EDITOR'S EDITORIAL CHIT- CHAT . FLOWERS IN THE PARLOR.-When we call to mind some friend, who is always successful with her parlor flowers, and whose plants are strong and healthy, we may be sure she has conquered success by energetic devotion to her pets. She has discovered that it is no easy thing to grow flowers or plants in the vitiated air of a close room. She will tell you that her first thought was for a proper location ; her object being to obtain for her favorites the greatest possible amount of air and sunshine. An castern or southern window is the best; but if either is not to be had, then chose the one that will admit the most sunlight. The temperature of the room, in which your flowers and plants are, should never fall below forty or forty-five degrees. The heat should be afforded by an open fire, or an air-tight stove, on which should be constantly kept a pan of water. The gas from a furnace is always injurious to delicate plants; but if furnace-heat is the only kind possible, provide for moisture by evaporation. Plants suffer most, and oftenest decay, from a scarcity of light and an excess of heat. Ventilation must be attended to, also. Plants crave the air as much as our human lungs do-it is vital to their growth ; but care must be taken never to raise a window upon your plants in cold weather. The washing ofthe plants must be done frequently; their pores are liable to be stopped up by dirt, which must be washed off at least once a week. Tepid water is the best, and, if they are very dirty, weak soap-suds are best. But never wet the flowers of a plant- water always injures them; nor allow drops of water to stand on the leaves in the sunshine. Let watering always be done with a fine-nosed wateringpot ; where a pitcher or cup is used, it is liable to disturb the earth about the roots. Let it be done regularly once a day, and in the morning ; and let the temperature of the water be the same as that of the atmosphere of the room. Neither let the soil become entirely dry nor sodden with moisture. Use the common flower-pots : light-colored ones are best, being more porous than the dark ones. Discard all glazed, china, glass, or fancy-painted pots, unless to set the earthenware ones inside of. In planting, always fill the lower inch of the pot with broken potsherds, to secure drainage; then fill in the earth firmly, and securely establish the plant. Plants should always be repotted when their roots touch the bottom or sides. In repotting always use fresh, rich soil. To protect your flowers from insects and worms, use tobacco-smoke and warm soap-suds. The mealy bug is to be searched for and killed. Be careful to remove all dead leaves and branches The time to prune, if you are obliged to prune at all, is when your knife is sharpest. THE LARGE CIRCULATION, which " Peterson's Magazine" has had for several years, is greatly increased for 1867. For several years, no other monthly periodical whatever has printed and sold so many copies as " Peterson." This is easily accounted for, however. "Peterson" gives more for the money, and of a better quality, than any other ladies' magazine. We are contented to make no more out of a large edition than others do out of a small one ; and hence are able to present our subscribers with better engravings, better fashions, better stories, better everything.
TABLE . THE PRINCESS DAGMAR'S MARRIAGE.-The writer of this, when in Paris, last fall, saw many of the dresses which were to be worn at the marriage of the Princess Dagmar, then about to be wedded to the heir of the Czar. We have since read a full description of them as they were worn at the ceremony. The bride's own dress was of the richest silver cloth, and over it the Princess wore a manteau de cour of ruby velvet, bordered with ermine; this train was of immense length, and was borne by four chamberlains . a coronet of diamonds, with a cross in the center, formed the head-dress. The Empress of Russia wore a magnificent dress of cloth of gold, trimmed with bands of cerise velvet, which bands were almost concealed by the diamonds with which they were studded. The court train was cloth of gold to match the dress ; the sleeves of the dress were long and very wide ; a diamond diadem, ofthe form called " Imperial," completed this most magnificent costume. The French Ambassador's wife wore a brocaded orange and gold train, bordered with the most costly Russian sable ; the dress was profusely ornamented with diamonds. The Grand Duchess Maria de Leuchtenberg outshone all others with diamonds, for she was literally covered with them. Her dress was white, and the front of the skirt was trimmed with three rows of magnificent brilliants ; a grecque ofbrilliants replaced the berthe usually worn round the bodice, and a bouquet of diamonds was fastened to the riviere which encircled her throat. This bouquet was so large that it concealed her shoulders. The prettiest woman at the ceremony, however, was the Princess Dagmar. She is said to be even prettier than her sister, the Princess of Wales, who, by-the-by, is the prettiest woman we saw in England. FASHIONS IN CRINOLINE.- It is the fashion now, as our readers know, to wear small crinolines. Some ladies go without any, imitating, in this respect, the English; but this is not the proper style, and is rejected here, as well as in Paris, by every woman of taste. The prettiest and best crinoline now worn is the " new Invisible Empress Trail," just introduced by J. W. Bradley, the well-known manufacturer of the popular " Duplex Eliptic Skirt." This new crinoline is especially adapted to the present fashion of short dresses, and measures two and three-quarters and three yards in circumference at the bottom. We hope, for sanitary reasons, that crinolines will always be worn ; but we are glad to see them reduced, at least, to proper dimensions; and of all the crinolines we have seen, the best is the new pattern. THE EMPRESS OF FRANCE, it is said, wore the most splendid dress, at the recent fete at Compiegne, which she ever wore. It was ordered from Lyons expressly for the occasion, and cost one hundred and forty dollars, in gold, per yard. The material was ruby-colored velvet, brocaded with gold. The Empress wore it with a low bodice, and ornamented with gold lace. NOT TO DRESS WELL is to do one's self a real injustice . It is not necessary to spend much money in order to dress well. What is wanted is taste and a knowledge of the latest styles. It is astonishing on how little money a Parisian manages to dress; and yet no women in the world are better dressed than the Parisians.
THE FASHIONABLE COLORS, this winter, are a sort of NEVER LOSE YOUR TEMPER.-It is one of the few things bronzed maroon; a new blue called the " Bismark Blue ;" for which there is no excuse. and a dark green christened the " Corinth Green." 154
