jfltrrmtiUttri!. 
A PLEA POP HOUSE PLANTS. 
Tiie opinion heretofore expressed in the 
RuralNew-Yorker concerning Uie injuri¬ 
ous effect of house plants, is by no menus n 
new one; nor is it con lined to the voting. 
It exists in “older heads,” and will prevail, 
it is to be feared, until the sciences of botany 
and chemistry are studied in our common 
schools and by our firesides. From them we 
limy learn many facts established by experi¬ 
ment, proving that so far from being injuri¬ 
ous, they are the great promoters of health 
and supporters of animal life; not only in t 
furnishing food,hut the breath of life. These j 
sciences abound in the detail of interesting 
fuels and experiments, showing how inor¬ 
ganic substances, such as air, water and 
some minerals, are transformed into the va¬ 
rious vegetable substances used by animals 
to sustain life and promote growth, and how 
in return, animals furnish plants the neces¬ 
sary elements of life amt growth. 
“ Plants and animals can exist only in air.” 
Even those found in water could not exist 
there if the elements of the atmosphere did 
not pervade the water; yet the relations of 
each to the air are exactly opposite.—[See 
Tollman's Atlas of Chemistry, p. 84.] 
When wood is charred in a pit, a hlaclt 
mass of the same size and form is the result. 
This is carbon, the solidifying principle of 
all substances possessing life. When this 
carbon or charcoal is burned, heat is pro¬ 
duced by its union with a certain part, of 
the atmosphere called oxygen gas. Carbon 
also exists in the blood of animals and serves 
the purpose of producing animal heat by 
union with oxygon in breathing. Now, the 
result of this union is carbonic acid gas, the 
impure air thrown from the lungs. This 
cannot he again taken into the lungs, as ex¬ 
pelled, without producing death. Now, had 
not our Creator provided a ready purifier, 
wluit must have been the condition of the 
atmosphere after its use by the unimaginable 
myriads of living, breathing creatures, for 
those six thousand years? And if plants 
render the ail* impure, how vastly is the 
trouble increased ? 
But the revelations of chemistry teach us 
that this carbonic acid gas is exactly fitted 
for the use <>f plants, and even indispensablc 
to their life and growth. Being absorbed 
by them through the numberless pores on 
their surfaces, It is decomposed, the carbon 
going to form the vegetable structure and 
increase its growth and solidity, while the 
oxygen, the only life-sustaining principle of 
the atmosphere for animals, is thrown off, to 
he again inhaled by the lungs, there again to 
receive carbon and return, thus passing to 
and fro, carrying the Indispensable elements 
of life from one to the other constantly. 
This same poisonous gas arises from de¬ 
caying vegetation ; and willi another called 
ammonia, from decaying animal substances. 
These cause the unhcalliifulucss of cities 
whore vegetation does not abound. 
It is the office of the green parts of vege¬ 
tables to absorb and decompose these gases 
and water. Hence the immense amount of 
green surface spread out to catch the serial 
aliment. How interesting the thought, that, 
every blade and leaf of gross is a hand 
stretched out to Catch from every Hilling 
zephyr the destructive element, transform¬ 
ing and sending it forth an element of life 
instead. 
“Wherever a green plant exists, whether 
it. he those which man cultivates as sources 
of food, or the venerable forest trees, or the 
wild weeds yf the prairie, or the humble 
grass by the wayside, or the sea-weeds which 
grow in the ocean,” or the exotic, in the par¬ 
lor; “ this is its essential function—that in 
which vegetable life consists, to absorb car¬ 
bonic acid gas, decompose it, use the carbon 
in forming organic Vegetable compounds, 
and restore the oxygen back again to the 
air.”—[See Youman’s Allas of Cliem., p, 8tj ] 
From these facts wc may safely infer that 
the cultivation of house plants under favor¬ 
able circumstances. So far from being inju¬ 
rious is beneficial to health. Those which 
present the most extended leaf surfaces are 
the most useful. 
