286 
the 
AMERICAN 
GARC^^' 
TO A niTLE SUMMER VISIIOE. 
WriUen for The Americas Gaki>eJ>- 
Amid spring’s fair and tender gi-een. 
On branoh and swinging spray, 
The little birds made melody. 
And elieered my heart all day. 
But when the summer Roses bloomed. 
And fragrant was the air. 
One “birdie" eame, whose dainty note 
I deemed of all most rare. 
Each mom I listened for his song. 
As swift, the weeks flew by, 
And dearer to my heart he gi’cw 
• As threw the autumn nigh. 
But now November winds are drear. 
And frosty is the air; 
1 miss the bird-song from the trees. 
The swinging boughs .am bare. 
I miss ray “birdie's” dainty note, 
Our Highland home to cheer, ■ 
Yet hope assures its sweet return. 
Beyond the winter drear. 
M. L. B. 
Highland Park. 
BUILDING AN ICE-HOUSE. 
A country home without an ice-house lacks 
one of the principal means for comfort, and 
economy as •well, during the summer months. 
Those who have never owned and managed 
such a structure generally look at it as some¬ 
thing necessarily combined with consider¬ 
able expense and labor. Yet this is not the 
case, as an ice-house sufficient for the needs 
of a large family can be built with but little 
cost. The following plan, given in the Jmeri- 
can Agriculturist, will probably meet the 
wants of many of our readers : 
The locality selected was one affoi’ding 
facilities for drainage, was well shaded by 
trees, and conveniently near the house. The 
surface being sandy was leveled, and 4x0 
inch sills, fom-teen feet long, were laid 
down and halved together at the corners. 
The plates of the same length, of 2 x 4 inch 
stuff, were put together in the same man¬ 
ner. .Studs 2x4, and thirteen feet long were 
mortised into the sills and spiked to the 
plates every eighteen inches. The roof, a 
“square pitch,” is covered with ten-inch 
boards, two inches apart, and other boards 
of the same width nailed on as battens. 
Hemlock boards, nailed horizontally on both 
sides of the studs, cover the sides and ends, 
the four-inch space between the outer and 
inner siding being filled with sawdust or 
finely cuf straw. 
There is a door at the ground level, and an¬ 
other just above, both being practically 
double by means of horizontal boards, placed 
on the inside as the house is filled. The 
roof projects over the sides about a foot, and 
the spaces between that and the plates are 
left open to afford ventilation. A layer of 
sawdust, four inches or more thick, was laid 
upon the ground, and the blocks of ice 
stacked upon it as closely as possible. Tlie 
top of the ice is covered with a layer of 
marsh hay, about two feet thick. This house 
if filled up to the roof, would hold about 
sixty tons. When half filled, there has been 
a considerable quantity of ice leftover oacli 
year, though it has been used very freely. 
NEW-YOEK HOETIOULTUBAI sooibtt. 
The “Chrysanthemum Sh 1^^^ ^ 
6th and 6tli of last month, 
'Irts oT the' exemplary secretary, 
ful and appropuate, eve y 
being filled with plants and flo . 
crowds of appreciative visitors filled th 
hall from the moment the doors were opene 
till their closing. „f„„,„.se 
Messrs. Hallock&Thorpe reaped, of com se, 
the lion’s share of the premiums, and de 
servedly so; for the skill, labor, and expense 
required in the production of their exhibits 
must have been something extraordinary. 
The magnificence of their exhibits was cer¬ 
tainly never equaled in this city. They la 
in all between three and foiu-hundred named 
varieties of Chrysanthemums. The next 
largest professional exhibitors were W. C. 
Wilson and Peter Henderson. 
A most pleasing feature of this exhibition 
consisted in the active interest taken by 
amateurs. John Farrell, gardener to Mr. 
William Barr, Geo. Lucas, Geo. Mathews, 
Chas. E. Parnell, and others made highly 
creditable exhibits. The specimen standards 
of John Farrell were models of perfect form 
and good cultivation. To see these .alone 
would have been worth a good journey. 
They averaged about six feet in height, and 
were certainly not less beautiful and at¬ 
tractive than standard Boses. The prize 
collection comprised: Graiiclijlorum, AI. 
Planclienau, Striata pcrfecta, JieucI Or, Lord 
Beaconsfield, and Fantaisie. The best single 
specimen standard, Elaine, stood seven feet 
high, with a crown four feet in diameter, re¬ 
sembling a huge bunch of Daisies; but a bet¬ 
ter white in the same collection was Melanie. 
