heavy spi'iiig rains tlio tronohos liu 
storing bouoatii tiio surface of y,,,,, ! J 
„u„drcd8 of barrois of water ready fo, .11 
,viicn necessary. As ionj? as tliero is 8„(ii 
eiont luoisturo in tiio soil, tl.is water is uu- 
diaturbed, but as soon as tlic soil boeomes 
dry, and tlm. growing vegetation reemires 
water, nature sets at work lier pumps, nat- 
aral absorption of tiio soil, solar ev.apora- 
tion, and capillary attraction, and tlraws 
towards tiio surface and to the roots of ti,o 
growing vegetation, the stored w'atei's, fur- 
uisldng at all times tlie moisture necessary 
to bring to perfect development of gi-owtii 
or fruitogc tlie crops u])ou tlie ground.” 
Tlie results wliicli are said to liave been 
produced under tills system are astoundimr, 
and seem to fully warrant tlie necessary ex¬ 
penditure. A committee was appointed to 
visit Mr: Cole's place during the growin"- 
season, and it is witli considerable interest 
that we look for tlie committee’s reiiort. 
AB&ENTIlirE KURAL EXHIBITION. 
With the cooperation of the Government of 
the ArgentineKepublic, and tliat of tlie Prov¬ 
ince of Buenos Ayres, the Argentine Rural So¬ 
ciety will hold in tlie city of Buenos Ayres an 
International Rural Exliibition, to commence 
the 25th of April, 1886. Tlie Premium list 
is divided into over 400 classes, comprising 
every kind of agricultural and liorticultural 
products. No otlier Soutli American state 
oflers so inviting a field for tlie extension of our 
commerce as the Argentine Republic, and it 
is very desirable that tlie products and iiian- 
ufactures of the United .States be full}' and 
creditably represented at this exhibition. 
PIOEIOTILTUEE AT NEW ORLEANS. 
As a whole, the fioricultural part of the 
New Orleans exhibition cannot be said to 
have been a success, although some of the 
exhibits were higlil}' interesting and valu¬ 
able. Fortunately the natural beauty of the 
grounds, studded with innumerable O.aks, 
shading the grounds with their far-sjiread¬ 
ing, low-hanging, moss-clad branches, pro¬ 
duced a most charming scenic efl'ect, unaided 
by human art. 
■ By far the most prominent floral feature 
during the spring montlis, was the magnifl- 
cent display of spring-flowering bulbs, or 
Dutch bulbs,—as they are popularly called,— 
made by the General Bulb Company of IIol- 
iand through their American rcpresent.ative, 
J. A. De Veer of New York, and under 
^he immediate charge of Mr. William 
H. Boomkamp. In extent, beauty, taste- 
brl arrangement and Intrinsic merit, this 
®xhibit was certainly never equalled in 
country. It would require a book to 
“arae and describe all the species and varie- 
bes comprised in it. Tliere were 110 varie- 
bes of Hyacinths, 136 of Tulips, 50 of Cvo- 
®a8, and Narcissus, Ranunculus, Anemones, 
in proportion. Of course tliey were 
^Warded all the first-class prizes, including 
^'i' for the best general cxliibit to occupy 
less than 10,000 square feet of ground, a 
S®ld medal, four' silver medals and $d00.^ 
An immense crescent-shaped bed of 1 an 
j®®, representing every possible shade, fiom 
® most delicate tints to nearly black, pio 
a brUliant effect and was greatly 
This was made by J- 
lecH Orleans, who had also a large c 
On of 1‘hiox Drummondii. 
biU‘?b"™ North were here 
tliercfore bi bloom, and 
Wiosc who H M "" "owers here, but 
bold this .r/V ‘''""‘Kbt that to bc- 
iournev '^''e 
. ■ NkwOkckans. 
AMERIOANliEFrRADFASSOOIATION. 
tiou'" 
"'*D be held in Rochester, N V 
aune Otl, to nth. q-bc organi/atio 
Domed for the mutual ' 
from 
iition was 
benefit of all those 
engaged ... .-aising a..d selling seeds, to p.-o- 
motc bettci- aequai..ta.iceshij) between its 
n.embci-s, a.id to d.wise means and measu.'es 
lo facilitate t.-ade a.id friendly relations be- 
Cwec .1 Its members. A very la.-ge and inte.-- 
csting meeting is anticipated, .and seedsmen 
who ,ai-c not already .nembe.'s, will find it to 
theii- advantage to have tlieir names c.irolled. 
All into.-mation in .-elatio.i to this may be 
obtained fi-oni the scei-cta.-y, .J.amcs V. Murk- 
land, 18 Cortla.idt St., New Yoi'k. 
AGRIOHLTTJRAL CONVENTION AT WASHINGTON. 
Col. Colman, the Commissioner of Agid- 
culture, i.ivitos all agricultural colleges a.id 
exj.e.'ime.it stations to se..d o.ieiu' ...ore del¬ 
egates each, to a conventio.i to be held at 
the Ag.'icultural Department building in 
Washington. The meeting will begin at 10 
A. 51., .lune 24th. 
OF THE EARTH, EARTHY. 