There is also another way in which house 
plants benefit health, viz., by promoting 
cheerfulness; as that is considered a great 
curative agent. When the frosts of autumn 
have laid waste our beautiful gardens, and 
the earth has exchanged her robe of green 
f°r one of \> bite, bow refreshing to watch 
the springing leaf, the bursting hud and the 
opening flower. Even the hearts of tiie 
little ones are full, as they daily witness 
some new-born leaf or flower. Now is the 
time to secure these sources of joy for the 
coming season. They will cost less and 
afford more real amusement than heaps of 
Christmas trifles, 
Muungeiuctit of House Plants. 
r lhey must he kept in a thriving and 
healthy condition, by having fresh fertile 
soil, mosisture, and plenty of light * Plants 
growing in the dark corners of a room, or 
in deeply shaded windows, if warm and 
moist, will grow like potato sprouts in a cel¬ 
lar. They will absorb gases and water in 
tiie dark; but require light to decompose 
them, and make the plants grow green and 
hardy. They should be kept free from dust, 
as any considerable amount on their surfaces 
would close the little pores; though fortu¬ 
nately, the greater part of these are (for that 
reason evidently) on the under surface. 
Water should he kept on the stove, no 
matter if it is constantly boiling. Thriving 
plants will absorb a large amount of vapor, 
beside that thrown from our lungs. If the 
soil in the pots is kept fresh by occasionally 
stirring the surface it will absorb the gases, 
which will be taken up through the roots. 
If plants are cultivated in tins manner, the 
air will lie found fresh and sweet in the 
morning, if it has not been kept too warm. 
Throe or four degrees above freezing is sufll- 
cient. 
And now a word to the boys and girls 
who read the Kuuat. Nicw-Youkku. As 
the long winter evenings, when out-door 
amusements must be suspended, are ap¬ 
proaching, allow me to suggest a belter way, 
perhaps, to spend these hours than you have 
over known. Taku up the study of Botany 
and Chemistry which leach what I have 
been telling you. It is to lie regretted that 
among the whole army of book makers, no 
one Inis yet been found to write a book on 
Chemistry and Botany for children. But 
you can prosecute these studies qhile success¬ 
fully, if you can obtain “ YoO man’s Class 
Book of Chemistry” with the “Allas.” 
“ Rolee and Gtr, Lett’s ” is also very good. 
Wood’s or Guay’s Botany will furnish an 
abundance of interesting and useful know¬ 
ledge of the way in which planlsgrow. You 
can plant a few seeds in a pot to examine as 
their growth progresses. II you do find 
some things difficult to understand without 
a teacher, don’t be discouraged. Remember 
“ The acquisition of knowledge under difti 
cutties is one of the greatest achievements 
of man.” Mrs. L. Btilson. 
N*unlit, N. Y., 1871. 
* Different kinds ol’ plant* require (llfforijnt ilnjrreo* 
of Ittfht, licet, end lunistuio, mill different kinds of 
noil; w li loll must lie learned by sLntlying llio lieLnls 
of each. 
-- 
NEW ENGLISH ROSES. 
A whiter in London Field gives the fol¬ 
lowing miles on new roses:—“Madame 
Laurent, bright cherry rose, is of a rich hue 
or color, tine, deep, globular form, and vig¬ 
orous in growth. One of the finest, if not 
the finest, white roses in cultivation, is Mad¬ 
ame Liabuitd, rosy white, changing to pure 
while, good form ami size, and a vigorous 
grower. A very beautiful rose is Mile. Eu¬ 
genic Vcrdicr, color bright rosy flesh, tint¬ 
ed with salmon; in all respects thoroughly 
first-class, and one that will find great favor 
with the ladies. For a clear, bright rose- 
colored variety, Marquise de Castellano can 
be highly com mended ; the flowers are large 
and finely expanded, full, and of considera¬ 
ble depth; the habit of growth is gooil also. 
A really gigantic rose is Paul Ncron, color 
pale bright rose, immense in size, and at the 
same time of full substance. Some of the 
flowers of this variety measured fully ([!£ 
inches across. Princess Christian, peach 
shaded with salmon, Is very lovely in tiie 
bud form, but when expanded becomes hol¬ 
low in the center—a great defect. Avery 
pleasant, as well as attractive, free-blooming, 
creamy-white rose is Reinc des Blanches, 
but its great drawback is its singularly dwarf 
growth. It might lie used to form an edg¬ 
ing to a large bed of standard roses. 
