Year: 1877

II tu0 fly WOulO He SClll anu pr0L0nu to be dead, the trap would relax it's unre- lenting grasp, but the fly is not going to do, so for it has not reached that stage of progressive development which would enable it to understand that the more it fights and struggles the worse its situa- l ton becomes. After arranging about the soil for flowers, the next matter for your con- sideration is water. If you find large and coarse expanse of leaf-surface, it will be safe to conclude that at least dur ing the growing season, moisture must be supplied with great liberality. Whilst it may be necessary to give bountiful supply of water, it is even, if possible more essential to prevent this from becoming stagnant. No ordinary roots, that do not belong to aquatic plants, can long retain their vigor in undrained earth; that is, earth unpro- vided with facilities for the removal of excessive humidity.

 But good drainage does more than merely facilitate the passing away of water. It permits the air to circulate in the soil, and thereby assists in charg ing this with some of the most impor- tant elements which go to build up the vegetable structure.

 Perhaps you have never tried any eX- periments with view to test the effects produced by stirring the ground. It is worth your while to expend some little effort in this direction. The importance of this matter in ordinary horticultural and agricultural operations is now rec ognized everywhere. What wonld you think of farmer who did no more to his cornfield than merely to keep the weeds killed? You would rightly re- gard him as one of the poorest husband men in the country. The garden has to be titled or the returns will be nOth- ing short of shameful. The crust has to be kept broken so that the air may circulate to the delicate root flores. Another result which comes from this process is that it developes all the fla cilities for condensing moisture as we'll as admits the heat-in fact, does al- most everything calculated to bring vigor.

 Let us now see how stirring the soil will affect window plants. If the prin- ciple is worth anything it should apply to vegetable life, place it where you will. Last spring a friend made us a present of half 8 dozen very beautiful alike vigorous and every one of them was growing in soil the surface of which became quite hard. We resolved to let three of this number, alone and at the same time determined to stir very regu- larly the surface of the other three. We knew we'll that the result would be very marked, but we wanted to be in the re- 1 freshing presence of a real demonstra- tion. In very little while the plants growing i'll the soil which had its sur- face stirred grew away ahead of the | others, and had that strong, fresh look without which plants, however inter- esting they may be when viewed by the student of science can never yield any great enjoyment to the ordinary spec tator. The neglected ones presented a bare and hungry aspect, with their withered stems and pitiful and prema- turely-yellow foliage.

 Flowers need fresh air as much as man does-that is, they are just as in- capable of living wholly without it as is human being.

 Most of the fluid food of plants is ab- sorbed by the roots. On the other hand nearly all the nutriment derived from the air is taken in by the leaves.

 The contrivances by which the foli- age is enabled to do its work are truly wonderful, All over the surface are Iinnumerable windows which the plant can open and shut as the circumstance require. And the leaves though en- dowed with power which enables them to prespire very freely, are yet wholly incompetent to absorb one drop of water from without. All this is told in the botany books, and it is introduced in this connection to show the importance of keeping thoroughly free from inn purity and defilement the foliage of your flowers, particularly if these have to put up with the conditions imposed upon all plants that live ill a window

 Farmer's Home Journal.

 What the HIndOOs Gained from Their | Connection with England. | It is not alone the distinction of families which avails to foster mythical tradition and superstition, but also the local dignity of certain neighborhoods. The sufferings of the Swiss scholar who first cast doubt on the historical genu- ineness of Wm. Tell and the apple is within memory; also the rage of Vir- ginians when Henry Adams reduced Pocahontas' saving John Smith to a myth. It would be serious thing to Coventry if Lady Godiva should fall 8 prey to the Solar mythologers, and how

 would Wales be shorn if Merlin were exploded? I never saw so ghastly 8

 face as that of mine host Beth Gelert, to whom related that friend of mine

 had visited in India the tomb of dog

 which perished under the same circum- stances as Llewellyn's faithful animal.

 It was evident that I had not OEly as- sailed the underpinning of his hotel,

 but still more his Cymbric pride. But

 his face presently beamed with the

 exelamations of dismay, and prayers of thanksgiving went forth from many

 hearts that had been beating with ter ror."

 Fretting.

 One fretter can destroy the peace of