THE FARM AND GARDEN 



overlooked until towards the end of August; 

 they were then brought up, a Jew strfigs^Uus roots 

 removed, and placed in the greenhouse, wliere 

 they at once began to grow, and without any 

 stimulants wliatever they tlowered in November 

 and are still in bloom. 



The fact that the Royal Botanical Society of 

 England has considered the subject of suitable 

 boxes for transmitting flowers by post of suffi- 

 cient importance for the deliberation of a special 

 committee, is an indication that some means 

 have been taken to remedy what has long been 

 a standing complaint among those who send and 

 receive flowers through the mails. That a suita- 

 ble vehicle for transmitting flowers and fruit by 

 post has been a desideratum is an established 

 fact, as tiie rough usage to which fragile boxes 

 are sul»Jected by post office stampers, will testify. 

 The society alluded to have come to the conclu- 

 «ion that a tin bo.x is best ; they have awarded a 

 prize to a firm who manufacture tin bo.xes for the 

 purpose, measuring 15 x 9 x 6 inches, and sell 

 them at the rate of $1.87 per dozen. The boxes 

 are said to be provided with elastic straps for 

 keeping in position damp moss, in which the 

 etalks of the flowers are inserted. By this plan, 

 flowers may be kept as fresh as gathered for a 

 couple of days or longer. Although these boxes 

 are made to hold about two pounds of cut flowers, 

 we think they could be made for less money in 

 this country. 



Please scn<l iis a club of 12 subscribers, and 

 for it receive the Farm and Garden free for 3 

 years. ^ 



General Work in the Garden. 

 Though at this season of the year there is little 

 or no work of a pressing character to be done, it 

 should be remembered that a busy time is com- 

 ing; prospectively, therefore, every operation 

 that can now be performed, should be done, by 

 way of relieving the pressure of duties in spring. 

 Trenching, digging and draining, can, of course, 

 •be done whenever the weather is open, and so 

 can the planting of shrubs and trees, in all but 

 the most unsuitable of soils, and when such work 

 as this, through stress of weather has to be post- 

 poned, there is In the flower garden, the mending 

 ■of fences and walks, the digging of gravel, man- 

 ures, soils. Not to mention the clearing out of 

 shrubberies, lopping off irregular and dead 

 branches from trees, clipping hedges and trim- 

 ming into form all shrubs that are required to 

 ■develop evenness in outline. Only by thus seek- 

 ing out, as it were, all such Jobs, and doing them 

 at this comparatively leisure period of the year, 

 ■can we hope to keep pace with the work at the 

 busy season. The preservation of neatness by 

 rolling and sweeping both turf and walks, Is 

 about the only routine duty at the present time; 

 bnt on the due performance of which, it need 

 hardly be added, depends so much the real en- 

 joyment of a garden, Get, as soon eis possible, 

 some manure prepared, ready to be applied to 

 the flower beds and borders, as soon as spring 

 flowering plants and bulbs are removed. There 

 will be plenty to do in preparing stands, boxes 

 and hanging-baskets, which can readily be made 

 at home, if economy is an object. They may be 

 repainted and varnished, stowing them away 

 when dry, where they can be kept free from dust. 

 Labels may be made and painted if required iii 

 large numbers, otherwise, they may as well be 

 bought, as they cost but about thirty cents per 

 hnndred. Sticks may also be prepared of various 

 thicknesses; paint them green, and then dry 

 them, and tie them up in bundles ready for use. 

 If you intend to have some climbers, you can' 

 readily make some wire trellises for them to gi-ow 

 on. There are various ways in which they can 

 be made. About one of the easiest is to bore 

 holes, six inches apart, through a one inch square 

 stick, of tiie desired length, and pass galvanized 

 wire through these holes in snake form. Another 

 good way is to take three or four flower stakes ol 

 the same height, and bore holes through them 

 with a gimlet the same size as your wire, at, say 

 eight inches apart, beginning about two inches 

 Irom the upper end of each stake. Then take a 

 piece of wire forty Inches long, and pass it 

 through each upper hole of the four stakes and 

 arrange them iu a circle, fastening the ends of the 

 wire together by a twist. The wire to be Inserted 

 In the second series of holes, should be about 

 thirty-four or thirty-six inches long, and for the 

 third and fourth, still less, so that the circles or 

 hoops of wire will be .smaller below than above. 



