Mr. John Kyle, to whom the French Government, in conjunction with the Agricultural Society Of France, lately awarded a gold medal, besides a handsome prize in money, for his discovery of the cure of the vine disease, has found that the disease which has for so many years attacked the potato, is in reality the same distemper. The application of sulphur was Mr. Kyle's remedy; but as that material is expensive, he substituted quick-lime, and the result has been successful. Like the grape disease, the first manifestation of the potato distemper must be watched, as it is in its earliest stage that the application of the throwing the lime lightly on the " shaws" when the disease first appears.

Mr. Kidd, a famous English gardener, says: " The easiest, the quickest, and, above all, the most successful way of propagating verbenas, lobelias, and such like, is to fill flowerpot saucers with sand only, and to put in the cuttings as thick as they will stand, and place the saucers in a greenhouse or a parlor, or any close room where the heat is not lower than 50°; and I vouch for it, that nine hundred and ninety-nine out of a thousand will strike roots in a few days, Then let them be put into pots, boxes, handlights, or frames, etc. Only try the experiment, and 7011 will be surprised. What would yon say to this Ne Plus Ultra twenty years ago?" This is the much talked of "new mode".

This subject of rapidity in striking is attracting much attention. D. Beaton, in the next Cottage Gardener, says: "Watercress will come from cnttings on the dining-table, if yon throw pieces of it in a basin of water; and so will Mimulus. It is therefore evident that some cuttings will grow in sand in the sun, and other cuttings will grow in water out of the sun. Now mix the two systems, and yon have Mr. Kidd'a mode. He has tried it, proved it, and he is quite certain it is better and more safe, with much less care, than any other mode whatever, for Verbenas, Calceolarias, Lobelias, and a host of similar plants. Also, that one boy can put in as many cuttings as five men can make in the time. He fills a saucer one-half with white sand, and one-half with water, or makes the sandy, watery compound thick enough to hold up the cutting. If it was all water, the cuttings would fall over on one side, but it is held upright; it wants the water kept up, and the cut-tings will root rather faster than in the usual way, under the same degree of heat.

For a kitchen window, this is the best way in the world for cuttings".

A tell-tale flower-pot, which will tell when a plant in it is in want of water, is a recent invention. No more queries about how often or how much water to give to a plant. They are sold by Mr. Smith, 3 Queen's Road, Chelsea, who says: "A very important advantage in these pots is, that on account of their becoming a deeper color in proportion to their dampness, they give a clear indication of the state of the roots, which enables the attendant to regulate the watering with the greatest nicety." This "clear indication" was shown to us by one of the pots half full of water, and another empty; the dry one is of a light stone color; but the moment the water runs into its porous sides, it becomes a dark, shaded color. They are certainly handsome and well-made.

The following wash destroys both green and black aphis on flowers and fruit-trees:

Four pounds rosin, one pound soda ash, or five pounds rosin, one pound caustic potash; three and one-half gallons water. Boil them together In an old iron pot until the rosin is dissolved. If caustic soda is used, allow the dissolved rosin to settle to the bottom of the vessel; throw the supernatant mother liquor away, otherwise the rosin will not com-bine with an additional quantity of water. Add one quart of the dissolved rosin to three gallons of water, and syringe your trees or flowers with the solution, which is a rosin soup, and the effect is seen in a very short time by the disappearance of the aphis; care, however, should be taken that the solution is not too strong, otherwise the blossom buds may be destroyed as well as the aphides. The discoverer of this has successfully employed it both in his hothouses and in the open air, for several years. Let any trying the experiment for the first time, use it rather too weak than too strong. It is well known that first crop of aphides hatch from the ova with Just such a temperature as sets the sap in motion, and swells the buds; therefore, syringe as soon the buds expand, and catch the aphides without their top coats - in other words, before the leaves have unfolded themselves, and the insects have of course not had time to roll themselves up by their incessant punctures of the leaves.

By thus syringing the trees, the whole crop of aphides is killed, and the gardener then waits until the trees have blossomed, and the fruit is well set; he then gives another syringing of the trees, which keeps them in a clean condition. Adopt the same plan with roses, asters, chrysanthemums, etc, as well as plums and cherries.