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CULTIVATION OF THE LILAC. 
In an admirable paper on the Lilac, read by 
George Ellwanger, before the recent meeting of the 
Western New York Horticultural Society, the fol¬ 
lowing directions are given for its culture and man¬ 
agement : 
It is adapted to almost any soil and climate. In 
park or garden, lawn or hedge, it lays claim to dis¬ 
tinction for effectiveness and beauty. In city gar¬ 
dens, where there is only limited space, it is one of 
the cleanest and most satisfactory of shrubs, either as 
well-shaped bush or a low tree with neatly balanced 
head. 
But it is in large places that its charms can be 
displayed to the best advantage. In lawns, where 
large clumps of the snowy-colored varieties can be 
planted, it has few superiors in point of brilliancy 
and fragrance. Clumps of Lilac Josikaea are intro¬ 
duced with line effect in the Central Park, and, when 
in flower, are among its finest attractions. 
In this climate it takes the place of the Rhododen¬ 
dron, so much prized in England. Besides being 
very hardy, it has the additional advantage of its 
fragrance, which the hardy Rhododendrons do not 
possess. 
In grounds sufficiently large it can be used for 
ornamental hedges. Its dark green foliage is not 
affected by atmospheric changes, nor has it any 
insect enemies. It, therefore, always forms a clean 
and handsome background, and, when in flower, is a 
feature of the park or garden. 
Where privet hedges are already grown, the Lilac 
can be grafted with no little effectiveness, at intervals 
of about ten to fifteen feet. The Lilac grafts, when 
grown, project over the privet, and form round or 
pyramidal heads varying the monotony of the ordi- 
nary formal hedge. 
By many the Lilac and other highly fragrant 
flower-shrubs are considered invigorating and healthy 
as atmospheric purifiers and dispellers of noxious 
vapors. I well recollect when the cholera was rag¬ 
ing throughout Europe in, I think, 1830, the savants 
of the city of Stuttgart, where I was then residing, 
ordered the burning of fragrant lierbs in the market¬ 
place, to prevent infection. Whether owing to this 
means or not, the city escaped the dreadful scourge. 
Although it will thrive and flower in any soil, an 
annual top-dressing of stable manure will well repay 
the trouble and expense, in the fuller development 
and beauty of both flowers and foliage. 
Half standards for single specimens can be grown 
either on their own roots, or grafted on the common 
sorts, as well as on the ash or privet. In order to 
render them attractive they must have well-balanced, 
bushy heads, and be kept in form by regular thinning 
and pruning. After the flowers have faded they 
should be removed, in order to cause new growth 
that will ensure profuse blooming the following sea¬ 
son. By this means the flowers may also be very 
much enlarged. 
In all large Continental cities, and particularly in 
Paris, the Lilac is in great request for winter flower¬ 
ing. The common purple is generally used for forc¬ 
ing, and when kept in houses darkened by mats or 
otherwise, produces pure white flowers. In order to 
produce the best results, the plants should be care¬ 
fully selected in the spring, and planted in pots; 
then plunged in the ground during the summer, and 
kept well watered. In September they should be 
repotted into rich compost, and in succession accord¬ 
ing as required; be placed in an atmosphere of 60 to 
70 degrees Fahrenheit, which should gradually be 
increased to 80 degrees, and even as high as 100 
degrees. The roots should be well supplied with 
water, and the plants should receive frequent syring¬ 
ing with tepid water. They may also be taken up 
carefully with balls in the fall, to be forced the fol¬ 
lowing winter, but we recommend the former method. 
When no forcing house is accessible, a warm room 
answers very well in its stead. 
HINTS ON BOUQUET-MAKING. 
A bouquet seems an easy thing to make when 
all the flowers are so beautiful separately. Surely 
just to pick them and put them in a vase is simple 
enough, but alas ! Nature possesses a subtle secret 
for blending colors which we poor mortals cannot 
wrest from her. The moment we transfer them 
from their garden home to our drawing-room the 
charm is gone. Then experience comes to our aid 
and gives us the following hints : 
Don’t Crowd your Flowers. —Flowers have 
their individualities and affinities which we must re¬ 
cognize and respect. For example : A spike of bril¬ 
liant scarlet Gladiolus, with a feathery bunch of As¬ 
paragus, and a gleam of white Feverfew here and 
there, will light a shady corner like a torch, but 
smother your stately blossoms with Phlox, Verbenas, 
and a host of floral beauties, t'ou will see at a glance 
how the effect is weakened. Again, Petunias, with 
their stiff, spraugly stems and delicate blossoms, are 
very difficult to combine with any other flower ; but 
give them a wide-m outlied vase, with no rivals, and 
they are positively graceful, while their delicate per¬ 
fume fills the room with its fragrance. 
