mer can gather up enough for a good sized
orchard, and make them pay compound interest, which otherwise would be a
nuisance or pitched out of the back window."

FLORICULTURE.

Gleanings by an Old Florist.

ARTIFICIAL MANURES AND OTHER MATTERS.

The successful raisers of many kinds of flowers use, more or less, some
kind of what might be called artificial stimulants other than the
ordinary manuring of the soil at the time the plant is set out, whether
it be in pot culture or in the open benches. This is no new thing under
the sun; not a few who have been in the habit, and found great results,
have tried to keep a monopoly, and have been more or less close-mouthed
in the matter. Perhaps one of the oldest forms of this feeding extra
stimulants to their pets was in the form of liquid manure made from
various materials, as horse, sheep, cow, and other manures. They are
sometimes prepared with ever so much mystery in the matter of quantity,
time of preparation, quantity given, etc., all of which was supposed to
have its influence. Of one thing, however, there was certain, tangible
evidence that many of these persons managed, if for exhibition, to carry
off the best premiums; and if for the market were pretty sure to command
the best prices, and what is more, obtain the greater results
financially.

Soot, guano, ammonia, and in later years, material obtained from the
immense slaughter-houses, such as blood and other offal in a highly
concentrated form, find, perhaps, nowadays, more advocates; principally
because the first-mentioned list contains articles that give off very
offensive odors while being applied, so that the more fastidious are
loath to use them. What may not be very offensive to the plodding
florist would be highly so to the more refined, or when the general
public comes more into contact with the crops while being so applied. In
almost all of the cases where the ingredients mentioned are used they
are diluted with a large quantity of water, except in the case of the
droppings of the animals; the latter are often used by florists in the
form of a very heavy mulch, depending upon the ordinary watering to
carry down to the roots such parts of the dressing as would dissolve in
the water, and thus give extra stimulant, and at a time when it would do
the most good, because, ordinarily, the more water necessary the greater
the growth going on, and vice versa, if plants are in a state of rest,
either from