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Our Flower Beds. —It is quite possible to make the 
small court yard in front of a city house attractive and 
pleasing by a judicious grouping of our floral favorites and 
a little care in keeping them in good health. To have our 
flower borders look well we must exercise some little taste 
in the grouping or massing of our plants. A few well ar¬ 
ranged and carefully tended specimens will prove much 
more satisfactory than a large collection of ill-assorted and 
carelessly arranged ones. How many are there who, about 
the middle of April or May, will visit the nearest nursery 
or greenhouse, spend a great amount of money, with no 
thought as to the beds they have to fill, no idea as to the 
effect that will be produced, or rather the lack of it, by the 
indiscriminate mixing up in beds of twenty or thirty differ¬ 
ent kinds of flowers; Cactus and Lobelia, Caladiums and 
Sedums, Dahlias and Mignonette side by side, each one 
lovely in its own place with others of its species, or in well 
harmonized groups, but lost in its motley surroundings. 
We cannot all have our lawns and our pleasure grounds, 
our conservatories and greenhouses, in which to luxuriate 
both winter and summer, but thousands of us can have one 
or two flower beds, thank Heaven, whether in city or 
country; and let us try to arrange them so that they may 
be ‘‘things of beauty” to gladden our eyes until winter 
again claims our gardens for his own. 
First upon the list of bedding plants I should name 
Coleus Nothing, perhaps, looks richer than a bed planted 
in ribbon lines of well contrasted shades and edged with 
Dusty Miller. Next, a large bed of scarlet Geraniums 
edged with Sweet Alyssum becomes, by about the end of 
July, a bit of dazzling brightness. Deep rose pink double 
and single Geraniums, bordered with first a line of bronze 
and then of the silver-leaved variety, always look well. 
Calceolarias of different colors, with an edge of blue Lo¬ 
belia, will do well if you have a bed on the south side of 
the house, so that they do not have too much sun ; there, 
too. will flourish best your Fuchsias, Pansies and Forget- 
me-nots. Yerbenas for bedding purposes are unsurpassed. 
Salvias look best in a large bed on a lawn. For foliage 
plants on a large scale, where there is plenty of room, 
Cauna Indica, Caladiums. Amaranthus and Japanese Maize 
are all showy and beautiful if planted in masses. Now for 
our more humble but scarcely less beautiful annuals. 
First, Petunias; they will flower oftentimes till November, 
will load the air with their sweet, delicate fragrance, and 
will draw all the humming-birds and butterflies in the 
neighborhood to themselves. Buy a few plants for the 
centre of your bed and then sow seed all round, hut not 
too near the edge, as they spread very much; thin out well 
when three inches high, and you will have a succession of 
bloom all summer. Sow your China Asters in a little cold 
frame, if you have it. or a wooden box with a pane of glass 
over it, in April, and transplant as soon as large enough, 
which will be about the end of May, into the open ground; 
do the same with your Dwarf Nasturtiums for early bloom¬ 
ing. Sow the Dianthus seed in the bed you wish it to 
remain in, but thin out well. Be sure you have a bed of 
Drummond Phlox, and also Mignonette. Sow both, as the 
Dianthus, in their own places ; these all dislike transplant¬ 
ing and will do best if their roots are not disturbed. Fill 
in odd corners of your garden with Sweet Peas; they will 
climb up a piece ot common brush or run up strings. Don’t 
sow them until the weather is quite mild and the ground 
warm. Zinnias are a showy plant and make a fine b6d; 
sow either in cold frame or ground when you think cold 
nights are over. Heliotropes, for making up our summer 
bouquets—they will grow almost in any situation, but are 
scarcely bright enough for beds; they both grow much to 
wood, and consequently wll bear cutting well. Ala. 
Glimpses into a Country Parsonage. —I would 
state at once that I am a minister’s wife, and not only a 
minister’s wife, but a Methodist minister’s wife, at that. 
Perhaps you don’t think this has anything to do with 
house furnishing. I guess if you had to undo all you had 
done every one year, or two or three, as the “ powers that 
be” might decree, you’d think it made a great deal of dif 
ference. It was just the brightest, most beautiful day of 
last May that I grew from Miss to Mrs. Miriam, and, with 
Thaddeus the Wise (Teddy, for short), journeyed toward 
the new parsonage home. After the proprieties had been 
disposed of. the kindly welcome over and the strangers 
gone, together we made the tour of the rooms. First the 
library, or, as Teddy said, “ our library sitting room.” It 
was a dear little cosey place, with two west and one sunny 
south window, and connected with a bedroom ot the sama 
size by sliding doors, and here was another south window. 