Mass your Colors. — This is of great importance. 
Put your scarlets and crimsons and purples in sepa¬ 
rate bunches, use white to blend them, and you 
cannot fail of a good effect. Yellow is the sunshine 
of a bouquet, but it must be used sparingly or it will 
produce a glare. A wise choice of this color always 
lends cheerfulness. 
Saucer Bouquets. —In making these you can 
use flowers too choice to pick in quantities, and 
those not adapted to other bouquets, like the Balsam, 
Stock, etc. A Fern-bed in some shady corner is a 
great help in giving lightness and relief to the solid 
flowers in this mode of arrangement. Rose-Geran¬ 
ium leaves alternating with Fern-tips make a beau¬ 
tiful edge about any shallow dish; next lay some 
stiff stems cris-cross on the water to prevent the 
blossoms sinking, then lay in Balsams, Pansies, a 
Tea-Rose, or any dainty blossom you have, being 
careful to have plenty of sweet Alyssum or some 
fine white flower to blend. 
Mrs. J. B. Root. 
>onijmaioii, 
FLOWERS FOR THE TABLE. 
Now during the summer a pretty ornament may 
be secured for every meal by merely running into 
the yard or garden and gathering a few buds and 
flowers and sprays of green for a bouquet. This 
habit if once commenced will so grow upon the taste 
that the spoons and napkins will hardly be more in¬ 
dispensable. It is. well to let the children furnish 
the table bouquets from their own flower-beds. One 
day our Willie gathered a cluster of apple-buds and 
blossoms for the dinner table; a friend who sat at 
table said to him “ Those blossoms if left on the tree 
would have grown to be apples.” “ I would just as 
soon have the blossoms,” was the answer. A pretty 
ornament for the table is made by placing a goblet in 
a shallow glass fruit-dish and filling both with flowers. 
If the scarlet radishes are laid on the green lettuce in 
the salad bowl it makes almost a bouquet of it. In 
serving place a radish on each saucer of salad. 
ANIMATED OATS. 
These animated or cricket oats, as they are called 
by many, because of their active properties, are queer 
little oddities. I presume many of your readers have 
seen them advertised, and have thought no more 
about them. But they are well worth a place on 
your list of curiosities. 
There is no trouble in raising them. Put them in 
a little corner by themselves, and then watch them 
as they ripen, or you will find them buried, head 
down in the ground, with their little heels sticking 
up, looking so funny. 
When you gather them have a little box or envel¬ 
ope in which to put them, as they cannot be held in 
the hand, but will crawl out of a very small place. 
A friend put some in an open envelope in the 
drawer; when wanted they were gone. On look¬ 
ing further, he found them all fastened in her tatting 
work. 
When your friends spend the evening with you, it 
is amusing to watch their faces as they start on see¬ 
ing the antics of the little fellows. Lay a large paper 
on the table, then dip some in a dish of water and 
spread them around. Then look out for the twist¬ 
ing, turning, and big jumps they will make; they 
will astonish you. One old gentleman watched them 
intently for a while ; then said : “ I give it up; they 
are alive.’' — Selected. 
Exercise for Children. —Often we hear mothers 
say to their little girls, “ Sit down now and be little 
ladies; don’t run and romp so.” As if a healthy child 
could sit down and keep still with nothing to do ! Chil¬ 
dren, girls as well as boys, need exercise; they need 
fresh air and sunshine. Suppose they do tan their 
faces ; isn’t it better they should be brown as a berry, 
and healthy and happy, than to be white as a lily, with 
cold hands and feet, headaches and feverishness ? 
What if they do tear their apron; mending it is much 
pleasanter work than nursing a sick child. I prefer 
my girl to be a healthy little romp with her heart full 
of the beauties of nature, the birds and flow r ers, rather 
than a pale-faced little lady with her thoughts on her 
dress and her personal appearance. Maida McL. 
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