The Farm and the Flower-Garden.

The Turnip.-This is a very important crop, the real value of which is not yet sufficiently understood, especially by those who winter stock. Those who have given it a trial will not need urging to try it again; those who have not will do well not to let the present season go by without putting in a crop of ruta bagas. The ground may be got ready at once; but we think too much stress has been laid upon early planting; we know that a good crop may be raised by planting as late as the first and second week in August. No matter how early the seed may be put in, the turnip will not grow rapidly in our arid climate till the dews of early autumn begin to fall. The Aberdeen and strap-leaved varieties may be planted as late as the first of September with the assurance of a good crop. The ground should be well manured, deeply plowed, and thoroughly harrowed. The seed may be planted in drills, two or three feet apart. When the plants are well up, and in the rough leaf, thin out the ruta bagas to the distance of a foot apart; the strap-leaved varieties may be grown closer. The thinning out is done partly by the hoe and partly by hand. It is an import

ant element in the successful culture of root crops that the weeds be destroyed while they are small. If the fly becomes troublesome, dust the plants with dry soot, ashes, etc.; to be effectual, the dusting must be repeated. It is only while the plants are quite small that the fly is destructive. A brood of chickens will destroy millions of them. We shall say something hereafter about the best method of storing the roots. In the meantime let our readers grow them.

The Farm Vegetable Garden.-There is a great want about most farms, that of a well-regulated vegetable garden. With all the material in abundance, our farmers, as a general thing, are not as well supplied with choice and delicate vegetables as the inhabitants of our cities or the denizens of our suburbs. There can be no excuse whatever for this; and no farmer, who has a proper regard for the wants, and even rights, of his family, will allow another year to pass without supplying this great desideratum. As bearing directly on this subject, we copy the following well-timed remarks from the American Agriculturist:

"We have often been greatly surprised at the general absence of a well-ordered vegetable garden in farming establishments; the more so, as it is a matter which addresses itself to the dayly necessities of the household. A few vegetables are grown here and there about the farm, and these of the most ordinary kind. A thorough reform is needed in this respect, and we hope to see it become general throughout the land. Every farmer can, almost as well as not, place on his table dayly the choicest delicacies of the season, and he ought not to feel satisfied without doing so. Let all who have not already a good vegetable garden, set apart a piece of ground for this purpose, and inclose it with a neat fence. It should have a warm exposure, be well drained, and it will pay well to trench it two or three feet in depth. If the surface soil is not so deep, it can be made so by the liberal addition of good loam; two feet in depth is none too much. Good old barn-yard manure must be used with a liberal hand: as we sow,

so shall we reap.' Divide the garden into beds of proper size, and, when practicable, edge them witn box; the beds should be large rather than small, that the ground may not be wasted by unnecessary walks. Hot-beds are very useful. As permanent fixtures, do not omit rhubarb, sea kale, and a bed of asparagus. The hot-bed frames, if provided, will furnish some nice early lettuce, radishes, cauliflower, cucumbers, etc., and will be useful in starting early cabbages, melons, etc., to be set out when the weather becomes

warm.

"In a garden prepared as above, one can grow, in great perfection, almost anything in the form of a vegetable, with proper care and skill. Some judgment will be necessary in planning a succession of crops. It is well to avoid growing the same kind of vegetable twice in succession on the same spot; but frequently two crops may be grown in one season on the same ground; for example, celery and late corn may follow early peas; turnips and late cabbage succeed lettuce and the first planting of bush beans; and experience will soon point out other examples of a similar kind. Procure none but the best seeds. It is better to buy some kinds of seed annually than to attempt to raise them, owing to their liability to become mixed; this is especially true of the melon tribe. If these are grown for seed, they must be kept widely apart. Whatever is grown, let it be of the best, and bestow sufficient care on it to bring it to the greatest perfection.

"There is a wise saying, A place for everything, and everything in its place.' Then by all means let there be a place for the vegetable garden, and every

thing in it in its place there. Growing things here and

there, and nowhere in particular, induces indifference and neglect, and begets habits at war with all system. As a general thing, farmers' tables will not be supplied with the choicest vegetable productions until they set apart a particular spot for this purpose. Land in the country can always be spared for a garden, and this can be made the most productive spot on the farm. A fair trial of a single season will demonstrate this."

