The Florist.

Dear is the morning gale of spring,

And dear the autumnal eve;
But few delights can summer bring
A poet's crown to weave.

The bowers are mute, her fountains dry,
And ever Fancy's wing

Speeds from beneath her cloudless sky, To autumn or to spring.-KEBLE.

The Fuschia.

To Chili are we indebted for the original of this class of plants, which now holds so prominent a place in every collection of summer-blooming, or rather spring-blooming plants. From the wild flower of scarlet color, by well conducted hybridization, have been produced varieties no less striking in their beauty, than in the contrast with the original plant found in its native soil. For a few years past great attention has been given to the cultivation of this flower, in order to reach the maximum beauty, i. e., sepals reflexed back to the stem or tube of the flower, with a corolla well opened-to the sun.mum bonum of a fuschia. No plant is more easily cultivated, and at the same time none will better repay the little labor necessary to bring it to a state as near perfection as possible. How much do we admire a collection of this plant, strong and well grown. When in full bloom, the white sepals and rosy corolla of some, the purple corolla and crimson sepals of others, forming a lively contrast with the bright green and luxuriant growth of the graceful foliage. Till lately we were confined to two distinct classes of color in this flower, viz., the crimson sepals and purple corolla, and the white sepals and purple corolla; but recently, skilful propagators, bent on improving, with excelsior for their motto, have produced varieties with white corollas and crimson sepals. The variety is almost endless, and every florist should have the fuschia in their collection.

Geropogon.

Old Man's Beard. There is only one species of this genus, geropogon glaber, a native of Italy, and a very curious plant. It is an annual, having a smooth stem and leaves, and growing about a foot high. The flowers are flesh-colored, and expand in the form of a star only when the sun shines upon them. The seeds are very curious, and it is from them that the plant takes its English name. They should be sown in the open border in March or April, and will flower in July and August. They thrive well in any common garden soil.

Historical Origin of the Forget-me-not.

The forget-me-not is cherished and loved by all, and we think its interest may be enhanced by the following quaint little history concerning it, for which we thank Miss Agnes Strickland :-" The royal adventurer- Henry, of Lancaster-the banished, aspiring Lancaster-appears to have been the person who gave to the myosotis palustris, or forget-me-not, its emblematical and poetical meaning, by writing it, at the period of his exile, on his collar of S. S., with the initial of his mot, or watchword, Souveigne vous de moy; thus rendering it the symbol of remembrance, and, like the subsequent fatal roses of York and Lancaster, and Stuart, the lily of Bourbon, and the violet of Napoleon, a historical flower. Few of those who at parting exchange this simple touching appeal to the memory, are aware of the fact that it was first used as such by a royal Plantagenet prince, who was perhaps indebted to the agency of this mystic blossom for the crown of England. It was with his hostess, at that time wife of the Duke of Bretagne, that Henry exchanged this token of good will and remembrance."

Bonapartia Junces.

One of the most elegant plants in the stove; the foliage constitutes its beauty. It is round, like so many reeds, pointing every possible way-from the top ones, which are upright, to the lower ones, which hang over the top and all round alike. The plant never grows out of form; there is no stopping nor coaxing of any kind required. It may be grown in peat only, if it be good; but one-fourth or a third loam hurts anything of this kind. It is not prolific; the plant will throw out a side growth sometimes, but we have had one some years without its seeming to grow larger or smaller-as new leaves come the lower ones decay, and the plant seems always the same. When it blooms it is a purple spike, but there is nothing very grand in it. We like it as well without a flower as with, and it really forms a pretty object. One plant is enough in a stove; and this will be so unlike everything else, that it forms a beautiful contrast.

Dwarf Fan-Palm.

This plant is the hardiest of the palm-tribes, and it will succeed if planted out on a lawn, and very slightly protected during severe frosts. It should be grown in rich mould, well drained, and occasionally watered. When planted out on a lawn, a pit should be dug for it about two feet deep, at the bottom of which should be two or three layers of pebbles, to ensure drainage, and then the pit be filled up with sandy loam. Thus treated, and protected during severe winters by a movable frame of canvass stretched on hoops, or of basket-work, it will grow vigorously, and live many years an ornament to the garden or lawn.'. 1

The Housewife.