Messrs, Paul and Son’s Victor Verdict* lias 
the pretty bright cherry-red flowers of that 
fine variety united to a vigorous climbing 
habit. Tills originated as a sport at the 
Cheshunt Nurseries, and will be most ac¬ 
ceptable for pillar work. The foregoing 
are all classed as hybrid perpetuate. 
Hybrid Bourbon, Mile. Favurt, shining 
light rose, is a prctLy and very promising 
rose, with a good habit of growth. Noisette 
rose, Reve d’Or, represents lira deep yellow 
color and shape of flower of the well-known 
Madame Falcot, combined with u climbing 
habit, free of growth and bloom, and there¬ 
fore a tine acquisition. 
Two very tine new hybrid perpetual roses 
raised by Air. Thomas Laxton, of Stamford, 
have just passed into the hands of Messrs. 
Paul ami Hon for distribution, namely, 
Princess Louise, blusli white, large, full, and 
of line form, a delicate and lovely rose; and 
Prince of Wales, pale pink, in point of col¬ 
or a greatly improved Lselia, the flowers 
very fine and full. The highest reward 
given to new flowers has been made in Ouch 
instance. A very fine toa-scetiled rose, 
named Earl of Ehion, deserves to be noted. 
It is a seedling from Cloth of Gold, with 
pale coppery-yellow flowers, and a vigorous 
climbing liabit. After all, the greatest ac¬ 
quisition is a splendid new ten-scented rose 
named Cheshunt Hybrid. This is a sup¬ 
posed chance seedling from the tea scented 
Madame de Tartns, fertilized by H. P. 
Prince. Camille do Rohan, a rich, dark 
rose, growing by the side of the former in 
one of the rose houses at the Cheshunt Nur¬ 
series. The flowers of this seedling are 
very large and full, quite those of a hybrid 
perpetual in fullness and build, and of a 
deep violet-rose color. 
Smutific antr 
iffui. 
PRACTICAL MEMORANDA. 
At the test meeting of the Farmers’ Club h -uni »» e.guu. u. .» ...... »««» 
r . . T . r> r t im \ these were sewn together to form a brown 
of the American Institute. Prof. James A. , ..... 
... , and llot unsightly hend-genr with a narrow 
WmTNET read the following memoranda . = f * , , 
And now we close with mention of anew 
use for pine leaves or straw, namely: 
Pliie-stritw llutu 
which the writer saw last summer in the 
Fair of the Mechanics’ Institute in Ban 
Francisco. The straw was braided Into flat 
Strips about an eighth of an inch wide, and 
these were sewn together to form a brown 
gleaned from English, French and Ameri¬ 
can Scientific papers, 
C'otioii-seeit Oil. 
It is eighty-six years since it was first 
proposed in England to extract oil from 
cotton-seed, but it is only about fifteen since 
this lias been done to any extent in this 
brim. The best were made of the leaves, 
six or seven inches long, of the digger pine 
of California, hut one or two wove from the 
shorter straw of South Carolina pines. 
This is a mechanical item, but it may be 
^nbustriiti (tapir! 
MANAGEMENT OF HIRED HELP. 
The writer of ibis—being born to the 
blessing of the necessity of working for a 
livelihood, it has been bis lot to labor in the 
bumble capacity of hired man for many 
farmers,ami some others—may lie supposed 
to know whereof lie niflms, hence the use 
here of the personal pronoun. 1 will state, 
as my conviction, that the regulation farmer 
noted that pinc-Straw has boon the subject has less romance, less ideality in his habit of 
of much chemical treatment. Some years 
since a foreign chemist succeeded in extract,- 
thought mid action than any other man ; 
that lie is mntter-of-fact to a fault, for lie sees 
country. It, has been used lor many pm - j n g a looac t wliitc fiber from it. which was more beauty in bis broad acres ami big 
poses in its original state, and when puti- luix(H j w lth cotton and linen in the fabri- farms and stocks than in the stalely elms 
i! 1 t. i I I.. 11 1 k* .. 1.1 .!■ .. .. . l .. 