From the sauitaidan's standpoint, one 
might well say, “I.et me build the cellars 
toi‘ the people and I care not who i-eai-s the 
superstructures.” The latter may be badly 
ventilated, impei-feetly lighted and i..suffl- 
cie.itly warmed; the}' may be hot in Sum- 
.uer, cold i.i Winte.', leak,v as to their roofs 
and shaky as to their Uooi-s, l.ut if the cel¬ 
lars ai-e what cellars ought to be, clean, 
open, dry, light and airy, the .nost se.dous 
da.iger mil be avoided. Of coiu'se much 
depends upon location, but even under the 
most f.avorable eircumsta.iees the exhala- 
tio.is f.'o.n the ca.th e.ielosed by the foun- 
datio.i wails constitute an u..kuow.i element, 
and whether actively poiso.ious or appar¬ 
ently harmless, it is ceitain that the g.‘Ou.id 
at.nosphere is .lot well adai.ted to hinnaii 
ccisu.nption till it has bee., rectified by the 
sun and other purifyi..g i.illuenccs that be¬ 
long above ground. 
When the doors and wi.idows of a house 
are closed fc several weeks or months, es¬ 
pecially if sunlight is also excluded, the 
roo...s are almost sure to be found pervaded 
with a .misty, sepulch.-al odor, even though 
the building is c.iii.-cl.v e.npty, appare.itly 
dry and free from all sy.npto..is of dust a.id 
decay It smells of the earth, earthy, and 
for the simple reason that the particular bit 
of the e.arth’s surface upon winch it stands 
has been breathing into the house all the 
time and its b.-eath, like all expired air, is 
liable to be impure. If the house had been 
niaced a few feet aboye the sii.-face of the 
^^ ■rnd upon posts, leaying a clean, open 
ar-rrrrK 
with sufllcient force to keep the air of the 
cellar from rising through the loose floors 
that arc commonly laid directly above the 
cellar in dwelling-houses. 
There ai-c two poiiits, then, of gi-eat import¬ 
ance in the building of cellars.. One, that 
the floor of the cellar, not the walls merely 
01 - chiefly, for that is not so essential, but 
the flours should be made by the use of ce- 
niciit and asphaltum as impervious to air 
and moisture as possible. The othei-, that 
the cellar should be amply ventilated at .all 
times. It is not enough to sky that, since 
we do not live in the cellar, it is therefore 
of s.nall co.isequence what the qujility of 
the air .nay be, for, whetlier we pe.eeive it 
or ..ot, the at.nosphere in the roo.ns above 
an unclean cellar is su.-e to be ...ore or le.ss 
cwitaminated fro.n below, for in Winter 
a.id in .Summer its constant tendency is to 
rise. Board floors and wool carpets will no 
more keep these evil elements in subjection 
than stone vaults and brazen doors will keep 
down a troubled ghost th,at is bent on ris¬ 
ing. Once admitted to the cellar, they will 
climb through the rooms above unless 
coaxed or driven out into the open aii-.— 
'I’he Builder. 
ARRANGEMENT OF ROBES. 
Taste in the ai-rangement of flowei-s is for¬ 
tunately not subject to unanimity of senti¬ 
ment, else we should soon be weaided with 
a continual sameness, nevertheless thei-e are 
ceitain fixed laws that regulate the decoi-a- 
tive art in flowers. In regard to these, J. II. 
Bourn said, at a recent ineeting of theJIassa- 
chusetts Horticultui-al Society: 
“ Too many blooms are used for single 
baskets and bouquets, where the.y are 
crowded together promiscuously, exliibiting 
a mass of petals, the form and color of each 
separ.ate flower being indistinct, with little 
of its own foliage to render the proper 
effect. The more nearly Roses are shown as 
they naturally grow, the handsener they 
a.-e. The stiff artificial ste.n, without the 
leaf of the flower, propped up by S.nil.ax, 
Ferns, and other green things than its own 
foliage, is not Nature. 
“ Hand bouquets of Roses and buds are more 
beautiful when ..lade of o.ie va.-iety with its 
own foliage, ste.us long and loosely bunched, 
having a s.nall number, well chosen, of 
sweet odor. 
“ A collection in b.asket for.u or for pa.-lor 
decoration h.ad better lack a flower than 
have one too .n.any, the object bei.ig to fonn 
a graceful, refreshing and suggestive pic- 
tu.e, p.'eservi.ig an ‘easy neglige.ice .nixed 
with art.’ Show each bloom separately, .'e- 
posmg in its own green, and a few colors 
have a better effect than many. If a combi¬ 
nation is thought to be desirable, red, white 
and buff for.n a pleasi.ig one. The beauty 
of Roses is .nuch enhanced in masses. 
“Asa rule, if the.'care to be many flowers, 
use the delicate shades; if few, the deeper 
tones. Large, choice Roses are always .uore 
efl'ective when displayed in proper standards 
for their reception as si.jgle speci.ne.is.” 
Reports of local fruit and flower shows, 
and of general horticultural exhibitions, will 
be acceptable to The Asiekican Garden 
from any of oiu‘ readers in any part of 
the world. 