Stewed Duck.

A couple of young ducks will be required for this dish. Cut either down into joints and arrange them in a stewpan; pour in about three-quarters of a pint of strong cold beef-stock or gravy; let it be well cleared from scum when it begins to boil, then throw in a little salt, a rather full seasoning of cayenne, and a few strips of lemon rind. Simmer the ducks very softly for an hour, or somewhat longer. should the joints be large; then stir into the gravy a tablespoonful of flour, mixed with a wineglassful of port wine, and a dessert spoonful of lemon juice; in ten minutes after dish the stew, and send it to table instantly.

Ginger Beer.

Of white sugar take five pounds. of lemon juice a gill, of honey a quarter of a pound, of bruised ginger five of water four gallons and a half. Boil the ginger ounces, in three quarts of water for half an hour, and then add the sugar, lemon juice, honey, and the rest of the water. Strain the whole through a cloth. When the mixture is cold, add a quarter of the white of an egg, and a small teaspoonful of essence of lemon. Let it stand four days, and then bottle it. Ginger beer made in this manner, and tightly corked, will keep six months.

Wash Colors for Maps.

Yellow-gamboge dissolved in water; red-Brazil dust ste-ped in vinegar, and alum added, or litmus dissolved in water, and spirits of wine added; or cochineal steeped in water, strained, and gum arabic added. Blue-Saxon blue diluted with water, or litmus rendered blue by adding distilled vinegar. Green-distilled verdigris dissolved in water, and gum added; or sap-green dissolved in water, and alum added; or litmus rendered green, by adding prepared kali to its solution.

Adulteration of Sugar.

If brown sugar be adulterated with sand, by no means an uncommon practice with unprincipled dealers, the fraud may be detected by taking a glass full of clear water, and dissolving a quantity of the suspected sugar therein. If sand, or any similar substance, be present, it will fall to the bottom when the solution has stood some time.

How to cook Sweet Potatoes.

Boil two large sweet potatoes, rub them through a sieve, then add a piece of butter the size of an egg, a little salt, one piut of buttermilk, a teacup of sugar, a tablespoonful of cloves, and a teaspoonful of saleratus dissolved in warm water. Bake in an earthen dish; serve up cold, with cream.

Pearl Water.

Scrape a quarter of a pound of the finest Spanish oil soap, and put it into two quarts of boiling rain water; when it is cold add one pint of rectified spirit of wine, and a quarter of an ounce of spirit of rosemary. Mix the whole thoroughly, and bottle the liquid for use.

Oiled Silk.

Oiled silk is manufactured by coating it with some quick-drying boiled oil, and drying it in a warm room. Two or three successive coats are sometimes put on, each being perfectly dried in succession.

The Hair.

When the hair, after being naturally luxuriant, begins to grow thin, without actually coming out in particles. use the following receipt :-Take of extract of yellow Peruvian bark, fifteen grains; extract of rhatany root, eight grains; extract of burdock root, and oil of nutmegs (fixed), of each, two drachms; camphor dissolved with spirits of wine, fifteen grains; beef-marrow, two ounces; best olive oil, one ounce; citron juice, half a drachm; aromatic essential oil, as much as is sufficient to render it fragrant; mix, and make into an ointment. Two drachms of bergamot, and a few drops of ottar of roses, would suffice. This is to be used every morning.

Flour Paste.

To procure a good paste, wheat-flour must be made into a thin batter with cold water, and then boiled. It should be stirred all the time it is on the fire, to prevent its becoming lumpy. There is usually added to tho flour about a quarter of its weight of finely powdered resin. The addition of a few drops of oil of cloves, or of creosote, will prevent insects or mildew from attacking it. Should it become by the lapse of time too hard, it may be softened with water.

Cure for Croup.

