1859. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
341 
THE LIT T L E HOUSEKEEPER. 
der roses, geraniums, verbenas, fuchsias, petu¬ 
nias, etc., in them, upon the approach of freezing 
weather, cover with boards, and as it grows still 
colder add straw or leaves, and finally earth, if 
needful. Do not shut out the air entirely, until 
absolutely necessary, and ventilate at all suita¬ 
ble times during the Winter. Remove the cov- 
ering gradually in the Spring, to harden the plants. 
Preparing Cuttings. —Now, before hard frosts 
set in, gather cuttings for next Spring’s use. 
Take them from the currant, gooseberry, grape¬ 
vine, and from such ornamental shrubs as the 
syringo, tartarian honeysuckle, deutzia, etc. ; 
bury them in light dry soil, either in the garden 
or cellar, and let them lie until the opening Spring. 
[This department does not suit us this month—there are 
too few practical hints and suggestions. The “ Fairs ” 
have kept us busy. But while we can and shall do more, 
we want the help of our fair readers. Almost every one 
of them could and would give at least one useful hint to 
any sister housekeeper, if she met her for an afternoon’s 
chat. If we could send an invisible reporter, wherever 
two or more good housekeepers meet, we are quite sure 
he would always bring back some suggestion that would 
be now to thousands of others. But such a reporter is 
out of tho question, and we want to ask of our readers, 
that whenever any one gets a new idea in any depart¬ 
ment of household labor, it be noted down and forwarded 
to the Agriculturist .” 
A Moss Vase. 
The cut below represents a vase for holding 
flowers, which is of novel construction, and so 
simple that any one can make it. The frame, as 
seen on the left, is made of two pieces of board, 
the lower one ten inches or a foot square, the 
other an inch smaller, with an upright square or 
round stick fastened to the middle. It will be 
firmer if let into a hole in the base. For the top, 
take a common straw hat with rather a low 
crown, and sew a piece of wire around the rim to 
stiffen it. Another piece may also be sewed 
around the top of the crown, on the inside. 
Cover the wire and edge of the rim with green 
ribbon, which may be put on with gum. Set the 
hat, crown downward, on the upright stick, so 
that it will be supported by its center. Lay a 
small piece of leather in the crown over the 
stick, and fasten the hat down with small nails 
driven through the leather. This completes the 
frame. The whole is then to be covered with 
lichens, (th e flat moss that grows on trees, rocks, 
etc.) These are fastened on with glue. Mosses 
cannot be fastened as well as lichens, but a trim¬ 
ming of them fastened around the edge of the 
rim would look tasteful. The lichens are of dif¬ 
ferent colors, green, red, and yellow, and may be 
arranged to look very neat. We have seen sev¬ 
eral specimens like the above. The idea came 
originally, we believe, from a valuable little work 
on “ Leaf and Flower Pictures,” already noticed. 
Here is a pretty picture, from a painting by the 
French artist, e. frere, which has pleased us 
exceedingly, and we gladly share that pleasure 
with our readers, by re-engraving the sketch for 
these columns. The utensils are slightly differ¬ 
ent from those in use here. A lady friend of ours, 
who has traveled much in France and Germany, 
recently described to us the household arrange¬ 
ments of those countries, picturing almost precise¬ 
ly such a room as the one we see in the engrav¬ 
ing. There are the stove, the universal big mar- 
mitc or soup kettle, the water-jug, basin, milk-can, 
lantern, vegetable-basket, etc., just in the order 
w'e should find them in half the houses abroad. 
The attitude of the little maiden is life-like. Note 
her childish gravity and importance as she is 
wholly absorbed in skimming the soup. Many a 
housekeeper will be forcibly reminded of her first 
essays in the kitchen. 
In addition to the interest awakened by the pic¬ 
ture as a work of art, and the associations it re¬ 
calls, it suggests a subject so often discussed in 
these columns, and so ably treated by our cor¬ 
respondents, that we hardly need to add a word 
here; viz.: the education of girls in a knowl¬ 
edge of household duties, and this, too, early in 
life. The French people are in advance of us in 
this, for though perhaps more devoted to dress 
and fashionable amusement than any other peo¬ 
ple, there are proportionally fewer ladies there 
than elsewhere, who are not practically acquaint¬ 
ed with all kinds of household labor. Here we 
make “ dolls” of our daughters, from the cradle up, 
little ladies we call them, and they too often con¬ 
tinue 11 dolls.” through life—fragile dolls that are 
broken (“broken down”) by the slightest collis¬ 
ion they may chance to meet with. If not spoiled 
by wrong notions, little girls usually desire to 
learn to do “ as mother does.” We always love 
to see them play housekeeping, and it is wise to 
early cultivate this propensity. The mother should 
more frequently notice, and take an interest in 
these childish sports, and at the earliest possible 
moment entrust the little one with some respon¬ 
sibility. If even to the six-year-old damsel there 
be allotted the care of a room, or other labor, 
however light, she will feel her responsibility and 
more rapidly acquire knowledge which will be 
practical, and never be forgotten, whatever her 
future station in life. 
How to Paper a Room. 
Unless wall paper is put on neatly, a room will 
not look well, however beaut iful the pattern of the 
paper may be.. It should lie perfectly smooth, the 
joints should be closed, and the pattern be exact¬ 
ly matched where the pieces meet. A profes¬ 
sional paper-hanger, whom we have to-day watch¬ 
ed pretty closely while papering one of our office 
rooms, proceeded as follows: (This room is divided 
from another by a wooden or plank partition.) To 
prevent the breaking of the paper, by the shrink¬ 
ing of the wood, a coarse cheap unbleached muslin 
was nailed on, nails being used only at the join¬ 
ings of the cloth. The ceiling which is of 
planed boards, was also prepared for paper by 
nailing on muslin. Each roll of paper was first 
trimmed, by cutting off the superfluous paper 
from one edge, leaving the other to receive the 
piece to be lapped over. The ceiling was pa¬ 
pered first. Enough cf the paper to cover it was 
