358 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[DecemhvTr 



It is a pleasure to note that window gardening 

 is growing in favor much more than many liave 

 an idea of. In a recent journey of some live 

 thousand miles through our country, it was sur- 

 prising how much of this kind of gardening was 

 evident, over a lew years ago. Pittsburg, Colum- 

 bus, ("incinnati, St. Louis, Kansa.s City and Den- 

 ver were generally gay with window flowers. 

 Here, in Philadelphia, the number of people 

 who have flowers about their houses is wonder- 

 fully large to what it was over a half dozen 

 years ago. Especiallj^ is this true of hotels and 

 other public places. During the last annual ex- 

 hibition of the Pennsylvania Horticultural So- 

 ciety, quite a number of persons went into the 

 Hotel Lafayette, supposing from the large num- 

 ber of beautiful pot flo^vers about the hall-ways 

 and windows it was the great horticultural exhi- 

 bition. It is wise especially for hotels to pay 

 attention to house gardening. Many people will 

 travel in Summer who love country seats where 

 they can have gardens and flowers, and nothing 

 is more calculated to make these travelers feel 

 at home than to have nice gardens and flowers 

 for them. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



ON VARIOUS SPECIES OF FICUS. 



BY MRS. 8. E. BYEKS, HOUSTON, TEXAS. 



Ficus Parcelli, F. nitida, F. Cooperi. Each of 

 the above fruited with me for the seasons of '77, 

 '78; the Fig of the Cooperi was about an inch and a 

 quarter in diameter of an orange red color. Par- 

 celli was dark purple, small; nitida, green. Elast- 

 ica had some fruit, but without noticing them 

 I cut off" the branches to propagate. They re- 

 quire here about the same protection as Gera- 

 niums in Winter. 



ARCHBISHOP WOOD AND CUILLON MAN- 

 CELLEON GERANIUMS. 



BY MANSFIELD MILTON, CLEVELAND, OHTO. 



In the October number of the Monthly, G. J. 

 B., says "these two Geraniums are alike in habit, 

 foliage, petiole, truss and color.'* I think he has 

 got only one of the varieties; it may be he has 

 got one of them under both names, as they are suf- 

 ficiently distinct not to be mistaken the one for 

 the other, and distinct enough to be grown undei*' 

 their separate name, although you recommend' 

 adopting one name for l)oth kinds. Were I to 

 order Guillon Mangalleon from Mr. Meehan. or 

 any other nurseryman and get Archbishop Wood, 

 I would undoubtedly consider I had got quite a 

 diff'erent variety, both in habit and color of the- 

 flowers. I shall give descriptions of both kinds 

 taken from plants growing under the same treat- 

 ment and in the same house, hoping they maj' 

 assist G. J. B., in knowing which of them he has- 

 got, for I do not think he has them both. 



Guillon Mangelleon: Stem partially erect; joints 

 showing prominent nodes and leaf; scars very 

 large; leaves medium size, flat, not deeply 

 indented and faintly zoned^ flower trusses me- 

 dium size ; individual flowers large on long foot- 

 stalks ; foot-stalks of a deep chestnut hue ; upper 

 petals of flower deep scarlet ; lower petals i-osy 

 scarlet with a slight hue of purple invading the 

 center. 



Archbishop Wood, habit compact, almost 

 dwarf; branching, and of very free growth, cover- 

 ing a good space ; nodes and leaf — scars not so 

 prominent as in G. M.; leaves above medium size, 

 not flat ; serration and lobes verj' prominent, deep 

 green and very faintly zoned ; flowers large ; foot 

 stalks not colored or very slightly colored ; upper 

 petals ros}' scarlet ; lower petals of a decided pur- 

 ple shade, which invades the whole flower. 



FRUITING OF FICUS PARCELLI. 



BY W. FALCONEK, CAMBRIDGE BOTANICAL GAR- 

 DEN, 3rA&S. 



"F. B," page .'^05, October Monthly, asks if 

 the fruiting of this plant is uncommon. No. 

 Even plants in four to six inch pots fruit freely. 

 They do so here, and I have seen plants in fruit 

 at several other places. The fruits too are quite 

 pretty, being beautifully variegated, and as they 

 are about to ripen suff'used with a warm rosy 

 color. 



SEEDLING ABUTILONS AND CEREUS 

 GRANDIFLORA. 



BV J. J. U. 



In the Summer of 1877, 1 planted out in the- 

 open air, a single jjlant of Abutilon Boule de 

 Neige at least fifty j'^ards from another Abutilon.. 

 At the time of taking up the plant in the Fall, 

 I noticed a few seed pods well filled on the Boule- 

 de Neige ; these were saved and planted. From, 

 the first they were remarkably robust, and when 

 planted out this last Spring grew from three to 

 five feet in height, and were well branched, or 

 "stocky," as florists say. There were about 