The Gooseberry.This fine old fruit is considered by good housewives indispensable to the list of "preserves." We agree with them; in fact, we rather like to agree with good old housewives; they are a class of people (not very numerous now-a-days) for whom we entertain a feeling of respectful regard. May they never grow less! or what will become of us? But to return to the gooseberry. The following extract from the Agriculturist contains some new ideas in regard to preparation of soil and treatment which we have seen followed with

success:

"In England this is one of the most popular of the small fruits. The climate of that country is admirably adapted to its growth, and unusual care is bestowed upon its culture. The extraordinary specimens we read of are grown by professional gardeners, and even by mechanics, who emulate each other in competing for the special prizes offered for this favorite fruit. The plants are highly manured; comparatively few berries are left on each, and all the appliances of skill and experience are resorted to to bring them to the greatest size and perfection. It is the spirit of emulation which has elevated plant-growing to its present high standard in England, and we should be glad to see more of this feeling here.

"It must be conceded that our climate is not tho best adapted to grow the gooseberry in its greatest perfection; it is not sufficiently humid. This fact, however, instead of operating against the culture of this fine fruit, should stimulate our ingenuity and skill. Some persons love to battle with difficulties of this kind, and they are the ones who meet with success. The gooseberry would, however, soon degenerate in size at least, even in England, if submitted to the same treatment that it receives here. It shares the same neglect as the currant, but bears it less generously. Its culture, without doubt, is more difficult than the currant, and disappointment often follows our

PORTR

PEN-PORTRAIT OF THE EX-EDITOR.

ORTRAIT painters, especially if they have obtained eminence in that noble profession, need not be surprised if in passing along the street some day their own handsome profiles should salute them through the bow window of an humble member of the fraternity with a right hearty "Good morning, sir!" Sketchers need not be surprised if some owner of a goose-quill should try his hand to bring before the public gaze outline delineations of their personnel.

attempt we have chosen a great subject. There are few men who enjoy a higher, a more extensive, or better earned popularity than the REV. ABEL STEVENS. Wherever his name is met with it is always in such connection as to convey the impression that its wearer is no ordinary character. The reverend gentleman having now been before the public in the character of preacher on extraordinary occasions, as lecturer on every variety of subject, as journalist, and author, his name It must be confessed that for our first has become a "household word." But VOL. XI.-8

there are thousands to whom the name is thus familiar who never saw the man. Will such allow us to introduce our distinguished guest to them? On his part the introduction is acknowledged with a smile and the warmest cordiality.

cheeks betoken hard and intense study. combined with much physical indisposition. The nose is a model of Grecian beauty. The lower part of the chin is thin and prominent. Seldom has it been our lot to meet with so fine a pair of eyes. They are of a very dark brown, and in the repose of the countenance beam with

gence. When Mr. Stevens rises to speak he removes his glasses. It is then those "windows of the soul" begin to sparkle with a brilliancy seldom seen elsewhere. As the speaker warms up into his theme and throws out his "thoughts that breathe" in "words that burn," these "indexes of the soul" sparkle with a luster that dazzles the beholder and hearer.

The first time we saw Dr. Stevens was in New Bedford, Mass., in the June of 1845. He was fashionably, but not fop-a mild benignity and unmistakable intellipishly attired. A slight, but symmetrical form was clad in a well-fitting coat and accompaniments. When the back was turned we saw hanging from the pocket about one half of a white silk handkerchief. By the whole combined, man, garb, and movement, our attention was arrested, fixed, and fascinated. Of a friend close at our side we inquired, "Who is that?" "That," said he, "is Abel Ste"Abel Stevens!" we exclaimed. The demolished fragments of the creation of our imagination were immediately scattered to the four winds by the sudden concussion from the living, moving reality now before us.

vens.

Imagine, if you can, how we must have been taken aback in being compelled to exchange our ideal of aldermanic proportions for a "pocket edition of humanity," our venerable editor for a comparatively young man. Here, then, was the veritable Abel Stevens, the man we had long and earnestly desired to see, right before us. He is now in our sanctum, sitting for his likeness, our optics are ready, and the plate is dropped into its socket. Now, then, we hope the sun will shine clearly through our skylight, so as to enable us to present a life-like ambrotype.

It will already have been inferred that we are not to bring forth a physical giant. Dr. Stevens is rather below the medium height, with not the least tendency to corpulence. But in the absence of unusual height and redundancy, he presents a personal appearance of much more than average beauty. The good taste with which he dresses sets off his almost perfect symmetry to great advantage. In walking or standing the head maintains an erect position, and the whole form is straightened up to his full height, unless, perchance, somewhat thereof may be lost by "leaning," as Paddy would say, "t'other way."

The forehead is high, broad, and expansive, with a fullness of development seldom met with. Manifestly a giant mind is hid beneath it. The head is well, but not profusely covered with hair of a soft texture, slightly inclining to black. Whiskers of the same color cover a large portion of each cheek. Since this fashion has prevailed the two branches have been allowed a downward course until they have united together and spread themselves under the chin and about the throat.