fled both by itself as salad oil and as an 
adulterant, of olive oil. The latest sugges¬ 
tion for its vise is to make it a substitute for 
ordinary shortening in cooking. It is de¬ 
signed to do this by boiling it in water with 
a little chlorate of potash and nitre, ami 
then passing a stream of oxygen gas 
through it to oxydize or burn out tiie im¬ 
purities and remove the odor. In the pro¬ 
cess a icmpcraliire of four hundred degrees 
—about enough to scorch pine shavings— 
is necessary ; and this is obtained without 
danger of burning Lite oil by driving a jet 
of steam into the liquid. The process may 
not he good for anything, but if it should 
prove successful it can doubtless he used for 
fitting other oils for culinary purposes. For 
instance: 
Oil of Sunflower sc-ft 
which is made in large quantities in 
Russia, and which is exported from St. 
Petersburg at about eighteen or twenty 
cents a gallon, gold, by wholesale. The 
cultivatioaof this plant tor oil in this coun¬ 
try inis been recommended time and again, 
hut for some reason has never been exten¬ 
sively undertaken. Four years ago the re¬ 
turns showed in Russia the annual product 
of sunflower seed Was thirty-three million 
five hundred thousand pounds. A light, rich 
soil, not shaded by trees, is required. About 
five pounds of seed is needed to the acre, 
drilled m rows eighteen inches apart. The 
young plants are thinned to thirty inches 
apart, Thu average yield is staled at. fifty 
bushels to the acre. There can bo no doubt 
that a large portion of the Western country 
is peculiarly adapted to tl^i>^, th of the 
sunflower. 
Mu kina Solf-i-uiwinp Flour 
lias been invented in England, and can 
bo Used by any dusty miller who chooses to 
lie careful about bis work. Pure hop yca$t- 
cakea are thoroughly dried and then reduced 
to power; half u pound of this prepared 
material is mixed with sixty pounds of clean 
wheat, and the grain is then ground in the 
usual maimer, except that care is required 
to prevent the flour in grinding from being 
heated above blood beat. Precaution should 
also bo taken to prevent this ilottr becoming 
moist, as it will ferment much more readily 
than the ordinary kind. From yeast we 
may turn to hops, which every grower 
knows lose half their value if kept one year, 
cation of cloth. Borne have also suggested Umt afford grateful shade to bis panting 
that pine leaves contain resinous matter stock, or in the honey locust at the door, 
enough to make them available in 1 lie man- which, though it till the air with fragrance, 
ulnc In re of illuminating gas, but so far as boars no useful fruit. The sound of the 
Hie writer knows this lias never boon prae- milk as it. strikes into the bright, clean tin 
ticully tested. „ pail music to his practical car, for it is 
— suggestive of greenbacks mid glory. But 
q jT^) tfte Sweet song of the robin giving thanks 
llfrrSMn'ttt fi>l‘ the luscious repast God in nature has 
^ ^ ^ * provided Tor him, is mi intrusion on the mal- 
-- - ter-of--fact car, for it reminds him of the 
CTnpcirMFNr cherries <l.e sweet bird lms eaten. He sees 
tNUiJjb r un, more profit in the extra hour squeezed from 
Hip out »f rtnee. his hired man’s lime than in the low good 
IIow shall I treat a colt seven months old words which, filly spoken, might he so con- 
>r a hip out of place?—A. W. Miller. ducive to this man’s good citizenship. lie 
- shows u disposition to ho greedy in the nuil- 
Kemt’ilv for Founder Wanted. ter of others’ lime and rights, and as an ofi- 
I have a valuable horse, now live and a sot ific hired man is sure to squander his 
ffc 
larscnuru. 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN. 
Ilip Out of l’lnco. 
IIow shall I treat a colt, seven months old 
for a hip out of place?—A. W. Miller. 
