120 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



care last a great deal longer tluui many of us imagine. The acliimenes planted 

 out in pots or vases, and put beneath the shade of some overlianging tree, pre- 

 sents a beautiful appearance and does remarkably well. Mr. Knapp and I have 

 been doins: considerable in the way of <:rettino[ forei2;n varieties of plants. We 

 import the seeds and succeed in getting some novel as well as beautiful things. 

 We find we are safe in ordering anything among annuals that docs well in the 

 climate nortli of the northern }iart of France. The great ditiiculty that most 

 of us experience is tiie want of knowledge concerning the requirements of indi- 

 vidual plants, and this can come only through the school of experience — and a 

 delightful school it is in wliicli to learn these lessons. An example of the results 

 of this lack of information comes to my mind : One sends for the best bulb he 

 can obtain of Jjilinm auratum, a nice round bed is spaded up and richly 

 manured preparatory to receiving tlie bulb, and this is the last of it. No flow- 

 ers, nothing for all the labor and ])atience. Wliat can be the reason for this? 

 Why the simple fact that this bulb will not flourish in a rich soil, the prepara- 

 tion was overdone. AV'e are liable to overdo many things in the care of plants, 

 because of our anxiety to succeed admirably. 



Now just a word regarding our flower friends for winter. It is then, if ever, 

 we wish their companionship and cheerfulness. AVheu nature is at ebb tide if 

 we can have a likeness of lier best to look upon we are certainly fortunate. To 

 do this we must copy her ways, Tiiis can be done in some measure by utilizing 

 the windows of a house on the sunny sides ; but it is far better to have a little 

 bouse on purpose. I know the term greenhouse suggests great things that cost a 

 good deal of money ; but to those who are satisfied to begin in a small way the way 

 is easily provided. I built a little house 12x20 feet, heated it with flues and a coal 

 stove, at a total cost of 650. This is not very extravagant certainly, and for 

 me and my family it has been an immense success. I have been able to raise 

 almost anything, and particularly in the growing of flowering plants I could 

 not ask for much more successful effort than this. To be sure it is nicer to 

 heat with water, but this costs a good deal, and I am speaking of things we can 

 get cheaply that will bring sunshine to our gloomiest hours. 



Mr. Knapp. — I can endorse every word my friend Gibson has said in so much 

 better way than I could, but wish to add a word about tropical and foliage 

 plants. They are worthy of greater attention than is given them and they are 

 not so difficult of management as many are disposed to think, and many of 

 them I find bring me greater satisfaction than the flowering plants : I refer to 

 plants like the agaves, yuccas, dracaiuas, palms, etc. It is a great pleasure to 

 learn about these plants, and when it is generally known that they can be 

 grown and employed with fine effect in out-of-door decorations for summer, I 

 apprehend they will come to occupy a more prominent place among the plants 

 that we enjoy raising. The great mistake too often made is in thinking that 

 plants, because they are tropical, cannot receive too much sun. No greater 

 error could be made. I have spent considerable time in the climate of Florida 

 and find they are not subjected to the scorching sun that we liave here. We have 

 extremes of heat and cold, dry and wet that follow each other closely, and we 

 need to avoid these as much as possible, so that in planting out many of these 

 rare southern plants on the lawn, we need to seek shade rather than sunshine. 

 Ladies often destroy the vitality of tlieir house-plants by over-watering them, 

 soaking their roots continually when in a dormant state, after the fall in tem- 

 perature. An example of very common failure occurs to me now in the keep- 

 ing of bulbs. They as well as tube roses and caladiums, require a dry warm place 



