GUNPOWDER MADE BY A MONK AT COLOGNE A.D. 1330.

208. WITLINGS OCCASIONALLY GAIN A REPUTATION in society; but nothing is more insipid and in worse taste than their conceited harangues and self-sufficient air.

209. IT IS A COMMON IDEA that the art of writing and the art of conversation are one; this is a great mistake. A man of genius may be a very dull talker.

210. THE TWO GRAND MODES of making your conversation interesting, are to enliven it by recitals calculated to affect and impress your hearers, and to intersperse it with anecdotes and smart things. Rivasol was a master in the latter mode.

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you may be writing to your most inti mate friend three or four times a day.

215. WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY IN YOUR LETTER, say as plainly as possible, as if you were speaking: this is the best rule. Do not revert three or four times to one circumstance, but finish as you go on.

216. LET YOUR SIGNATURE be written as plainly as possible (many mistakes will be avoided, especially in writing to strangers), and without any flourishes, as these do not add in any way to the harmony of your letter. We have seen signatures that have been almost impossible to decipher, being a mere mass of strokes, without any form to indicate letters. This is done chiefly by the ignorant, and would lead one to suppose that they were ashamed of signing what they had written.

chiefly prevalent amongst young ladies.)

218. IF YOU WRITE TO A STRANGER for information, or on your own business, be sure to send a stamped envelope with your address plainly written; this will not fail to procure you an answer.

211. Composition.-If you would write to any purpose, you must be perfectly free from without, in the first place, and yet more free from within. Give yourself the natural rein; think 217. Do NOT CROSS YOUR LETTERS: on no pattern, no patron, no paper, no surely paper is cheap enough now to press, no public: think on nothing, but admit of your using an extra half-sheet, follow your own impulses. Give your-in case of necessity. (This practice is self as you are, what you are, and how you see it. Every man sees with his own eyes, or does not see at all. This is incontrovertibly true. Bring out what you have. If you have nothing, be an honest beggar rather than a respectable thief. Great care and attention should be devoted to epistolary correspondence, as nothing exhibits want of taste and judgment so much as a slovenly letter. Since the establishment of the penny postage it is recognized as a rule that all letters should be prepaid; indeed, many persons make a point of never taking in an unpaid letter. The following hints may be worthy of attention :

:

212. ALWAYS PUT A STAMP on your envelope, at the top of the right-hand

corner.

213. LET THE DIRECTION be written very plain; this will save the postman trouble, and facilitate business by preventing mistakes.

214. AT THE HEAD OF YOUR LETTER, in the right-hand corner, put your address in full, with the day of the month underneath; do not omit this, though

219. IF YOU ARE NOT A GOOD WRITER it is advisable to use the best ink, paper, and pens, as, though they may not alter the character of your handwriting, yet they will assist to make your writing look better.

220. THE PAPER on which you write should be clean, and neatly folded.

221. THERE SHOULD NOT BE STAINS on the envelope; if otherwise, it is only an indication of your own slovenliness.

222. CARE must be taken in giving titled persons, to whom you write, their proper designations.

223. To those who Write for

the Press. - It would be a great favour to editors and printers, should those who write for the press observe the following rules. They are reasonable, and correspondents will regard them as such:-i. Write with black

GLASS FIRST BROUGHT TO ENGLAND A.D. 663.

GLASS MANUFACTURED IN ENGLAND A.D. 1457.

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FLOWERS OF THE Plant out seedling pinks. Sow onions for spring plantation, carrots, spinach, and Spanish radishes in warm spots. Earth up celery. House potatoes and edible bulbs. Gather pickling cucumbers. Make tulip and mushroom beds.

235. JUNE. MONTH.-Water-lily and Honeysuckle. 236. GARDENING OPERATIONS. Sow giant stocks to flower next spring. Slip myrtles to strike, and lay pinks, carnations, roses, and evergreens. Plant annuals in borders, and auriculas in shady places. Sow kidney beans, pumpkins, cucumbers for pickling, and (late in the month) endive and lettuces. Plant out cucumbers, marrows, leeks, celery, brocoli, cauliflowers, savoys, and seedlings, and plants propagated by slips. Earth up potatoes, &c. Cut herbs for drying when in flower.

