When going home from the city market, I generally drive out an alley, and can almost always pick up a wagon load of tin cans before I get out of town ; mostly of the size in which corn and tomatoes are packed. These I throw down in some out of the way place until I have gathered together as many as I need. During the winter when not very busy we build a fire between two logs, and when we have a good bed of coals, throw on a bushel or so of cans. In a very short time the tops and bottoms drop off and the sides pop open, and with a long stick we toss them out. Some fine wire is then procured and pieces cut just long enough to make a loop to fit over the can. The sides of can should be lapped about three-fourths of an inch. The natural spring of the can will hold the wire on. The cans are all prepared in this way and stored in a shed until wanted in the spring.

About three months before it is safe to set plants in the open ground we start the plants in a hot-bed. In about six weeks the plants will be three or four inches high, when a milder hot-bed is made, and the cans set in as thick as they will stand and filled with rich soil. Into each of these cans is set one plant, where it is allowed to grow four or five weeks. When they begin to crowd they should be separated, so as to have plenty of room, and let stand until safe to plant out. When the ground is marked off, throw out a spadeful of soil where each plant is to grow, and apply a little bone-dust or other fertilizer.

Now lift the plant, can, soil and all, and set in boxes convenient to handle, and haul to the field ; set can and all into the hole, so that when the soil is drawn in, the surface will be about an inch higher than the can. Cut the wire with a nipper and lift off the can, hoe in the soil and the work is done. It is a good plan to wet the plants well before lifting from the bed. In this way I have often made a good thing off an acre of plants before others have any to sell. A good deal depends, however, upon the variety. I used to grow the Acme, but lately I have used Livingston's Beauty. - F. G. Johnson, Columbus, O.