As a preacher Mr. Stevens commenced his career while yet a mere boy. But those juvenile performances were of such a character as to preclude the necessity of the admonition from the lips of his seniors in this sacred calling, "Let no man despise thy youth." While the youth of the speaker was the attractive magnet in gathering large audiences, the astonishing eloquence, pathos, and power with which he proclaimed his heavenly message retained and augmented the wondering throng. And now that the novelty of boyishness has passed away, what else but the transcendent charm which characterizes the delivery of these discourses of an hour and a half in length retains to their close with ever increasing interest the crowds who listen to him?

We first heard the subject of this sketch at the anniversary of a missionary society. The address delivered on that occasion will not soon be forgotten, either by ourself or the hundreds then present. We hesitate not to pronounce it the finest But let us turn to the expressive part stream of platform eloquence ever poured of our subject, the head. The counteupon us. Taking into account thought, nance is oval; its deep pallor and sunken imagery, language, management of voice,

gesticulation, action, earnestness, and whatever is comprised in effective speaking, we never expect to hear its like again, unless it be from the same lips. From those same lips we may yet have a renewal of what we deem one of the most ecstatic periods of our whole life, although we have heard many of the greatest men to be found on this continent, or on the British isles, who have spoken upon this most stirring of all themes, the emancipation of the morally enslaved race of man from the tyranny of sin.

it, and now stands before you in the transparency of noon-day. All this has been done with a few well-chosen and pertinent words. The speaker resumes his seat and is soon absorbed in thought. No one rises to reply, for nothing more is needed. The chair puts the question, and a unanimous vote settles it forever. Never, perhaps, was this rare faculty more strikingly displayed than during the session of the General Conference in Pittsburgh, in the spring of 1848.

Some of your readers may perhaps re

he was suddenly and unexpectedly charged by a member with giving, through that journal, such reports of the doings of Conference as were not strictly correct. This charge upon the Eastern editor, we have said, was unexpected, and took him by surprise. But though surprised, he was not unprepared for a reply which must have astounded, and did most certainly silence his antagonist. That reply was published, and called forth the most unmeasured eulogiums of every intelligent reader. And well it might. Rarely has the senate chamber, the halls of jurisprudence, or the sanctuary, been the theater of such unanswerable logic, or such glowing eloquence. That off-hand, purely extemporaneous effort might serve as a perpetual warning for all mere pigmies not to wake up the sleeping lion. Its effect upon the intelligent body before whom it was delivered was manifested by his election to our highest denominational editorial post.

Intimation has been made that the sub-member that, as editor of Zion's Herald, ject of this sketch ranks high as a member of deliberative bodies. In this character we have had frequent opportunities of witnessing his power over other minds. The last session of the Providence Conference is the only one at which we have not seen him present. His absence at this time was occasioned by his being traveling in Europe. During the session he intrudes not himself upon our notice, as though he were the only one present capable of speaking upon the question under discussion. He speaks but little, but never to little purpose. If he rises to speak, it is frequently when some knotty question is on the tapis, and its knots have been multiplied or made more intricate by some of the previous speakers. He rises slowly, with eyes fixed upon the floor. The most nervous and impulsive, on witnessing this deliberative movement, make no attempt to gain the floor before him. In this respect there is a deference paid to him akin to that offered to venerable and distinguished rank and high official grade. Silence pervades the entire assemblage. Uni-him in this character from our pen. 'His versal attention is waked up. Every eye is riveted, every ear is open. A stranger would at once conjecture that something unusual is expected. Before rising, the speak er doffs his glasses; these on rising are held by one side of the frame between the thumb and forefinger of one hand, and are made to perform a few revolutions round the wrist. The fingers of the other hand are run a few times through the hair on the fore part and sides of the head. The chair is addressed in the most deferential manner, and the speaker plunges at once into the subject. He has seen it in all its bearings, and with all its intricacies, and will soon cause you to see it with equal clearness. The question is soon divested of all the difficulties which had surrounded

Dr. Stevens has been too long before the public as an editor to call for any notice of

late editorial post we have always considered as the most critical and difficult it was possible for our Church to assign to any of its servants. If we have come at a correct knowledge of facts, it was designed that THE NATIONAL should not, on the one hand, be so grave as to deter the unconverted from its pages; nor, on the other hand, so light and frothy as to fall under the censure of the prevailing literature of the day. Its purpose was to break the spell which binds the votaries of the fictitious trash by which our land is flooded. With these limitations on either side, would it have been possible to have found a man who could have given us a production more in character with the design of its projectors? Should pastors, parents, and guard