236 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[August, 



have been great improvements made in form, 

 color and habit. One of the best we have seen 

 was sent to us by Mess. Vihiiorin, of Paris, and 

 of which Ave give an ilkistration. They call it the 



Paris GilUflower. We are iwt sure that this 

 special kind is offered by our seedsmen, but it 

 could be inquired for, with instructions to send 

 other good kinds if that one was not on hand. 



The whole family of Wall-flowere and Gilliflow- 

 ers, or "Stocks," as they are sometimes called, 

 are capital things to try one's skill on as plant 

 cultivators. A poorly-grown stock is still a good 

 thing to have, but a well-grown plant is charm- 

 ing. Horticultural societies should offer pre- 

 miums for such things as these. 



Royal Patronage of Cut Flowers. — The 

 Gardener's Oiroyiicle says: "The floral decora- 

 tion at the Guildhall on the occasion of the re- 

 ception of the Prince of Wales was entrasted to 

 Mr. B. S. Williams, of HoUoway, who also sup- 

 plied the bouquet presented to the Princess, 200 

 other bouquets for the ladies, and 350 " button- 

 holes " for the gentlemen. The Princess' bou- 

 quet consisted principally of Phalfenopsis grandi- 

 flora, Odontoglossum Alexandra?, Vandas, &c. 

 Between thirty and forty van-loads of decorative 

 plants, such as Tree Ferns, Azaleas, Palms and 

 Orchids, were required on the occasion. The 

 ball-room and the approaches to it were decora- 

 ted by Mr. Wills." 



To Prevent Hyacinths having Short Stems. 

 —Get some stout brown paper and cut it into 

 squares of a suitable size, and then roll them up 

 into funnels similar in form to the pointed bags 

 in which grocers put moist sugar. They should 

 be from six to nine inches long, and as soon as 

 rolled into shape pasted up tlie edge to keep 

 them firm; if for plants in pots, the base of the 



funnel should be large enough to go over the 

 bulb and a portion of the soil ; if for glasses, it 

 should fit the outside of the upper rim of the 

 glass. The pointed end should be cut off, so that 

 when placed over the plants, the light will come 

 in at the top only ; the flower-stem will rise up 

 rapidly to reach it, and as soon as it is as long as 

 you desire, take off the funnel and allow it to 

 Woom. After a little practice with this method, 

 you will be able to grow them all of a height, 

 which very much enhances their beauty where 

 a number of them are arranged in a window. — 

 Gardener's Magazine. 



QUERIES. 



Flowering of the Hoya Garnosa.— Mrs. C. 

 C. P.,Aledo, Mercer Co., 111., asks, "Can you tell 

 me how to flower the wax plant (Hoya)? I can 

 make it grow like a bad weed, but cannot, as yet, 

 make it bloom. Or must it have a certain age to 

 bloom? If you can give me a hint in your ex- 

 cellent magazine perhaps others will be as 

 thankful as I know I shall." 



[Set it out in the full sun during summer. It 

 will in all probability flower freely after that. — 

 Ed. G. M.] 



Killing the Mealy Bug. — A correspondent 

 sends the enclosed and asks our opinion. 



" For exterminating mealy bug, writes a cor- 

 respondent in the Rural Neir-Yorker, I have 

 never found anything so good as alcohol; or even 

 common high-])roof whisky will do. With a 

 small soft brush one can soon clean the bugs 

 from a hundred plants, no matter how badly in- 

 fested. Dip the brush into the alconol, and then 

 let a drop or two fall upon a cluster of mealy 

 Imgs, and they will disappear. There are some 

 very delicate kinds of plants which the alcohol 

 will injure if used too freely ; but there is not 

 much danger in its application to the ordinary 

 kinds'cultivated in greenhouses." 

 ^^ We believe it is good advice. At any rate try 

 a little first, and if effective, and no injury re- 

 sults, use it extensivelv. 



NEW PLANTS. 



Xew Double Zonale Pelargonium Wonder- 

 ful. — ]\rr. Geo. Smith, of Hornsey, London, who 

 raised this variety, says it is remarkable for the 

 persistency with which it retains its petals, the 

 unusually large size of its trusses, as well as the 



