Although January, and in some of the States, months before anything can practically be done in the flower-garden, yet it is not too soon to be thinking over and sketching out plans for forming the flower-beds, and arranging on paper the position of plants. In our present number we give some sketches, and shall be happy to receive from any amateur a sketch or sketches, on which, if agreeable to the designer, we will make our comments.

Seeking New Places. At this season of the year, we always find more or less people that are desirous of changing their present location, either because of its un-healthiness, or from a wish to engage in a different line of pursuit. Sometimes these changes are beneficial, but too often they prove the truth of the old adage, "A rolling stone gathers no moss."

To any one about to engage in growing vegetables or small fruit for a market, a near point to the market he proposes to supply, and a light, warm, easily-worked, yet good soil, are two requisites to success. The grower of apples, pears, grapes, etc., may be at any distance from market, where he can command location, free comparatively, from early and late frosts. Distance and costs of transportation are often more than balanced in the price of lands, and yet oftener in the certainty of crop from year to year.

A visit, a short time since, paid to some of our Connecticut and Massachusetts men, brought to our mind their troubles with field mice. We found on every hand that each tree, grapevine, or choice plant, had been carefully prepared for the winter, by forming around its base a little mound of earth. We saw quite large orchards broken and irregular from missing trees, and were told it was all from mice girdling them in winter.

We suggested to them, and do so here, wrapping the crown of the tree with strong coal tar paper, letting it into the ground four inches, or thereabout, and extending up one foot. An application of this will last several years, and is certainly less trouble and expense than the yearly mounding up.

Hyacinths in water for window winter flowering should have the bulb placed so, that its base only can touch the water; and for the first two weeks, either place the glass in a dark room, or wrap around it a wrapper of some dark shade of paper. After the roots have started Well, take off the paper wrapper, draw the bulb from the glass, and emptying out the water, cleanse the glass, and replace with fresh soft rain water; replace again the bulb, and set the glass where it will have plenty of light, air, and warmth. If possible, never let the temperature of a room in which hyacinths are growing in glasses, go below 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

Our Southern, and indeed our Middle States fruit-growers will find their raspberry, currant, and gooseberry plants to succeed best when the ground has an inclination to the North. Mulching is also even more requisite to production of good raspberries in the South than in our Northern States. Keep the roots cool and moist, not wet, and any tolerable soil will grow good fruit of the raspberry, gooseberry, or currant.

In planning for your purchases of trees or vines for spring planting, it is our belief you will always gain by purchasing the best. One really good, healthy, well-rooted tree or vine is worth three or more second or third class.

Plants in pots, and kept in the windows or on shelves of rooms heated by air tight stoves or hot air furnaces, should have the pot in which they are growing plunged inside that of another, with the intermediate space of three-quarters to an inch filled up with fine moss, and this moss kept all the time damp.