Year: 1877

be able to place the eye on some form of plant life, even if that be obscure. If it is only wild rose, gathered by the wayside, it may be capable of exerting the happiest influence. Brick and mor- tar, without anything to call to memory the loveliness of refined country homes, often bring wearinesss and dis satisfaction; and the instinct which makes men and women long for the sight of leaves and blossoms finds ex- pression in thousand forms, and can no more be taken out of human nature than the love of freedom itself.

 There are people who know, intuit- ively, the necessities of their flowers. Others again have no such gift. You will see one window or garden ever gay, and another constantly the reverse :; whilst, specifically, the occupants of both are alike.

 Soil and climate are the great, consid- eration in the case of all plants. In some instances the earth in which these beautiful creations are to grow can hardly be made too rich. If a flower in state of nature, makes strong cuccu- lent growth, and at the same time does not ddcay as rapidly as it develops, you may be very certain that wherever placed, under artificial circumstances, it must have bountiful supplies if it is to thrive-in other words, change of place does not give rise to new organi- hoS n what has been stated, there are flowers that would speedily die were they to be set out in earth of great richness. Between the cactus which makes it's home in the desert, and the gaudy sun flower luxuriating in the rank dirt by intermediate, and yet vegetation is so is so varied in it's character that we have here chain without broken link.

 In the case of numerous plants, cared for solely because of their utility, we find not a few striking proofs of the i'm portance of exercising great care in selecting soils. It is tolerably well known that field may be fitted for the production of wheat, and not nearly so we'll adapted for the growth of corn. In certain lands peaches will succeed, and in sertain others no amount of care and skill can make them anything but a failure. If we turn to strawberries, it is found that the sort known as the Jucunda, in strong earth, is marvel of beauty and productiveness, whilst on lighter lands to plant it is labor spent in vain. These facts-and many more of similar sort might be cited-all demon strate the correctness of the position taken, together with the important practical bearing of that position.

 For all ordinary purposes the most suitable earth that can be found is that known as loam, and the best part of it is that this is fitted for at least 75 per our gardens. The loam for flowers should be procured from an old pasture. Those who grow a great many flowers ought to obtain a quantity of sods and grow them together for some time, so that the grass on their surface, and the roots and tibers that ramify through every part of them may have time to rot and enrich in moderation.

 Such soils as that to which we here refer will do admirably for geraniums, fuchsias, verbenas, cannas, heliotropes, roses, lemon, justicias, begonias, bal sams, petunias, hoyas, hyacinths, col euses, lantanas and all bulbous rooted plants, such as lilies-in short every thing fitted for general culture.

 Instead of incorporating large quan- titles of manure with the compost, we think it much better to distribute it on the surface. In this way the fertilizing properties will be carried to the roots by every rain, and in moderate quanti- ties, instead of beiug brought in the crude state directly into contact with the delicate tibers.

 Many of the most charming members of the vegetable kingdom inhabit bogs where peat is the only sort of soil to be found. Some of our readers have doubtless never seen a sample of peat. It is wholly composed of decayed plants, most of which belong to the moss order. With such constituents, nearly alto gether organic, it ranks among the rich est of known earths. In fact, we do not know any other soil the equal of this in strength.

 Not one of the flowers which we named above as among those that would in good if set in peat. This is too rich for them in one respect, and too poor ill another. It has a superabundance o1 some clements, and is almost destitute of others that usually are equally i'm portant.

 We have referred to the loveliness ol many flowers that will arrive at perfec- tion in peat earth and no other. Let us name few. There are the orchids about which Charles Darwin has writ ten so delightfully."-, with their sweet fragrance, strange history and structure and pleasing form and hues. A few orchids need loam, but the ma ajority are otherwise inclined. Then you have the ericas, or heaths, or heathers. Some o1 the fairest of these come from the Cape of Good Hope. They grow on the moors above Cape Town in great plenty and endless variety, and ill many parts o1 Europe their keeping forms one of tht most prominent departments of fiori culture.

 There is one little plant which is { native of the United States, and which we regard as the most interesting of al the flowers that grow in peaty soil, anG respecting which the reader will per init us to step aside to say few words The botanists call this curiosity Dionet muscipula, and other people name it Ven