237. JULY. - FLOWERS OF THE MONTH.-Rose and Carnation.

243. OCTOBER.-FLOWERS OF THE MONTH.-China-aster, Holly, and Ivy. 244. GARDENING OPERATIONS. Sow rose-tree seeds and fruit stones, also larkspurs and the hardier annuals to stand the winter, also hyacinths and smooth bulbs in pots and glasses. Plant young trees, cuttings of jasmine, honeysuckle, and evergreens. Sow mignonette for pots in winter. Plant cabbages, &c., for spring. Cut down asparagus, separate roots of daisies, irises, &c. Trench, drain, and manure.

238. GARDENING OPERATIONS. Part auricula and polyanthus roots. Take up summer bulbs as they go out 245. NOVEMBER.-FLOWERS OF THE of flower, and plant saffron crocus and MONTH.-Laurestine and Wych Hazel. autumn bulbs. Gather seeds. Clip 246. GARDENING OPERATIONS. evergreen borders and hedges, strike Sow sweet peas for an early crop. Take myrtle slips under glasses. Net fruit up dahlia roots. Complete beds for trees. Finish budding by the end of asparagus and artichokes. Plant dried the month. Head down espaliers. Sow roots of border. flowers, daisies, &c. early dwarf cabbages to plant out in Take potted mignonette indoors. Set October for spring; also endive, onions, strawberries. Sow peas, leeks, beans, kidney beans for late crop, and turnips. and radishes. Plant rhubarb in rows. Plant celery, endive, lettuces, cabbages, Prune hardy trees, and plant stocks of leeks, strawberries, and cauliflowers. fruit trees. Store carrots, &c. Shelter Stick peas. Tie up salads. Earth from frost where it may be required. celery. Take up onions, &c., for drying. Plant shrubs for forcing. Continue to 239. AUGUST.-FLOWERS OF THE trench and manure vacant ground. MONTH.-Harebell and Mallow.

247. DECEMBER.-FLOWERS OF THE MONTH.-Cyclamen and Winter Aconite. (Holly berries are now available for floral decoration.)

248. GARDENING OPERATIONS. Continue in open weather to prepare vacant ground for spring, and to protect plants from frost. Cover bulbous roots with matting. Dress flower borders. Prepare forcing ground for cucumbers, and force asparagus and seakale. Plant gooseberry, currant, apple, and pear trees. Roll grass-plats if the season be mild and not too wet. Prepare poles, stakes, pea-sticks, &c., for spring.

249. KITCHEN GARDEN. - This is one of the most important parts of general domestic economy, whenever the situation of a house will permit a family

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PRINTING BROUGHT TO ENGLAND BY CAXTON A.D. 1471.

to avail themselves of its assistance in 250. Artificial Mushroom aid of butcher's bills. It is, indeed, Beds.-Mushrooms may be grown in much to be regretted that small plots of pots, boxes, or hampers. Each box may ground, in the immediate vicinity of the be three feet long, one and a half metropolis more especially, are too often broad, and seven inches in depth. Let frittered away into shrubberies and baby each box be half filled with horse-dung gardens, when they might more use- from the stables (the fresher the better, fully be employed in raising vegetables and if wet, to be dried for three or four for the family, during the week-day days before it is put into the boxes); residence in town, than wasting their the dung is to be well beat down in the sweetness on the smoky air in all the box. After the second or third day, if pride of lilac, hollyhock, and bachelor's any heat has arisen amongst the dung, buttons, to be merely smelled to by the break each spawn brick into three parts whole immigrating household on the day as equally as possible, then lay the of rest. With a little care and attention, pieces about four inches apart upon the a kitchen garden, though small, might surface of the dung in the box; here be rendered not only useful, but, in they are to lie for six days, when it fact, as ornamental as a modern grass will probably be found that the side of carpet; and the same expense incurred the spawn next to the dung has begun to make the ground a labyrinth of to run in the dung below; then add sweets, might suffice to render it agree- one and a half inch more of fresh dung able to the palate as well as to the olfac- on the top of the spawn in the box, and tory nerves, and that even without beat it down as formerly. In the offending the most delicate optics. It course of a fortnight, when you find is only in accordance with our plan to that the spawn has run through the give the hint, and to record such novel dung, the box will be ready to receive points as may facilitate the proposed the mould on the top; this mould must arrangement. It is one objection to the be two and a half inches deep, well adoption of a kitchen garden in front of beat down, and the surface made quite the dwelling, or in sight of the family even. In the space of five or six weeks apartments, that its very nature makes the mushrooms will begin to come up; it rather an eyesore than otherwise at if then the mould seems dry, give a all seasons. This, however, is an objec- gentle watering with lukewarm water. tion that may be readily got over by a The box will continue to produce from little attention to neatness and good six weeks to two months, if duly order, whilst the plants themselves, if attended to by giving a little water judiciously attended to, and the bor- when dry, for they need neither light ders sown or planted with ranunculus, nor free air. If cut as button mushpolyanthus, mignonette, &c., in suc- rooms each box will yield from twentyeession, will really be ornamental; but four to forty-eight pints, according to then, in cutting the plants for use, the the season and other circumstances. business must be done neatly-all use- They may be kept in dry dark cellars, or less leaves cleared from the ground, the any other places where the frost will roots no longer wanted taken up, and not reach them. And by preparing in the ravages of insects must be guarded succession of boxes, mushrooms may against by sedulous extirpation. It be had all the year through.-They will also be found a great improvement, may be grown without the dung, and where space will admit of it, to surround be of a finer flavour. Take a little the beds with neat espaliers, with fruit straw, and lay it carefully in the trees, or even gooseberry and currant bottom of the mushroom-box, about bushes, trained along them, instead of an inch thick, or rather more. Then these being suffered to grow in a state take some of the spawn bricks and of ragged wildness. break them down-each brick into about