“What a splendid place for my winter plants 1” I ex¬ 
claimed at once. My first question in regard to the par¬ 
sonage had been, “ Is there a south window for plants? ” 
and my very practical mother said it seemed to make no 
difference whether there was a kitchen or not, so long as 
I had a place for flowers. The dining room was large, 
nicely papered with a light, cheerful paper, and opening 
out of that by folding doors was a dear little room with a 
north window and an eastern door. This soon became, 
however, the north study, as the warm summer afternoons 
drove us from the sunnier room. But the parlor! Words 
almost fail me. The homeliest of homely yellow wall paper 
with an ugly brown spot in it; the darkest of dark carpets 
on the floor; a great high black mantel; a black sheet- 
iron fire-board, cracked and broken, and an open stove¬ 
pipe hole to let the swallows out, and black bricks for the 
fire place; windows high and old-fashioned, with great, 
barn-like shutters; half a dozen very common chairs and 
a stray sofa. After taking an inventory I finally gasped, 
“ Oh, Teddy, lets get out. This room must be sacredly set 
apart for funerals.” It was a relief to breathe the air of 
our cozey kitchen, with its lots of little handy closets. 
Four bedrooms composed the upstairs; but wait till I come 
to the furnishing thereof before I tell you of them. 
I have taken long for introduction, but I think the get¬ 
ting acquainted and getting to work will take but a short 
time. Tub Bied’s Nest. 
To Bleach. Wax. —First sheet it; keep it in the sun¬ 
shine. To half a pound of good white wax add one- 
quarter ounce balsam of fir. You can guess atthe quantity; 
less will do; if you get in too much it will be sticky. 
Pour boiling water into the cup and let the wax melt grad¬ 
ually, then put in the balsam; have a dish of hot soapsuds; 
dip your mould in that, then into the wax quickly, then in 
cold water, and slip it off. 
"Wax Grapes. —To make wax grapes, take annealed 
wire that is stiff enough to support it—I don’t remember 
the number—wind a little cotton on one end, double it over 
to prevent its pulling off; then for what is called Black 
Hamburg, color common rosin with lamp-black and melt 
gradually, then dip the cotton end in the rosin, then in cold 
water and press it tight with the fingers; when it is cold 
continue to dip it in the rosin, then in the water to cool, until 
it is as large as wanted, being careful to turn it when just 
out of the rosin to get the required shape and size; lastly, 
dip in hot wax previously colored with blue and red paint, 
and hold grape in cup so it will drain. Each kind has its 
color of paint. E. C. Bidlake. 
Home EEade Rug's.-—For those who make drawn-in 
rugs of rags, I will give two patterns that are very pretty, 
where the colors are not suitable for flowers, or very 
elaborate figures Take an oblong piece of bmlap, and 
fasten it to the frame and draw a line ail round the outside 
as near the edge as you desire to work; then draw a 
straight line from the middle of each side to the middle of 
each end, forming a diamond in the centre, and quarter 
diamonds at each corner. Outline the outside of rug and 
centre piece with three times round; suitable colors would 
be one scarlet between two of black, or some shade of 
yellow between dark blue or maroon; after that draw in 
different colors in stripes round each piece according to 
taste, having the centre and corners correspond exactly, or 
the corners all alike. When the centre is filled up except 
a small diamond, have that some bright, pretty color, and 
if shaded, all the better; the corner pieces should corre¬ 
spond also. If attention is paid to contrasting colors, the 
result is very fine, even if some are rather dull. I have 
never seen one of this style, except my own, another 
which I have seen and used is called “hit or miss.” The 
border is generally shaded or drawn in in stripes all round 
the rug, and the centre is filled in with odds and ends of 
every color drawn in straight across one after another 
without much regard to the arrangement, though it is best 
to have the brightest colors, like scarlet, pretty evenly 
distributed. Any pieces will do, that when drawn in will 
make a stripe two inches long, but do not have a stripe of 
one color more than six inches long in one place. This 
will w r ork in many beautiful bright bits that are good for 
nothing else. If sheared it will look more like velvet, but 
is pretty enough without. 
A Kansas Home. —My home does not consist of 
frescoed walls nor stately palaces, it is nothing more than 
a neat little cottage. I do all I can to make it pleasant and 
happy. My little daughter gathers wild flowers and ferns 
for me during the summer. I press them, and after they 
are dry, I dip them in white wax or varnish them, they 
will retain their color, and I lay them on black velvet in the 
shape of a cross, or a wreath, ana will then have a beau¬ 
tiful picture. I also make medleys from pictures I pre¬ 
serve. I have a bouquet I made from grass, I got some 
Venetian red, mazurine blue and some Paris green, at the 
drug store, and painted them ; I then joined them by plac¬ 
ing them on a long stick, and it will make a beautiful 
corner piece; I made Zephyr flowers and placed through 
it. When Harry came in he was surprised, for I had not 
let him know I was making it, and he pronounced it per¬ 
fectly beautiful. I have just completed a tidy made with 
the Affghan stitch in strips, and narrow it off in points at 
the ends, then take red zephyr and work a little vine 
through it, and a border around it. Now my dear readers 
these will help ornament your home, and are got up at little 
expense. Noeeta. 
