Some time since a good lady, fond of plants, and a good gardener besides, called the writer into her very successful little greenhouse, and somewhat in this wise did she lecture him : " I don't know that you have so written it, but all the books I get hold of tell me never to keep saucers of water standing under the pots - now what do you think of these plants?" They certainly were charming specimens of robust health, rivaling the lady herself in this respect - and the writer received a smiling acknowledgment of the comp-ment offered. "Now, you see, I keep a saucer under each pot, and I always have water in the saucer. In the winter when 1 want the plants to look fresh and green, I put a little guano, or some other rich food in the saucers, and sometimes I put water quite hot. And yet you - pardon me - your writing class positively condemn the practice." And when we come to think of it, why should we condemn saucers under pot plants, and water in the saucers? As the lady says, authors do condemn the practice, but, after all, why? A plant with all its roots in water will not thrive unless it is an aquatic plant. Hence water must run rapidly away from the upper portion of the roots.

What is called the drainage is to accomplish this, and so long as the water runs rapidly through the earth into the saucer, it is all good culture requires.

Plant growers have much trouble from insects, the little diminutive red spider especially, the work of which is often not known until the injury is done. It can readily be detected by a small pocket lens, which every plant grower ought to have. For a few plants in a window an occasional sponging of the leaves with water in which a little tobacco has been decocted is about the best thing. In a plant cabinet, tobacco dust - snuff - scattered over damp leaves is very good, but it does not reach the under surface of leaves. Water heated to 1300 is very effectual, and an occasional syringing at this temperature will keep down all insects, and is much preferable to the filthy smoke and horrible compounds so often recommended.