Although plunging pot plants is an old practice, yet in our wanderings we frequently find amateurs, and even professional gardeners, who permit their pots of plants to stand out exposed to the dry hot air of summer and into the chill nights of autumn without a thought of the effect such alternations in temperature have upon the foliage. Some gardeners use for plunging their pots spent tan bark, others sawdust, while we confess a preference for clean sandy loam. In forming our plunging bed for the season, we bed the bottom with flat stones, place our pots, and fill around and among them with our sandy loam, always, by the way, keeping our level with the surrounding surface, and having a good drainage from under our flat stones. It is only necessary to make a trial of the plunging system for one season to convince any one of its advantages in health and vigor of plants, over the too common practice of leaving the pots exposed to changes of temperature, moisture, etc., etc.

Liquid Manures, soap-suds, wash, etc., •applied once a week to dahlias, roses, etc., will cause them to grow vigorously and double the size and beauty of their blooms. Be careful in applying not to wet the foliage, but make a little trench around each plant, pour in the liquid, and afterward fill up again with dry earth.