squashes and of Cabbages by J. J. H. Greg¬ 
ory. ... At this season cold frames will need 
special attention. Keep in mind the fact that 
the plants in cold frames should not start 
into growth during winter—if they do, when 
a cold snap comes they will be killed. When 
the temperature is above 30° the sashes should 
be removed, and ventilation given at all 
times, save during the most intense cold.... 
Hot-beds in the Southern States are started 
this month. Sashes should be put in order 
now for use in the Northern States....Roots, 
as well as celery in trenches are apt to suffer 
more from heat than from cold. The object 
is to keep them from actual freezing, but 
they should not be kept too warm. If celery 
in trenches starts to grow it will soon be¬ 
come “pipey” and worthless. In a warm 
spell, such as we often have this month, the 
trenches may need to have some of the cover¬ 
ing removed.... Look after the seeds ; throw 
away all of doubtful value, and order new 
stock early. The same with implements, 
which often need a new piece. 
Flower Garden and I.awu. 
Under this head we give hints as to the 
management of whatever may be regarded 
as ornamental ground, whether it be the 
farmer’s front yard, the city or village plot, or 
the larger areas of those who devote some 
acres to pleasure grounds. Those who would 
consult works on this subject can find several 
useful ones. There are many who have a 
village or suburban plot which they would 
devote in part to fruit and to vegetables, while 
a share is given to flower culture. Such will 
find their wants anticipated and provided for 
in Henderson’s “ Gardening for Pleasure.” 
As a general treatise on flower gardening and 
flowers, especially the hardier kinds, Breck’s 
“ New Book on Flowers” is full of interesting 
instruction. To those who would improve 
their present grounds, or lay out a new place, 
the “ Beautifying Country Homes,” by Wei- 
denman gives abundant instruction. A stan¬ 
dard work on rural matters, and one which 
is most charming in its style, is Downing’s 
“Landscape Gardening.”.... As to actual 
work in the Northern States, it must be 
mainly that of preservation. If the winter 
is one of heavy snows there is great danger 
that the Evergreens may be disfigured. 
When the snow lodges in the branches it 
should be beaten out before it gets icy. If 
there is a deep snow, dig it away from the 
lower branches of such evergreens as may be 
covered by it, lest the mass in settling may 
drag down and break the branches. In the 
country there will be those who will make a 
“crosscut” for the house, disregarding the 
roads, and in this way great damage is often 
done to valuable shrubs that are hidden by 
the snow. Where there is danger of this, set 
poles and stretch fence wire to keep thought¬ 
less persons in the way they should go. 
Greenhouse and Window Plants. 
Those who have no gardener, but manage 
their own greenhouse, as well as those lovers 
of flowers who, having no greenhouse, find 
enjoyment in their Window Garden, will 
find great assistance from “ Gardening for 
Pleasure,” (which supposes that there is 
“pleasure” in window gardening), and “Prac¬ 
tical Floriculture,” by Peter Henderson. An¬ 
other admirable work is “Winter Greeneries,” 
by the Rev. E. A. Johnson, D.D., which is 
especially devoted to window gardening, and 
home decoration with easily managed plants. 
.... If our advice has been followed, bulbs 
for winter blooming were potted last fall and 
placed in the cellar. A few pots at a time 
should be brought into heat whether in the 
window or greenhouse. If one wishes an¬ 
nuals in greenhouse or window, the seeds 
should be sown now.... Water, Dust, Insects 
—these are the three subjects that demand 
the attention of the grower of flowers, whether 
he has a few pots in the window or a green¬ 
house full. As to watering, it is oftener 
overdone than neglected. We received a note 
from a gentleman who had followed our 
directions, and yet his plants would not 
flourish. Happening near his residence, we 
called on the writer, and a glance showed 
the causd of the trouble. In every pot the 
soil was sopping wet, in the Cf dition of 
mud. Plant life was impossible In every 
pot, for every plant, except an aquatic, the 
soil should be so loose—made so, by adding 
sand—that all excess of water will drain off. 
It is better to withhold water until the plants 
by wilting show the need of it, than to keep 
up this constant soaking. With properly 
loose soil, daily watering may be required, 
but if the soil is close, do not water until it 
seems to be dry and needs it... . Dust is 
more injurious to plants than many suppose. 
With smooth-leaved plants, use a damp 
sponge or soft cloth, and wipe off each leaf. 
Others may be set in a bath-tub or sink, and 
showered, using a fine rose watering-pot, 
once a week. Arrange a screen of light 
Fig. 2. —THE MEALY BUG, WITH “ MEAL” REMOVED. 
fabric, or even of paper, to put over the 
window plants while the room is being swept, 
and until the dust has settled. . . . Insects 
are sometimes seen, but often unsuspected 
as the lack of thrift. The small, active plant- 
lice are readily seen, and are most common. 
They may be killed by tobacco smoke, or 
tobacco water, but if taken in time, can be 
kept under by the use of a brush—an old soft 
.tooth-brush passed over the twigs will soon 
clear them out. So with scale insect; if dis¬ 
covered, remove it. The insect of all others 
that does the most mischief unnoticed is the 
“ Red Spider” (fig. 1). It is not a spider, and 
is not always red. If a house plant has its 
leaves turn brownish and looks unhealthy 
generally, an examination of the under side 
of the leaf with a strong magnifier will 
show a web over its surface and exeedingly 
small, red or more generally brown insects, 
like that in the very largely magnified engrav¬ 
ing. It is one of the most destructive of plant 
insects, and yet one of the easiest to get rid 
of. Wash the under side of the leaves every 
few days, using an abundance of water, and 
it will soon disappear. The Mealy Bug (fig. 
2), is another pest, often unobserved. It is 
usually found where the leaf joins a stem, or 
in the crotch of a branch, as a whitish color¬ 
ing mass. Pick it out and kill. Indeed, with 
carefully tended plants, hand-work, killing 
the insects wherever found, is all that is re¬ 
quired. . . . Worms in the ball of earth in 
pots often cause trouble by compacting the 
soil and leaving channels through which 
water will pass without moistening the mass 
of soil. When the ball of earth is turned out, 
the worms are usually found on the surface 
rin d may be removed. These and other 
worms, sometimes found in pots, may be 
killed by the use of lime-water. Perfectly 
clear lime-water may be used to saturate the 
earth of the pot, then in a few minutes or¬ 
dinary water should be applied, enough to 
drive out all the lime-water.... Fertilizers 
should be applied to house plants only when 
they are in a growing state, and in the 
liquid form. Peruvian guano is excellent 
and very neat; dissolve a teaspoonful in 
warm water, and add it to a gallon of cold 
water. Water of Ammonia, often called 
Spirits of Hartshorn, a teaspoonful in a 
quart of water, may be usf 1 with good effect. 
