1884.] 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 
193 
NEVr.TORK HORTIOULTURAI. SOCIETY 
The mouthly exhibitio^e of this society 
were resumed ast month, and will be con¬ 
tinued duiing the winter, every first Tuesday 
f ^°*'^'>«''ltural Hall, 20 and 
28 West 2Sth street. 
The September exhibition, although it did 
not present anj^hiiig unusually meritorious, 
OTutaiiied agood variety of all the seasonable 
flowers, and was fairly attended. 
AMERIOAN INSTITUTE. 
The Fifty-third Exliibition of the American 
Institute was opened on Wednesday, Septem¬ 
ber 24, at the Exhibition Building, Third 
Avenue, between Sixty-third and Sixty-fourth 
streets. Although all the machinery is not 
yet in working order, there is no doubt that 
the exhibition will be one of the best ever 
held by the Institute. 
A special Fruit and Flower Exhibition 
will be held from October Sth till llth; a 
Geranium Exhibition from October 15th to 
17th; and a Chrysanthemum Show from 
October 29th to November 1st. 
THE NEW ORLEANS WORLD'S EXPOSITION. 
The opening of this exhibition, in many 
respects the most important one ever held on 
this continent, has been decided upon De¬ 
cember 1st, 1884. The exhibition will con¬ 
tinue during the winter to Alay 31st, 1885. 
The directors, in announcing the establish¬ 
ment of the Northern head-quarters at cor¬ 
ner Broadway and Chambers street, New- 
Tork, take occasion to draw the attention of 
' / 
manufacturers to the gi’eat influence this ex- 
position-.will no doubt exert in creating new 
outlets for our surplus manufactures. 
On the continent south of the United 
States, are fifteen Spauish-American repub¬ 
lics, the Portuguese-American Empire of 
Brazil, and four European colonies. They 
have a total population of 40,000,000 con¬ 
sumers, and an area of about 7,500,000 
squai’e miles, or more than double that of 
the United States. In climate, resources, 
products, supply and demand, they are the 
reverse and complement of the United States. 
Commercial exchanges with such countries 
are, therefore, in accordance with sound 
laws of trade and political economy. They 
are exceedingly deficient in manufactures. 
They need our I’ailway iron and supplies, 
farming implements, cotton and woolen 
goods, boots and shoes, and a thousand and 
one products of our invention and skill. 
Their total annual imports are over three 
hundred million dollars in value. Of tMs 
demand we supply but one-seventh pai t, t e 
rest being monopolized by Great Britain, 
France, and other European powers. 
Of our total exports of all kinds, eig ty pei 
cent, go to Europe, and only five P®* 
the fifteen American sister repuhlics. 
Europe is well supplied with man ae ures 
and has a surplus for export, hence we nee ^ 
not look there for adequate outlets oi oui 
surplus manufaetmes. Weshouldra m oo 
to the unsupplied markets of Spams an 
Portuguese America. 
ferrets. 
The Ferret is a useful animal, which makes 
1 more attractive than when kept only to 
look at. It is very useful for hunting rats 
and rabbits. The general feeding of Ferrets 
depends upon their use. The staple food 
should bo bi’ead and milk 
or mush and milk. 
morning and evening, as much as they will 
eat up clean at the time of feeding, and no 
more. Baw animal food should be given 
them, once or twice a week. This is the 
proper feeding when kept for rabbit-hunt- 
uig; but if the Ferret is kept foi' rabbiting, 
it should bo fed raw animal food at night' 
omitting the bread and milk. Keep water 
constantly before them. If they become too 
fat, dilute the milk, feed them with water so 
the feed will be sufficient in quantity but not 
so rich. They should always be eager for 
their regul.ar meal. 
They should be handled from the time 
they are placed before the feed-cup. Never 
tease them, as it tends to make them snap 
at everything that moves before them. If 
they take hold with their teeth, do not pull 
away from them, but push tow'ard them — 
then they unll let go. If necessary, put on 
thick gloves and let them bite. In a short 
time they will learn to be handled without 
gloves. To take hold of a Ferret that bites, 
hold a piece of meat before it; when it takes 
hold of it and pulls back, it can then be 
grasped around the neck, close to the head, 
and abont the front legs ; then it cannot 
bite. Handle them often, as frequent hand¬ 
ling will make them tame. 