As soon as the first symptoms are discovered, apply cold water suddenly and freely to the neck and chest with a sponge; then lay a cloth wet with cold water on the chest, and closely cover with cotton batting (nothing else will do as well), and the breath will be instantly relieved. Give the patient plenty of cold water to drink, and cover it warm in bed, and it will sleep sweetly. There is no danger of taking cold by the operation.

Boiling Fish.

Fish is exceedingly insipid, if sufficient salt is not mixed with the water in which it is boiled-about four ounces to one gallon of water is enough for small fish in general; an additional ounce, or even more, will not be too much for codfish, lobsters, etc., and salmon requires eight ounces. To render the boiled fish firm, add a little saltpetre to the salt; a quarter of an ounce is sufficient for one gallon.

How to make a good Cup of Tea.

M. Soyer recommends that, before pouring in any water, the teapot, with the tea in it, shall be placed in the oven till bot, or heated by means of a spirit lamp, or in the front of the fire (not too close, of course), and the pot then filled with boiling water. The result, he says, will be, in about a minute, a delicious cup of tea, much superior to that drawn in the ordinary way.

Adulteration of Oil of Turpentine.

If oil of turpentine be adulterated with inferior matters, it may be detected by dropping a little upon white paper, linen, or silk, and exposing these drops to a gentle heat. If pure, the whole will evaporate, without leaving any stain; if impure, a spot or mark will remain upon the paper or cloth.

Parisian Mode of roasting Apples.

Select the largest apples, scoop out the core without cutting quite through, fill the hollow with butter and fine soft sugar, let them roast in a slow oven, and serve up with the syrup.

Leg of Mutton Hams.

Select a short, thick, round leg of wether mutton about fourteen pounds' weight. Rub it thoroughly for twenty minutes with coarse sugar, and let it be twelve hours, turning it three times. Then plunge it into the following pickle, with what sugar you have on the dish:-Bay salt, half a pound; common salt, one pound; saltpetre, one pound; juniper berries, two ounces; thyme, one handful; bay-leaves, ditto; soft water, two quarts. These are to be simmered together one hour. Let the meat remain in this pickle three weeks; then take it out, but do not wipe it. It is then to be smoked; turning it frequently, sometimes shank upwards, and vice versa, for a fortnight, in a strong regular fume. When cold, put it into a calico bag, and hang it up in the kitchen until it is required to be dressed. Then bury it in the bag in a dry garden soil for eighteen or twenty hours. Take care when it is boiled to put plenty of bay-leaves, thyme and marjoram into the pot along with it.

The Hair.

When the hair grows scantily, naturally, the following lotion may be used three or four times a week, in the morning :-Eau de cologne, two ounces; tincture of cantharides, two drachms; oil of rosemary and oil of lavender, of each, ten drops.-When the hair has become thin from illness, use the following receipt:-Mix equal parts of olive oil and spirits of rosemary, add a few drops of oil of nutmeg, and anoint the head very sparingly before going to bed. When actual baldness is commencing, use the following pomade:-Macerate a drachm of powdered cantharides in an ounce of spirits of wine. Shake it well during a fortnight, and then filter. Take ten parts of this tincture and rub it with ninety parts of cold lard. Add a little essence of bergamot, or any other scent. Rub this pomade well into the head night and morning. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, this application, if continued, will restore the hair.

Economical Bread.

Only the coarse bran to be removed from the flour; of this take five pounds, and boil it in rather more than four gallons of water, so that when perfectly smooth you have three gallons and three quarts of bran water clear; with this knead fifty-six pounds of flour, adding salt and yeast in the same way and proportions as for other bread. Thus made, flour will imbibe three quarts more of branwater than of plain-so that it not only produces a more nutritious substantial food, but makes an increase of onefifth of the usual quantity of bread, which is a saving of one day's consumption out of six. The same quantity of flour which, kneaded with water, produces sixty-nine pounds eight ounces of bread, will in the above way make eighty-three pound eight ounces. When ten days old, this bread put into the oven for twenty minutes will appear quite new again.