It would far exceed the space at our com¬ 
mand to describe, in outline even, all the 
fine exhibits. We must, therefore, confine 
ourselves to the naming only of the varieties 
composing the prize collections of cut 
flower.s, which may serve as a guide to those 
intending to make a selection. 
The best twelve new vaiielics of all kinds 
from Hal lock & Thorpe comprised Mad. l)c- 
veille, .Mills Scharff, La pluic d’or. Ah. ir 
liarr, M. Moynct, Earl of Beacon.^field, Pres 
Lavalee Jto.sea superba, L’incomparable, AM- 
S. A Ball, Mrs. It. Prall, Blanche ncir/e. 
the best amateur collection of cut flowers 
came from Dr. Walcott, of Cambridge, Mass 
and consisted of the following: J/,., rorZ,]’ 
Golden Queen, mi ilesperanilim, Prince 
Crmmn King, Mrs. Sharpe, Princess ' 
Abbe Passaglia, Mrs. (Hailstone, Lc' 
Ouernsey nugget. Lord iVolsete,, 
Tech, 
(Irand, 
AMEEIOAN IN8TITDTE OHEYBANTHEMUM 
SHOW. 
lo (IoBCI'jIjO thiB <ivl 'I 
the Institute Hall from Novemir”.'’i'.'“''* 
lUth, would necessitate almost a^IV 
of tlie foroKoiijif au ilioii* • 
woreu.e«Lo.t::^;::£:i::‘-’>i>>Hors 
equal excellence and beauty. I ' 
and appointments, affords better 
display, the exhibits appeared 
better advantage. Hallock & Th^ 
Wilson, and Siebrecht & Wadle”*^*’C 
largest exhibitors. Prominent in a'® % 
teui’division were Geo. Mathews C M ^ 
Patrick Conroy, and N. Halloek’ ’ 
Thousands of visitors were 
around the tables and tastefully 
groups, and to judge by the apprecilp®''®'^ 
marks of many, the interest in Chrv”^*'®' 
mums is not yet diminishing, ij, j 
paratively few are aware of their n 
ties; but these exhibitions exert 
healthful and refining influence un* 
people in developing and educatiim?, 
for flowers and their culture. ^ 
NEW-TOEK FAEMEE8’ CLUB, 
This association, which for a quarter 
century has exerted more influence inV 
veloping progressive agriculture than a 
similar institution in our country, is abontT 
be reorganized. Most of the older member 
who in former years have contributed to fte 
usefulness and fame of the club, as well as a 
large number of prominent younger farmers 
and horticulturists, have taken an active in¬ 
terest in this reorganization, making its suc¬ 
cess already assured. The meetings will be 
held at 1.30 p. ii. on the second and fourth 
Tuesdays of each month, at the rooms of the 
American Institute, Cooper Union. Allladies 
and gentlemen interested in agriculture or 
horticulture are invited to attend. 
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY HOETICULTUEAL 
SOCIETY. 
The sixth annual meeting of the above- 
named society will he held in the city of New 
Orleans, commencing January 14, 1885, 
and continuing four days. 
It is scarcely necessary to say more than 
this to arouse the enthusiasm of horticult¬ 
urists everywhere, for it is already under¬ 
stood that this meeting is to be held during 
the World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial 
Exposition, and in connection with the 
gi’eatost display of horticultural products 
ever made. 
No liorticulturist can afl’ord to miss this 
ineoting. A programme worthy of the occa¬ 
sion will soon be published. Liberal railroad 
rates arc ofl’erod, and already special excur¬ 
sions, both by boat and rail, arc heiag 
organized. Preminm lists of the Horticult¬ 
ural Department of the Exposition will he 
furnished on application to W. H- Kags>'i 
Secretary, Greoneastle, Ind. 
MICHIGAN HCETIOULTUBAL 800151^' 
'I’ho annual mooting of tliis socloLV 
occur ill Ann Arbor, December Ist, 
3d. Kodiiood rates on all Miohiga" 
roads. A full and intorostiiig 
anuoiiiicod, a largo attondiiuco is oxpc-' 
iiud all will 1)0 liospitably outertainoih 
those intending to bo present should 
Uio secretary, Mr. (■harlvs II’- Onrficld, (' 
Hapiil.s, Mich., that ho may mail thc'“ 
road cortillcatOH. This will bo an 
hinio to visit the State University, 
Arl)or hortioiillurists unite in a most 
invitation to every member of Iho 
branch sociotios to attend. State 
trict sociotios oiitsido of Michiga" 
vilod to solid dologatos. 