Remedy for Founder Wanted. 
half years old, which received a water 
founder about a year since; but not know¬ 
ing at the time what, was the matter, did not 
treat it properly, mid it. is still laboring un- 
employer’s lime and slight his work. 
1 once worked for a man who ignored my 
right to a moment, of time, except for eating 
tier llm di.-easc. Can you direct me what or sleeping, allowing me no lime for mental 
will effect, a cure, or will you lie so kind, if culture, recreation or social intercourse. Of 
yon do not know, to ask some of your many 
readers their opinion, mid tints oblige an old 
subscriber.—L. G. Mutti’HY. 
We have no informal ion concerning the 
treatment of founder additional to that al¬ 
ready repeatedly given in the Rural New- 
Yorker. _ 
Kidney Discimi*. 
I have a very valuable 1 torse which is af¬ 
fected with the kidney disease, or what we 
cull the “foul sheath or gravel.” When lie 
is driven he swells at the sheath very much. 
I have consulted with the most skilllul fur¬ 
riers in the country, but t<* up advantage, 
lie 1ms been affected for over a year. Can 
you give me a remedy ? -A Reader, Bridge- 
title , Del. 
*\Ye once bad a horse so affected, and 
course, I ignored his right, to my services, l<>i* 
I was growing up vicious, heedless and care¬ 
less of my duties. My next employer was a 
farmer of good sense, and of the Quaker per¬ 
suasion. He encouraged me and every one 
about him in the practice of regularity in 
every daily duly. We all rose at five in the 
morning, breakfasted at seven, dined at 
noon, slipped at five, and had our chores all 
done by sunset., after Which we had encour¬ 
agement to enjoy ourselves in any reason¬ 
able way our tables might dictate. We in¬ 
dulged in games, In walks and drives. Wc 
had Hie daily paper to read, sometimes, and 
every week wo hntl the World, Tribune and 
Rural New-Yorker, besides some instruct¬ 
ive books. Our employer, loo, was always 
cured him by giving in every pail ol water coinmuiilcalivO and ready, indeed anxious, 
he drank, two firachms of hydrochloric (mu- 
riatie) acid. If this docs not remove the 
difficulty, wo should have recourse to a 
veterinary surgeon—but not to a traveling 
farrier. _ 
Qiiui-tvr Crack. 
“A Run a i. Reader” has a liorse that 
lifts a quarter crack on each fore foot, back 
near the heel, and asks how ho shall treat 
liim. We can do no belter than state what 
Jennings recommends: — “Examine the 
foot carefully, and sec that no dirt has 
worked under the hoof; cut nsvay* the loose 
and become nearly worthless at the end ot p ;1 j-ty of the horn ; apply a pledget of tow 
the second. In such connection ail ngiieul- gnturnted with sulphate or chloride of zinc, 
Utral use for coal oil is proposed ns follows: m . ii„ c tnro of myrrh, mid a bandage care- 
'A it Extra* ! or lions fully put on to keep it in place and keep out 
which can be kept for any length of time, tin: dirt. As soon as Ihc now horn 1ms 
can, it is stated, he prepared by dissolving grown down a little, draw a line across the 
out the “ hop dust” and hitter principle by top of the crack with a drawing knife or 
digestion iucqal oil, naphtha, and other light firing iron, and apply a little tar or hoof 
products of petroleum. It is preferred to ointment. The animal should not be used 
use a solvent that will boll at 100 degrees until recovered,” 
Fahrenheit, The concentrated extract is - 
of course obtained by evaporating the sol- Sweenie i« Horses. 
vent, and for all we know to the contrary Can you or any of the readers of your 
-y «*•«.».. **> *.«■ 
As tins, it it succeeds, will probably benefit ( . (m . _ ^ Subscriber. 
the speculator more than the farmer, per- ^ ^ vc , urlua ;. imw , wo belicV e, refuse 
Imps the latter would like a recipe for up- l0 recognjze any such disease as existing, 
plying petroleum to some more every day says, “ Cases called sweenie arc 
use, and here is one Unit should be put m 0 ft n i m . v h.aomo remote 
to instruct us impartially on any rational 
subject. Now, this man expressed himself 
well pleased with all liis hands, and I know 
we all respected and loved him. Wo had Ihc 
name of doing a large amount of work licit 
summer. Our employer had passed a suc¬ 
cessful season, and when the farm—a rented 
one—passed into other hands, wo all left 
with money in our pockets, instruction in 
our minds, and respect and gratitude in our 
hearts for the one-of-a-thousand who wo 
found possessed of the mind and manner to 
make Ids hired men boiler and wiser. 