Cocoanut Oil.

A valuable oil for ointments, for burns, etc., or to use for the toilet, entirely inodorous and clear as water, can be made in the following manner :-Grate finely the white meat of cocoanuts, and boil it half an hour in water enough to cover it four or five times, and set it by to cool. Then skim off the oil into a small vessel, whence you can pour it or skim it again to separate the water. The water still retained can be evaporated by boiling. Cocoanut oil is made on a large scale by rasping the substance fine by machinery, and then pressing out the oil, as sperm oil is pressed out, by placing the pulp in stout bags, and subjecting them to great pressure.

Making Vinegar.

Vinegar is cheaply made. To eight gallons of clear rain-water add three quarts of molasses; put into a good cask; shake well a few times, then add two or three spoonsful of good yeast-cakes. If in summer, place the casks in the sun; if in winter, near the chimney, where it may warm. In ten or fifteen days add to this liquid a sheet of brown paper, torn in strips, dipped in molasses, and good vinegar will be produced. The paper will, in this way, form what is called the "mother," or life of vinegar.

Plum Pudding.

Take half a pound of flour, half a pound of raisins stoned and chopped, and some currants washed, picked and dried; use milk enough to stir easily with a spoon; add half a pound of suet chopped fine, a teaspoonful of salt, and four well-beaten eggs; tie it in a floured cloth and boil four hours. The water must be boiling when it is put in, and continue boiling until it is done.

Adulteration of Oil of Lavender, etc.

This and other essential oils are frequently adulterated by a mixture of oil of turpentine, which may be known by dipping a little paper or rag in the oil to be tried, and holding it to the fire. The pure scented oil will first evaporate, and leave the smell of the turpentine distinguishable, if any has been mixed therewith.

To choose Fish.

The eyes should be bright, the gills of a fine clear red, the body stiff, the flesh firm, yet elastic to the touch, and the smell not disagreeable.

Toothache.

Alum reduced to an impalpable powder, two drachms; nitrous spirit of ether, seven drachms. Mix, and apply them to the tooth.

Curious Matters.

Ancient Schools.

Luther used to say that he was once whipped fourteen times in one forenoon at school. The old German schools were frightful days of barbarism. An obituary in one of their school journals, as late as 1782, contains the following singular statement of educational exertions;-" Died, Hauberle, assistant teacher in a village in Suabia. During the fifty-one years and seven months of his official life he had, by a moderate computation, inflicted 911,527 blows with a cane, 124,010 blows with a rod, 20,989 blows and raps with a ruler, 136,715 blows with the hand, 10,235 blows over the mouth, 7905 boxes on the ear, 1,115,800 raps on the head, and 22,763 notabenes (i. e., knocks,) with the Bible, catechism, singing-book and grammar. He had 777 times made boys kneel on peas, and 613 times on a three-cornered piece of wood; had made 5001 wear the jackass,' and 1707 hold the rod up; not to enumerate various more unusual punishments which he contrived on the spur of the moment. He had about three thousand expressions to scold with, of which he had found about two-thirds ready made in his native language, and the rest he had invented himself."

Queer Boots.

A pair of boots made in Norway of tanned salmon-skin were exhibited at one of the public museums of Paris. Dr. Cloquet has just startled the French Academy of Sciences by presenting to that learned body a pair of boots made of the skin of a boa constrictor, tanned by the usual methods. This novel species of leather is said to be remarkably strong and supple; and the doctor strongly advises the employment of the skins of this creature and other reptiles and fish, in place of skins usually employed in the manufacture of boots and shoes. The leather of the boots in question is of a dark brown color; the scales are on the inside, but show through its substance, forming a black pattern, which seems to have been thought handsome by the members of the Academy.

Indian Tradition.