Ferrets will hunt when foim months old. 
It is their nature to hunt and kill; hence, if 
properly fed, they are not apt to suck the 
blood and lay down and sleep, but will con¬ 
tinue to hunt until tfred out. Begin with 
young by giring them half-gi‘Own rats. The 
first encounter with the rat is very impor¬ 
tant. Place the rat in a room where it will 
have a place to hide, put in the Ferret, let 
them have full sway, and hunting begins at 
once. When the Ferret has caught and killed 
one or two rats, he may be considered ready 
for outdoor work. The small Ferrets are 
the best for ratting. 
It is always essential to the successful 
breeding of Ferrets to pro\dde a suitable 
place for their habitation. Ferrets cannot 
endure the extreme cold, and should have a 
hutch constructed so as to regulate for cold 
and heat; the front of hutch can be made of 
lath or wire. They are very cleanly animals, 
and will use one corner of their hutch for 
excrements; clean their hutches twice a 
week, and use sawdust, or something of that 
kind, for litter, and give a clean bed of straw 
each week. Keep each matured Ferret in a 
hutch by itself, except in fall and winter; 
after the breeding season is over, then more | 
can be kept together. The habits of the i 
Ferret are nearly like those of the dog in 
breeding; they usually have from four to 
eight at a litter, and one or two litters a 
year; they go with young six weeks. A few 
days before it is time for the female to litter, 
give her a good nest of clean straw. More 
people should keep Ferrets, as they are sure 
to clean the premises of rats.—£■. E. Spencer, 
in Peases Feathered World. 
things that never die. 
The pure, the bright, the iieantiful. 
That stirred our iicarts in youth; 
Tile impulse to a worldless prayer, 
Tlie dreams of love and truth— 
The longing after sometiilng lost. 
The spirit’s yearning cry, 
Tlie strivings after better iiopes— 
These things can never die. 
Tlie timid hand stretched forth to aid 
A lirotlior in ills need, 
Tlie kindly word in griefs dark hour 
That proves a friend indeed — 
The plea for mercy, softl.v breathed. 
When .iustice tlireatenod higli, 
Tlie sorrow of a contrite heart — 
These things sliall never die. 
Tlie incinoiy of a clasping hand. 
The pressure of a kiss. 
And all the trifles sweet and frail 
That make up life’s first bliss. 
If with a firm, unchanging faith. 
And holy trust and high. 
Those hands have clasped and lips have met. 
These things shall never die. 
The cruel and the bitter word 
That wounded as it fell. 
The chilling want of sympathy 
We feel but never tell— 
The liard repulse that chills the heart 
Whose hopes were bounding high. 
In an unfading record kept— 
These things shall never die. 
Let nothing pass, for every hand 
Must And some work to do; 
Lose not a chance to waken Love — 
Be Arm and just and tme. 
So shall a light that cannot fade 
Beam on thee from on high. 
And angels’ voices say to thee — 
These things shall never die. 
— All the Tear Round. 
WEATHER FORECASTS. 
It seems to be overlooked by meteorolo¬ 
gists, says a writer in the Journal of Science, 
that when a season has taken a decided 
character, whether as wet or dry, the ordi¬ 
nary indications of change seem to lose their 
meaning. 
In the year 1879 all signs of fair weather 
drawn from the appearance of the clouds, 
the actions of birds and insects, etc., were 
quite misleading. And in the present season 
I have more than once seen the commonly 
accepted signs of rain go for nothing. The 
sky may become gradually overcast, with 
dark, ragged masses of underscud; there 
may be a “hollow and a blustering wind,” 
swallows may fly low, slugs come out in 
numbers, bubbles of gas rise from ditches, 
etc., but the weather remains dry, or, at the 
most, there is a slight shower. 
INGENIOUS IDEA. 
It is told of a man in Connecticut who 
wanted to put a water-pipe through a drain 
several feet below the surface of the ground 
without digging up the drain: To accomplish 
it, he tied a string to a cat’s leg, thrust her into 
one end of the drain, and giving- a terrific 
“seat,” the feline quickly appeared at the 
other end; the pipe w'as drawn through the 
drain by means of the line, thus saving 
considerable expense. 
