moss in which each tuber is enveloped, and transferred to the vases or baskets. If they are intended to remain in flower where planted, the moss may be dispensed with, but otherwise the treatment is the same.

The plants should be kept in the dark until they begin to show flower, which will be when the spikes are about six inches long. The boxes or pots may then be removed, and the plants gradually inured to the sunlight, when the leaves will become a beautiful green.

Occasional waterings with tepid water are to be given, as the plants when once fairly started into growth must on no account be allowed to become dry.

Other plants of the nature of the Lily of the Valley, such as the various species of Convallaria, Dielytra, Uvularia, Sanguinaria or Bloodroot, may be forced by similar treatment.

HEPATICA.

The different varieties of Hepatica (Squirrel Cups) may

be forced as directed for Polyanthus.

Some of the double

varieties, with their lovely red and blue flowers, beautifully imbricated, are among the most desirable flowers for forcing, a pot of any of them being a mass of bloom for

several weeks. They are also among the earliest spring flowers in the open border.

Soil, rich loam and leaf mould.

Any of our hardy flowering shrubs may be forced for the conservatory with very little trouble. Late in the autumn, before the ground freezes, take up plants of the desired kinds with a ball of earth, and either pot them, or set them away in a cool, dry cellar.

When wanted for flower, bring them into the light and heat of the conservatory, potting those put into the cellar; water freely, and in a few weeks they will be a mass of bloom.

The most suitable plants for this purpose are the early blooming spring shrubs, such as Weigela rosea, Deutzia gracilis, Spirea prunifolia, &c.

Treatment.

PLEASANT summer pastime, in our climate, is balcony gardening. In England, very pretty winter gardens are fitted up in the balconies by a collection of fine evergreens,

such as variegated Hollies, Laurestinus, Acuba Japonica, &c.; but none of these withstand our winter.

In England, they never have such burn

ing sun and such icy cold as we expe

rience; such sudden changes of temperature as occur in our climate are unknown, and many of the inhabitants of our green-houses are there hardy plants. It is not the winter's cold which kills many of our plants, it is the sun. The plant is frozen hard by a zero night; at morning, the sun comes out warm, and, while the air around may be cold, the plant is thawed; at night, it is again frozen; then thawed. Is it strange the plant dies? Therefore it is that many plants will grow and thrive on the north side of your house, which, on the south, are winter-killed. The remedy is simple: protect from the winter's sun, and your plants will not be winter-killed.

In this climate a pretty display of green may be kept up

on a balcony in winter, by a lot of small, hardy evergreens, such as white and pitch pine, hemlock, and spruce; but even these, on a sunny exposure, grow dingy and suffer; therefore we say, balcony gardening must be a summer pastime.

The balcony should face the south or east, so as to obtain the morning sun; there are few flowers which succeed in the shade.

Now, we may either grow our plants in pots, or fit up the balcony with neat boxes; but in either case the outside of them must not be exposed to the direct rays of the sun; it would heat and parch the earth so nothing would succeed. A good way to prevent this is to make a board lining round the inside, and fill a space of three inches with straw, tan, or moss, between the outside and your boxes. Fill your boxes with a rich soil, composed of one part loam, two parts leaf mould, two parts decomposed manure. Put an inch of "crocks," or broken pots, in the bottom, to secure drainage, and have a few augur holes in the bottom of each box to allow the surplus water to drain off. Now, the boxes being all prepared, and the season the first of May, what shall be planted?

Yet first, do not plant too much; you have only a balcony,