The Mackah Indians are residents of Washington Territory. They live on whale-oil and dog-fish. They believe that, originally, mankind were animals, and that the present race were formed by a series of transformations. The Mackah tribe were a hybrid race, half dog and half Indian-the descendants of a chief. This chief being angry with his daughter, sent her and her seven children to Cape Flattery, where a magician turned them into human beings, and the present race of Mackahs are their descendants. They are covered with white hair. They also believe in the transmigration of souls, and that after death they re-appear as birds, animals or fishes.

Curious geological Fact.

In a field, situated a short distance from the point where the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is crossed by the Midland Company's railway, at Idle, near Bradford, is a considerable hill, or rising piece of ground, which has been noticed to be gradually attaining greater elevation during a period extending over the last thirty years. There are even young men who remember the field being quite level, whereas now there is a high mound near the middle of it. The cause of this singular elevation has given rise to much speculation. Some persons suppose that it is owing to the upward pressure of water in the bowels of the earth.

A Frog Story.

The Hartford Press prints the story about six ladies of Toledo swallowing live frogs daily, to cure them of consumption, and follows it up with another, e. g. :—“ A conple of gentlemen from a neighboring town, who were called to watch with a sick person who had been given over by his physicians, and apparently had but a short time to live, after some conversation relative to the improbability of stories of recovery by frogs inhaling a sick person's breath, resolved to test it. The first frog placed at the dying man's mouth was as dead as Julius Cæsar after only three or four breaths had been drawn; the second lived some time longer and died; the third lived about half an hour, and though others were applied, none of them died. The sick person immediately began to mend, and finally recovered. The parties to the transaction, who tell the story themselves, are highly respectable."

A singular African Custom.

On the west coast of Africa it is a custom with natives of position and wealth to purchase a young slave of their own sex, or sometimes to select one from among the young slaves previously in the house, and to bestow on him or her the title of "Crabbah," or "Oerah," the meaning of which is, the slave thus called is in future to be looked on as the soul, or spirit. or alter ego, of the master or mistress. These favored persons wear a chain of gold or white beads around the neck, to which is attached a large medallion of gold, to denote their rank. They are treated with great indulgence so long as they behave well. In Ashantee, the favorite "ocrahs" of the king and great men are slaughtered on the death of their masters, it being considered necessary that they should accompany them to the other world.

A golden Relic.

A gold watch, of the olden time, was recently on exhibition at Louisville, Ky. The watch was a present from General Washington to General Lafayette, and bears the following inscription on the inner case:-"G. Washington to Gilbert Mottier de Lafayette. Lord Cornwallis's capitulation, Yorktown, December 17, 1781." The watch was made in London, in 1769. It was taken to San Francisco from Paris by a Frenchman, who became embarrassed there, and sold it to the present owner for the sum of fifty dollars.

A novel Predicament.

At a wedding near Springfield, when the clergyman stretched forth his hand to implore the blessings of Heaven on the union, the groomsman supposing it was the signal for him to surrender the wedding fee, which was burning in his pocket, clapped two half dollars in the minister's hand just as he was closing his eyes in prayer. The good man hesitated a moment, appalled at the ludicrousness of his situation, but coolly deposited the money in his pocket, and proceeded with his devotion.

An Opiate-drinking Woman.

There is a woman in Bernardston, Mass., over fifty years old, who drinks one quart of laudanum and two quarts of ether per week, and has been in the habit of using these stimulants to this extent for twenty years. Sometimes she takes them separately, and sometimes mixed. She is dependent on the town for support, and the druggist's bill for the above articles is generally paid by the town. She complains of nervousness.

Curious Pebbles.

The San Francisco Alta California states that on the ocean beach of Oregon, between Port Orford and Coose Bay, the surf is continually casting up little rows of variegated stones, prettily rounded by the action of the sand and water, and exhibiting all the hues of gems. They average the size of common beans, and are generally transparent, scintillating in the sunlight with the colors of the ruby, the sapphire, the amethyst and the emerald. Sometimes a perfectly round one is found, of an amber color, and clear as glass. After a heavy gale they may be gathered by the bushel. They are only to be found along a stretch of coast about twenty miles in length. In a glass dish, partly filled with water, and placed where the sun can strike obliquely upon them, they reflect a variety of beautiful rays, and create a miniature rainbow, or a combination of light resembling one, in their effects.

