THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
325 
turf should be laid evenly and packed down as hard as 
possible. Over this should be spread a light covering of 
well rotted manure and fine sand mixed. As soon as 
the grass commences its growth in the spring, roll with 
a heavy roller, rake off all that remains of the manure, 
and the preparations for a perfect lawn are completed. 
In the Power garden much work remains to be done. 
Dahlias and Cannas must bo taken up and stored care, 
fully away for the winter. Geraniums, not needed for 
potting, can now be taken into the cellar, and closely 
packed in boxes filled with sand; it is better, after being 
taken up to let them remain out-of-doors for a few days 
to let the foliage dry, in order that they may not mould 
from too much moisture. Do not give any water dur¬ 
ing the winter, and, although apparently dead, they 
will make good blooming plants for the coming sum¬ 
mer. In taking up Dahlias, it is not desirable to cut 
down their stems before the frost has injured them, nor 
to remove them from the ground before there is a real 
necessity for doing so, as the tubers continue maturing 
so long as they are not exposed to frost or excessive wet. 
We find Dahlias keep far better during the winter, if 
the roots are not disturbed for two weeks after the frost 
has killed the tops. 
As this is the season for planting nearly all kinds of 
bulbs, we may again suggest the desirableness of having 
a bed of Hyacinths in the flower garden, or in some 
part of the pleasure ground, and we would also urge' the 
planting of Tulips again. And when both are planted, 
the little trouble required to protect them from severe 
freezing will be repaid ten-fold by the quality and quan¬ 
tity of bloom. 
The beds and borders of the flower-garden should be 
freed from all rubbish, and where there are no bulbs to 
interfere, the soil should be thoroughly dug over, and 
thrown into ridges, in order that the frost may kill all 
the insects and disintegrate the lumps, making the 
whole friable the coming summer. This is particularly 
necessary in the vegetable garden, where, as early as 
possible, every vacant space of ground should be 
trenched or dug up. The surface should be left as 
rough and lumpy as possible. Throw the soil up in 
ridges two or three feet high from the bottom of the 
WASHINGTON 
Art Applied 
Op late years there has been a great deal of pattern 
and formal arrangement of plants in designs and com¬ 
binations representing mosaic, arabesque and other 
geometrical figures, also mechanical figures and animal 
portraiture. This has not always been well done, and 
in such cases frequently condemned; but with experi¬ 
ence and a more suitable class of plants for the purpose 
there has been a decided improvement, and now at most 
of the public parks and gardens throughout the country 
many beautiful examples can be seen each season. This 
is especially true of Allegheny City Park, Pa., where 
great originality of design is shown. The Superinten¬ 
dent, Mr. W. Hamilton, is one of the leaders of this 
system, and it can justly be said of his last success that 
nothing has been seen to equal two of these pieces either 
in this country or any other. They are medallion por- 
trench, and have the ridges at the base as narrow as 
possible, in order that the frost may reach every par¬ 
ticle of the soil. In throwing up the ridges, simply in¬ 
vert the earth, and by no means smash it with the spade 
after it is turned over. In summer-digging the usual 
practice is to leave the earth as fine as possible. All 
this must be carefully avoided now. Even the spadeful 
of earth must be turned gently, for fear of breaking it 
down in the process. There is a two-fold reason for all 
this care—to expose as much surface to the air as is 
possible, and prolong the season of roughness to the ut¬ 
most limit. If soil be broken line when inverted in 
winter it soon consolidates into hardness. Snows and 
rain batter it down, and it might almost as well been 
unturned. But left rough, every sunbeam warms, 
every raindrop nourishes it; and it is gradually mel¬ 
lowed by natural forces into the best possible condition 
for the growth of crops of any kind. The necessity for 
this work applies only to heavy loam and clayey soils, 
and particularly to such as are liable to be covered with 
water during a portion of the winter. On light, sandy 
soils that are underlaid with gravel trenching it is un¬ 
necessary, at least it is not absolutely essential. Clay soils 
worked in this manner will be as light and friable all 
through the summer as light loam would be, worked in 
the ordinary manner. When land is to be trenched, let 
the manure for the coming crop be put on in the fall. 
All the leaves which are now falling from trees and 
bestrewing the lawns and pleasure grounds, should, 
when collected, be carefully laid by for the formation 
of leaf-mould. This is the most valuable of all soils in 
the culture of potted plants, generally; and yet how few 
there are who care for or preserve it. It contains all 
the elements that sustain plant-life, and can be used 
anywhere and at all times with the best results. If not 
wanted for immediate use, let it remain until wanted; 
it will not be injured by age, on the contrary, its value 
increases with its years. This is also the best time to 
collect sod, which should be corded up and left to the 
action of the elements for disintegration. Well-rotted 
sod with a small proportion of old manure from the 
cow-stable, makes a compost in which almost any 
plant will luxuriate. 
AND LINCOLN. 
to Bedding. 
traits of Washington and Lincoln, so life-like and natu¬ 
ral that at the distance of one hundred yards there was 
not a moment’s hesitation as to who they represented. 
The extreme length of each bed is forty feet and the ex¬ 
treme width fourteen feet, sloping from eighteen inches 
at the back to nine inclies above the ground-line of the 
lawn in front; the portrait being in the centre of an oval 
frame occupying ten feet. 
Mr. Hamilton has among his many acquaintances the 
friendship of F. Meyers, Esq., one of the best artists as a 
sculptor in Pennsylvania,. who very kindly gave his 
assistance. The.best likenesses of Washington and Lin¬ 
coln were obtained, and after a suitable mixture of loam 
and cow-dung had been kneaded together, Mr. Meyers 
made exact copies eight feet long and wide in propor¬ 
tion, raising the figures at the highest point a foot or 
