XOYEMEEK. 
245 
For the little blue Scilla sibirica that always comes first into flower, are just 
on the point of separating their small grassy ramparts, within which lie the 
pretty azure flowers, that so slowly develope themselves. And by their side 
are my favourite single Italian Narcissi, sending up out of the soil their 
emerald lances, encasing wreaths of snow-white blossoms, to twine with Holly 
round the head of old Christmas. Then pretty Crocuses are on their march, 
a good way in the rear of the others, but yet “their faces thitherward,” bring¬ 
ing their rich presents for the new-born year, gold, and silver, and purple, and 
white raiment. And then another circle of pets, the single Van Thol Tulips— 
the military train of this mimic domestic procession—are also coming on, by- 
and-by to don their scarlet uniforms with facings of gold. I can just trace in 
the soil the first signs of the impending upheaval that denotes the Liliputian 
Titan is awakening to a new existence. And last, but not least, Hyacinths in 
glasses are rapidly sending down into the water beneath them, their pearl-like 
sounding-lines of roots, day by day increasing their length and strength. The 
faintest trace of the development of the flower-shoot is to be seen in one or 
two of the early varieties, but I must patiently wait their own good time. 
All these little circlets of worlds of beauty— 
“ Fairy-freighted to some happier shore ”— 
make up the first dividend I pay to the credit of the advancing year, 1865 ; 
but the interest, the peculiar interest they yield, is all mine—mine; pure, 
unselfish, unalloj^ed. 
My simple plan is to get a few bulbs early, and then set to work at once. 
A warm cupboard, or cellar, the latter to be preferred if dry, is where I place 
them when potted, and there they soon commence to work out their “ life- 
task,” obedient to the law that guides the flight of the mightiest archangel or 
the destination of the minutest atom, and bids all nature report itself at the 
appointed time. Rich light soil; common clajr pots, scrupulously clean in the 
insides; some charcoal and cocoa-nut refuse for drainage ; with these the 
worker can operate as soon and as extensively as he likes. I am this season 
mixing into the ingredients a little bone-flour, some of which has been kindly 
sent to me for trial bv Mr. J. F. Meston, of Kentish Town. I am told that 
for succulent plants the bone-flour possesses great value, and I am pleased to 
be able to test its merits. By-and-by I will state the results of my expe¬ 
rience in the use of this agent. 
Quo. 
WIIAT SOIL IS BEST SUITED FOR THE PRODUCTION 
OF SUPERIOR GRAPES? 
By whatever line of thought we may desire to arrive at just conclusions, 
deductions must invariably be drawn legitimately. No blending of individual 
feelings during the investigation so as to enable us to work out some favourite 
hypothesis ; for in spite of every effort to displace facts or smother them, 
they will ever remain the same, indestructible and undisturbed. Under any 
amount of oppression truth remains the same ; an unalterable decree has 
ordained that every effect is the result of cause, whether near or afar off. 
Theoretical and highly imaginative minds are endued with a fascinating kind 
of undeveloped reasoning, that peculiar species which attaches undue value 
and meaning to the form of things, and they unfortunately are more desirous 
to worship the manifestations of a power than to look beyond for a cause, 
whereby the unobservant are not unfrequently led astray. 
With these preliminaries, I feel desirous to place before the readers of the 