Scented Diamonds.

The London Court Journal states that a great sensation has been caused amongst the principal jewellers by the introduction of a "scented diamond." The stone has recently been discovered in Ava, and has the same value as others, the same transparency and brilliancy, and the same weight; but it possesses the most extraordinary quality of emitting a very agreeable odor, under the influence of a high temperature-such, for instance, as is more frequently than agreeably felt in a ball-room.

Revolutionary Relic.

A lady has in her possession a unique and beautiful copper medal, struck by the French in honor of the American alliance during the Revolution. It is about two inches in diameter; bears on one side a fine bold head of Liberty, with the staff and cap, and on the other Minerva interposing her shield to protect an infant, representing America, against the British lion. There are appropriate mottoes in Latin, and the dates of Burgoyne's and Cornwallis's surrenders.

Very Important.

The following prophetic remarks are copied from a book of early antiquity:-"The December born are often in time for Christmas-always for New Year's. They are remarkable for being pretty darlings from the start, and grow extremely like pa as their weeks of existence become months. Their birthday will always come late in the year, unless they die before the natal day arrives."

Fulfilment of a Dream.

Mr. Paschal dreamed on the 30th of October that his dend sister came to him in Pontotoc county, Mississippi, and told him that she would come for him in a month. On November 30th he died; and the neighbors who were present assert that at the moment a whirlwind nearly carried off the roof of the house..

A Curiosity.

A petrified fish, over sixteen feet in length, and very perfectly preserved, its scales and fins being distinctly marked, has been taken from the coal mine at Blue Mound, Kansas. Its species has not been determined but is much larger than any fish now found in the Kansas rivers.

A new Stimulant.

The decoction of the leaves of the coca, a Peruvian erythoxylon, is exciting attention as possessing a peculiar stimulating power. These leaves chewed in moderate doses of from four to six grains excite the nervous system, and enable those who use them to make great muscular exertion, and to resist the effects of an unhealthy climate, imparting a sense of cheerfulness and happiness. In larger doses coca would occasion fever, hallucination, delirium. Its exciting power over the heart is twice that of coffee, four times that of tea. The Indians of Bolivia and Peru travel four days at a time without taking food, their only provision consisting in a little bag of coca. It is regularly given to the men who work in the silver mines.

Extraordinary Fortitude resulting in Death. Mr. Mease, of Hutton Kudby, England, had his arm dreadfully mangled by the machinery in his own mill, recently. Allowing no one to go home to tell his wife of the accident, he calmly concealed his arm, and walked home himself, afraid the shock to his partner would be as serious as the accident to himself. He walked into the house in his usual calm manner, took down a book, and commenced reading it for a minute or two, and then gradually broke the matter to his wife. By-and-by surgical assistance was procured, and Mr. Mease bore up with his pain until the operation was performed, when he fell into a deep swoon and soon after expired.

A valuable Relic.

The compass which was used by Roger Williams in his journey when banished from Massachusetts is, or was recently, in the possession of Mrs. Harriet Brown, of Providence. It is made of brass, nearly three inches in diameter, containing the needle, and a point exhibiting the points of the compass. On the top is fastened a small sun-dial. With this Williams directed his steps through the wilderness and snows of winter in 1637, suffering from the intense cold and constant hunger. The little relic has been remarkably well preserved, and was used in a recent survey of the burial-ground of the Williams family.

A man almost killed by a Corpse.

A gentleman recently visited the hospital in Downieville, California, to witness a post-mortem examination. He consented to assist the steward to bring the subject down stairs. He took the feet, and holding them one in each hand, started down the stairs, the steward following with the head end. The man stumbled and his hands came down. The legs of the dead man spread and shut again, clamping his neck, and he fell to the bottom of the stairs, fainting, bestridden by the corpse. It required all the restoratives in the institution to bring him to.