Tnis will make a good, substantial, portable 

 trellis for Clematis, Honeysuckle and Cypress 

 vines, and other climbers. This same arrange- 

 ment, made of stouter wire and of larger diam- 

 eter, makes a capital support for Paeonies, Dah- 

 lias, etc., if set right over the plants and the 

 branches fastened to it. 



By the way, all fastening of plants to stakes 

 etc., should be done with thin galvanized or cop- 

 per wire. 



THREE GEMS FROM MEXICO. 



By Jofm Thorpe, Qitfriif!, X, Y, 

 Bessera EUgans, MiUa SifUn-a, and Ot/clohothra P[ava. 



It seems so strange to know how many beauti- 

 ful plants are to be found in Mexico, and yet so 

 few adorn our gardens. There are scores of hand- 

 some flowering plants that would sui'cecd as well 

 in our summers as do the scarlet and blue Sal- 

 vias, the Dahlias — double and single, and Ag<-ra- 

 tums, that are all Mexican plants. We trust 

 now that such direct communication is estab- 

 lished between the United States and Slexico. 

 we shall have the pleasure of seeing many of its 

 floral treasures. 



The gems we now describe are comjiaratively 

 new to cultivators, but have been known to a 

 few for a number of years, and are all Mexicans. 

 Bessera Elegans is mentioned by Paxton as early 

 as 18;39, and what astonishes us Is that it has not 

 been grown by the thousand. The plant is bulb- 

 ous, the leaves are from 18 inches to 2 feet long, 

 slender and graceful ; the flower spikes are from 

 20 to 30 Inches long, according to the size of bulb 

 and vigor of plant. The flowers hang pendant, 

 like so many scarlet bells, each of which is lined 

 and striped with creamy white inside; the sta- 

 mens are of a purple blue. The combination is 

 at once striking and eflectlve beyond description. 

 We have counted .50 flowers and buds on one 

 stem, and have had strong bulbs produce 5 and 7 

 spikes. 



Milla Biflora is another elegant plant with 

 graceful, slender, grass-like leaves growing very 

 much as does the Bessera. The flowers are borne 



mostly In pairs, but sometimes only singly. 

 Then again, we have frequently seen ^ flowers, 

 on one occasion, a stem with 4 flowers. They are 

 star-shaped, about two Indies in diainelcr.of the 



fmrest alabaster white. Tlie jMials are thick and 

 eathery in texture, sweet scciitid, lasting for 

 days in water iiftir being cut. Flowering twice 

 or three times iVom strong bulbs each season. 



Cyclobothra Flava, is of the richest golden yel- 

 low. The flowers are drooping and cup-shaped. 

 The inside of each flower is furnished with nu- 

 merous dark-brown hairs, giving a very peculiar 

 and marked expression difficult to describe, and 

 resembling some of tlie Calochorti, of California. 

 It grows very freely, and is one of the most 

 unique litllr jilants we know. 



The culli\iition of each and all Is of the most 

 simple description. Given a sunny position, a 

 rich soil, and planted about the 1st of May not 

 more than three Inches deep and not less than 

 two inches, the.v are certain to flower. They re- 



quire to be taken up after flowering as soon as 

 the foliage decays and stored in a dru cellar or 

 closet where the temperature is kept at about 



fifty degrees, or they may be planted in pota 

 aliout the middle of June, plunged out of doors, 

 and brought into the greenhouse or window be- 

 fore frost to flower during November and De- 

 cember. 



The very truthful illustration so beautifully ex- 

 ecuted by Mr. Blanc, gives a very correct idea of 

 each, and of wliicli we are very proud. 



YouiHll need the Farm and Garden in the 

 spring, when you begin to garden, and ail the 

 year, and cannot afford to he without it. It costs 

 but little, and is worth ten times its cost to every 

 reader. Don't fail to send for it. The sooner 

 the better. 



SUCCESSTOdUR 



DEPARTURE 



'. SEED TRADE, belief for the people. 



