THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
scribers do their part. The Rose has a free and gener¬ 
ous nature, one that appreciates a favor, but dies of 
grief when neglected. Its requirements are a deep, 
very rich loam, a sunny situation, and constant care. 
It will permit of no intrusion from other plants in its 
bed, and needs the soil to be well and constantly 
worked. Plant as soon as the soil is in condition to 
work, say the middle of April, in order that their 
roots may get a good hold on mother earth before 
dry weather sets in, and a good crop of Roses is 
secured. If the situation is naturally dry, dig deep, 
if heavy aud moist, be sure to dig deep and thor¬ 
oughly drain. In either case a liberal mulching of 
well-rotted manure from the cow-stable is desir¬ 
able. 
It is often asked, “ How shall we protect our tender 
Roses during winter.” The best plan perhaps is to take 
them up as soon as the ground begins to freeze hard, 
and put them in a cold frame, or in a box of sand in a 
cool, dry cellar. Inmost cases, cellars are either too warm 
11 
or too damp; either condition is fatal to the Rose. Or, 
instead of storing them in the cellar, bed them in, in 
some dry spot in the garden. If there is danger of water 
standing over theni, do not dig the earth up at all, but 
lay the Roses as taken up, leaving all the earth possible 
about their roots, on the ground, and cover them just 
about as deep with soil as if they were growing, put 
them close together and pack the earth closely around 
the roots. Then cover the whole with Evergreen 
boughs, if they can be obtained, to the depth of a foot. 
If Evergreens cannot be obtained, use newly-fallen 
leaves, which are an excellent substitute; these should 
be put on to the depth of six or eight inches, and as 
soon as the weather begins to get very cold, cover with 
Corn-stalks or any coarse litter sufficient to protect 
against hard freezing. It may be asked, ‘ ‘ Why is this 
better than to cover them when growing?” Simply be¬ 
cause it checks growth at an unseasonable time, and 
gives an opportunity to dig up and enrich the bed, 
which cannot be properly done with the plants in. 
HOW TO MAKE A HOT-BED. 
From the middle of February to the latter part of 
March, according to the latitude, provide a quantity of 
fresh horse-manure from the stable; add to this, if they 
can be had, one-half its bulk of leaves; mix them 
thoroughly, tramping down the mass in successive layers, 
and form into a large pile, so the fermentation will 
proceed even in severe cold weather. In two or three 
days fermentation will be apparent by the escape of 
steam from the heap. Now turn again, and allow it to 
remain two or three days longer, or until the second 
fermentation commences. Prepare an excavation two 
and one-half feet deep, and of a size suited to the num¬ 
ber of plants required. It should be made in some dry, 
sheltered spot, facing the south or east, if possible. 
Hot-bed sashes are usually 6x3 feet, and one sash will 
generally give early plants enough for a large family. 
The frame for the sash should be eighteen inches high 
at the back, and twelve inches in front, which will give 
the proper slope to catch the most sunlight. Cross¬ 
pieces should be placed for the sashes to slide on, to 
facilitate opening and shutting the frames. When 
everything is ready, the manure is placed in the pit and 
trodden down firmly in layers to the required depth, 
two and one-half feet. Then put on the sashes, and 
keep close, until the heat rises. It will be too hot to 
sow the seeds now, but in two or three days it will sub¬ 
side to 90°, when the soil may be put on to the depth of 
six or eight inches. The soil should be of well rotted 
sods, mixed with fine, old manure, in equal parts, and 
in this the seeds may be sown thinly in drills two or 
three inches apart, and afterwards either thinned out 
or else transplanted to another frame. Air must be 
given every mild day by raising the sashes at the back. 
Water with tepid water when necessary, and during 
cold nights and snow-storms keep covered with straw 
mats or shutters. Nearly all varieties of vegetable and 
flowering plants can be started with advantage in the hot¬ 
bed; Tomatoes,Peppers and Egg-Plants should be grown 
in a separate frame from the Cabbage, Cauliflower, 
and Lettuce, as they require more heat than the latter. 
Hot-beds may be made on the surface of the ground, 
excepting that the manure should be at least a foot 
wider on all sides than the frame. In addition to the 
hot-bed, there should always be provided cold frames, 
of twice the capacity of the hot-bed. Into these the 
young seedlings can be planted as soon as they have 
made their second pan - of leaves, provided of course the 
weather is not too cold at that time. These frames are 
made in the same manner as a hot-bed, excepting the 
pit and manure. Set the frame in a warm, protected 
situation, on the surface, and fork up the soil lightly, 
then fill to the depth of four inches with the same soil 
that is recommended for the hot-bed. In these frames 
plants can be grown on slowly, and got into the best 
possible condition for the flower or vegetable garden at 
the proper time. 
HARDY FLOWERS. 
With very little exertion or expense the poorest 
garden may be made gay. We do not require Gera¬ 
niums, Colenses, and other gaudy paraphernalia of the 
tropics to render our country or suburban garden plots 
pretty and interesting. No; months before we can 
safely trust a Heliotrope or Alternanthera out of doors. 
Snowdrops, Crocuses, Siberian Squills, Winter Aconites, 
Spring Adonis, Hepaticas, Periwinkles and other lovely 
gems are in full bloom. And again in the fall, after tropi¬ 
cal plants have perished by frost, Coreopsis, Japanese 