TOBACCO BROUGHT TO ENGLAND FROM VIRGINIA A.D. 1583.

79

your while to search for them in your walks, and bring them home, taking care to handle them tenderly, for although they have neither the will nor the power to injure you, a very little rough treatment will injure them; no cucumber or melon frame should be without one or two.-Glenny's Gardening for Children.

ten pieces, and lay the fragments on which they may retire from the burnthe straw, as close to each other as theying heat of the sun. If you have none will lie. Cover them up with mould in your garden, it will be quite worth three and a half inches deep, and well pressed down. When the surface appears dry, give a little tepid water, as directed for the last way of raising them; but this method needs about double the quantity of water that the former does, owing to having no moisture in the bottom, while the other has the dung. The mushrooms will begin to start in a month or five weeks, sometimes sooner, sometimes later, according to the heat of the place where the boxes are situated. The spawn bricks may be obtained from seedsmen, or be collected from meadows.

251. Dwarf Plants. Take a cutting of the plant you wish to dwarf -say a myrtle, for instance and having set it in a pot, wait until you are satisfied that it has taken root; then take a cutting from it, and place it in a miniature flower pot, taking care to fill it more than three parts with fine sand, the remainder with mould. Put it under a glass on the chimney-piece, or in any warm place, and give it very small quantities of water.

252. To clear Rose Trees from Blight. Take sulphur and tobacco dust in equal quantities, and strew it over the trees of a morning when the dew is on them. The insects will disappear in a few days. The trees should then be syringed with a decoction of elder leaves.

255. Slugs and Snails are great enemies to every kind of garden plant, whether flower or vegetable; they wander in the night to feed, and return at daylight to their haunts: the shortest and surest direction is, "Rise early, catch them, and kill them." If you are an early riser, you may cut them off from their day retreats, or you may lay cabbage leaves about the ground, especially on the beds which they frequent. Every morning examine these leaves, and you will find a great many taking refuge beneath: if they plague you very much, search for their retreat, which you can find by their slimy track, and hunt there for them day by day; lime and salt are very annoying to snails and slugs; a pinch of salt kills them, and they will not touch fresh lime; it is a common practice to sprinkle lime over young crops, and along the edges of beds, about rows of peas and beans, lettuces and other vegetables; but when it has been on the ground some days, or has been moistened by rain, it loses its strength.

253. To prevent Mildew on all sorts of Trees.-The best preventive 256. Trap for Snails.-Snails are against mildew is to keep the plant sub-particularly fond of bran; if a little is ject to it occasionally syringed with a decoction of elder leaves, which will prevent the fungus growing on them.

spread on the ground, and covered over with a few cabbage-leaves or tiles, they will congregate under them in great numbers, and by examining them every morning, and destroying them, their numbers will be materially decreased.

254. Toads are among the best friends the gardener has; for they live almost exclusively on the most destructive kinds of vermin. Unsightly, there- 257. Grubs on orchard trees, and fore, though they may be, they should gooseberry and currant bushes, will on all accounts be encouraged; they sometimes be sufficiently numerous should never be touched nor molested to spoil a crop; but if a bonfire be in any way; on the contrary, places of made with dry sticks and weeds on the shelter should be made for them, to windward side of the orchard, so that