Again, I worked for a farmer who made a 
point of paying his men every Saturday 
night for the week’s work. This I found to 
bo highly satisfactory, for we always had 
money when wo needed it, and learned a 
habit of putting our surplus in the savings 
hank weekly. This made US fed encouraged 
to study economy, and so we all saved 
money more than usual. This man had also 
another good rule. Himself a temperance 
man said plainly and emphatically, “ Any 
one of you drinking a glass of beer or liquor 
may consider himself discharged, dishonor¬ 
ably." This man had no trouble with his 
men. 
Then, again, I worked for one who always 
had a pleasant smile when he got racing 
with his men digging potatoes, or hoeing 
Jennings says, “Cases called sweenie arc corn, or weeding onions, and always showed 
accomplish ft very desirable thing, viz: Uiu leg drags with the toe on the ground the fellows in a foolish strife. This, however, 
The Protection of Fol initial Hut at from It list initirv may be looked for in that, locality.” was “ too thill” to test long, and it is necd- 
wl.ieh is done by dissolving'one part by McCLUms says sweenie “ applies, when used Vic}i>Tui!i‘'is yet wrestling wUh ihc 
weight of paraffine in three parts of pc- fiy horsemen, to a falling away or shrinkage | >m i,| ( ., l ,, “ lmw io get good help.” And yet 
trolemn ,and using it as a varnish on the of the muscles of the shoulder, and indicates fie is recognized as a good neighbor, a worthy 
surfaces to be protected. Paraffine is a not so much a lameness in the shoulder us it citizen, a rcapectablo man. ( 
white solid, which may be obtained through { | 0f . s (l disease elsewhere—In the foot, or leg, Another man says, “ [don t talk u 11 , *'’ 1 
almost any druggist or storekeeper, and is ..scorns and disease of the pastern joint, mnkc m>M‘ u ! 1 m \ .* , . * 
Another man says, “1 don’t talk with, nor 
.I.*. mvcfUf fiiiniliur with mv men. What 
almost any druggist or storekeeper, and is ft s corns and disease or the pastern joint. !] J ^'tViVv know'? "i l c 1 \\ 11 c i n' * I o™"Lift, andl 
very cheap. This is one step abend of using Atrophy should be substituted for sweenie, expect litem to do it.” This man also has 
mutton tallow, just a3 the next thing men- ns U is generally sympathetic, and, moreover, many complaints to make, 
tioned is ahead of the method of coloring means that the body or a part is diminishing MankSid are divided into two distinct class- 
butter with carrot juice or nnnatto. Dr. j n bu H{, Remove the cause of atrophy or es, viz,, those who have reached the ability 
Quesneyille, a Frenchman, describes. sweenie and the effect will pass away ” ^^rmflnr’ home “'hut,'"In it in^the'broaTl 
A New Yellow Coioriujj Substance We might quote from other authors to the wol .p| working lor others, and battling with 
which ho states to be especially useful in same effect. From what wc have said, it l)ie ,j[] 0 u f influences, are whirled by the 
colorin'* butter. The Carrots were shred, will be seen that the word sweenie means munqrnns eddies and undcr-currcnts which 
sulphur in a retort of peculiar construction, different than if it Is located in the shoulder. j 00 k for tiie best traits of character in those 
The coloring matter is dissolved out from Our correspondent must, therefore, find whose opportunities have been greatest, and 
the carrots, and the rapid evaporation of the where the trouble is and wo may tbeu be to whom much is given, ot him much shall 
bi-sulphid loaves it behind in a fine powder, able to aid him, beiequired, 
