Save The Leaves

' K. J. H. writcs that au old gentleman, a neighbor ut' liis; wltn hnj a Urge garden, suid to liim : "Idoii't know wbat or 'lirlli to do vvith ihem pcsky )e;ivos, they Iciver up everything, and mnkü ibings lonk kiixlcr sliiftless." Ac OtirdÍLg to our (iHservutions there are ■ dtliors who !iavc not yet learned tic, value of leavea, ]n tlieir dofire to keep tbc gtkfden mid grounds neat, tlioy put tlie fallen loavesout of siglit without a thouglit f tho value of what thoy arc throwing awsy. Leaves are useful in .two w.ays; in (heir enfire stilte as a maïühj and decomposed a a manure. I.eavci are the natural muleh. Go into the wnod in autunni aud look under the leaves ai.d you wi'l iind various soeds sprou'ing nnder thero and gettinc a sufficieut start (o enable them to winter un der t Ii is genial covering and break luto vigorouá growtli w!th the return of spring. The beautiful wild flowers which dio out when laken to the garden, are in the woods nicely tucked up under a eoverlet of leales ; they sleep warm and wake strong aud refreslied. There is 110 better winter eovering for a strawberry bod, and for herbaceous plants generally, thau a gcod coating of leaves. The great difficulty is, they wili blow nway. Tb ís may be prevenred by laying brush upon them, or giving them a íight spiinldiutr of soil. Plunts protectt-d iu this wfiy havo a eovering which wi'l ward (-ff the injunous effee's of sudden ehanges of temperature, but wil] not pack so closüly as to ondanger the health of the plant Deeomposcd leaves are valuable, aod in the forra of laaf mould are eonsidered one of tho chief forti lizers. Aside froin (lio puTó'y vegetable matter thoy oontain, the leaves h;ive also n great deal of miueral matter whirh s deposited in them during evaporation that is ourried on during tlie growiug season. 'i he mineral matter is in just that finely divided and soluble stato which niakes it ready to be again taken up by planta. Thö leaves of trees when burned, give from ten to thirty per cent, inore ashes than tlie wood of the same tree. It will be seen that leaves aro of the highest valao in the compost heap, tho 'barn-yard and the pig-stye, and he who nèglects to save them disregards the souroes of fertility whioh nature is kindly offering hira. Even thus early in autuain many leaves will fall, and the collectiou should be bo gUD and continued, and any place, large or small, will find a well sheltered pile of leaves valuablo to draw upon for muleh, for winter covering, and for uso in eqiiiil proportion with manara in hot beds. Those not ueeded for these purposes may add to the riohness of the manure heap Hv all means s.ivc the,