Ferns. —I frequently see directions for bleaching ferns, 
hut in the fall of the year, here in New Hampshire, we 
have no difficulty in finding them pretty enough without that 
trouble. Besides the white, there are straw color, pea- 
green, and many beautiful shades of brown. Soon after 
gathering, iron them with a not too hot iron, which has 
been waxed with common yellow beeswax. If intended to 
frame or wanted to be perfectly flat, iron until dry. Frame 
with black velveteen or cloth for a background, either 
with or without a mat. For bouquets for vases or similar 
decorations, I think they are nicer not to be ironed perfectly 
dry ; they will then be curled and drooping a little, much 
more graceful and natural, autumn leaves can be treated 
in the same way and remain on the branches if desired. 
Fancy Work. —Take a piece of perforated paper five 
inches square, and work “ Scratch my Back,” and a border 
around the edge, of leaves, then tack a piece of sand paper 
on the back, a quilling of ribbon arousd the edge, and loop 
to hang it up. To make vines, take green or red-glazed 
muslin, and cut the shape of “Ivy,” and clip in wax, and 
lay the wire on the back, and dip a piece of the muslin in 
the wax, and then lay on the wire, and hold over a lamp- 
chimney and then press together, and your leaf is done, be 
careful not to get too much wax on the leaf. 
ClEMENCE ST. ONAO. 
Washing Dishes. —I would like to say a few words 
to my friendly housekeeper in Floral Cabinet. _ I think 
the best plan is to wash up the dishes nicely after each 
meal, I always dislike to have dishes left from one meal to 
another. Her method of washing dishes suits me very well, 
but never leave your dishes standing from one meal to 
another. There is another thing I shall speak of; some 
housekeepers think on washday, they must have every¬ 
thing in an uproar, and themselves attired in a slovenly 
and unbecoming manner, now I contend this is unnecessary. 
I always do my morning work ou washdays, just the same 
as other days, make some preparation for dinner so as not 
to be in a rush at dinner time, wash and comb myself and 
children, dress them clean just as I would if there was no 
washing to be done ; one does not get at washing so early 
by doing this, but I find I like it better than to have things 
upside down while washing. In cooking, always try to 
have everything palatable. I have been housekeeping 
only three years, but by taking an interest in my cooking 
and the Cabinet for my counsellor, I find I improve all the 
time, my husband often tells me so. I always try to have 
my floor swept clean before arranging my table, then with 
a nice -white table-cloth on my table, I prepare my meal. I 
think a white table-cloth far nicer than the fashionable 
colored ones of this day. L. J. C. 
Ancient Gardens. —“ Tire first notice of a garden in 
the historical records of Rome, is that of Tarquinius Super¬ 
bus, five hundred and thirty-four years before the birth of 
Christ. Livy and Dionysius allude to one which adjoined 
the royal palace, which was embellished with a profusion 
of flowers, in which the rose and poppy predominated. 
Among the paintings found at Herculaneum, are a few trac¬ 
ings of gardens; they are, wo are told, small square in¬ 
closures formed by trellis work and espaliers, and regularly 
ornamented with vases, fouutains and caryatides, ellegantly 
symmetrical.” **■**********•» 
“ The gardens of Athens were remarkable for their 
classic elegance. Adorned with temples, altar, statues 
and monuments, where some of their departed heroes 
reposed, it would appear that these gardens had some 
resemblance to our modern cemeteries. The points to 
which particular attention was paid, were shade, coolness, 
fragrance, and repose.” ***•*■*«--•!:*** 
“ Flowers were not merely a luxury to the Grecians, but 
they were considered absolutely necessary. Flowers, that 
lovely part of the creation, that serve the very pledges of 
a father’s love, have indeed been associated with the most 
striking events of life ; they are woven into garlands for 
tin© happy and prosperous, they are strewn upon the grave 
of the beloved, the offerings alike of joy and sorrow.” * * 
“ Flowers have been made the vehicles for sentiment 
all over the world. The Persians communicate with the 
fair sex, by means of bouquets. The poet has made the 
fond girl depend on the decision of a flower to ascertain 
whether her affection was returned.” ***-***■ 
“ The taste for introducing statues and urns in gardens, 
was revived by Cardinal d’Este. Anxious to design a gar¬ 
den and residence for himself, he took the ground where 
the Emperor Adrian’s villa had stood; there he happened 
to find a number of antiquities, which he distributed 
through his gardens, and thus the plan he had accidentally 
adopted, became the fashion throughout Europe." * * * * 
—Extracts from an “ Essay on Horticulture ” found in an 
old Magazine c/1854. 