■ ;; AT WHOLESALE PRICES. "IS^Xi^^^ 



ullowiug unprecedented offerl 



loiiey, we will sunA by ninil a box 



THE \ 

 Seeds at 1 



?-our door i . , __ . . ^ 

 aiii Oii.uun h.iiiiv^ free of < 



rUn bU LIO. f'ijtainiui!, llrst, irpBeket»,on()'eachro"ftb" ,„. 



[■■•w, Incl.lv iii,i,ruve,l, aud euaranwed seed»;-I>owln|f's Improved Blood 

 1 urnlp lieet, t.«t and tarliest for table use. Wll«on% Hlgfily Improved 

 i 1 1!1 *• V;" ''"}'}'<^'<^ >"'! «°<i ear 'rati good for lat? Sew Ooldea 

 •.ell.lila..el,ln«r t elerv, oscHknt „,al.,y. easllj grown; nee.ls do b.nkin? 

 ,'';• *'J'}yy <Teen I'rollfle Cueumber, best a3 cucumbers or picklei Nft 

 -|lIe""M l!,"'tn "ff"rsl:'"r"' I™;';';.'"i;''j;.'J™'l^'»iid sweet. jVew_poldea 



. .».,.„. „^„, ^ u. 11, ,.. v.... ,1. V, 1.^1 i_i , i,-.-u<ji:i , IXU1 sweet. i\ew Ivnlnt^n 



.^^Jts^':^l^;^S:^;i. THE GREAT IRON CLAD 



s^^*WATERIWIEL0N/FU'ofir''^';^-„"'e-Sy-S3 



w.^.t,-.plc7r.ud-TeiicT„:-- New Sliver BuirirBll,mV;„i;n:b;"!'°"l! 



r:-, mild ; grows S-pound omoua froiu seed. Buby Klnc Pepper, lareest. 



it, eweetest penpcr ev.r seen. Abbott's SuKur Pnranlp, eriallv Im. 



■ed variety, Ohio Sweet Potato Pumpkin, enormously producIi,"e el- 



■nt fiuality: Veppg all winter. Freneh Breakfast KadlMb, best of all 



■anv mdisbi s. White Pineapple Souash, extra quality, good for summer 



IP winfir. \ew Cardinal Tomato, larcrst and smoothest of any, WhItA 



Munich Turnip, best for table USB. SAMPLE PACKET OF 



GOLDEN BEAUTY CORN, most beautrful and nroduetlve of 



"y in.'t' ""iry. Se^nd. IT UP CTP AV RCAIITV "■'■ tarllct 



medlum-sli^e tuber of I IIC 9 I KAI DCAU I l> POVATU 

 ^_ 1 i , . , « „,„ e^-er yet ween : verv productive-, evcelleut quality, beautiful as an oil painting. 



»7 packets of seed and ij/l _/- TWO eollectionx for »1.10. FOUH for flllB BDnHneiTinU 

 "one whole potato for 01/ CTS. ,a. ThI. I» an offer never made before. OUR rROPOSITION 

 to gladden the bear! and lin^bten the way of every tiller of the soil and lover of the beaulilul baT me! with sJ.T unhiZde.l suTc'J! 

 that we renew it wKli a more teniptlnir offer, and ben^ b-f us say we gr^w these seeds by the pound bv the bosh,,l nml bv th«i 

 oere. IS PACKETS tllOK'F.ST Pl.O WER SEED.* FOK SO CENTS, one >Lh^/\^tl„^kun^\lrX,lt^ 

 Poi^ulaeeaH, Phloie^ Pun.K-», Verl.e.,n^-all lines, .train and most beautiful colors. I.orKeDiulSePn^ll.hllM??! 

 hock. New Uwurf Marlltold. extra lurgedouble Zlnnln«, bright colors. One fl„e ornamental or„.ri'f,,-„f.„JS 



"tlfal Everla-tluK Flower. IsV.kt./or 80 ctil., /wo eolTecH^^^ 



ilea 



.■lien, i.t.-«' im'Ur 



cllmblne plant. ■ -^ ■-— 



are regular size, with directions for cultivating. Our beautifully 



lettcra°i''ol''muney orders to Sfll?! U EL iWI LSUN , UESOWKu, 



"s'l?FI>"''-- — *""- ?" -'IPJ'-^S pataloi 



rayficSiliLLtpi^ill^s 



