i8g6. 



GARDENING. 



227 



about twelve inches of leaf mould and 

 sand in the bottom. Chinese primroses 

 were fine. At the last potting of them 6- 

 inch pots are used, about two inches of 

 finely broken pots are used as drainage, 

 and the soil is composed of well-rotted 

 stable manure, loam and sand in about 

 equal parts. The finer varieties of Dutch 

 hyacinths are grown in pots, one bulb 

 to a 5-inch pot. .\long the backs ot 

 the benches are plants of Begonia rubra, 

 5 feet high, loade 1 with flowers, among 

 these are arranged Harrisii lilies and in 

 front of these are cinerarias with flowers 

 three inches in diameter. The cinerarias 

 are grown from the seedling to the flow- 

 ering stage in a sunny house to which air 

 is admitted plentifully whenever the 

 weather will permit it, fire heat is only 

 given to keep frost out. The result is fine 

 stubby well-bloomed plants. They are 

 never allowed to get potbound, or very 

 dry; quite a large quantity of manure is 

 used in the soil. Other plantsin full flower 

 are imantophyllums with large umbels of 

 showy scarlet flowers. Some plants of 

 the sweet-scented Daphne odorata are 

 still in bloom, but this plant seems to 

 have a struggle for existence in the green- 

 houses, but out of doors it is one of our 

 most satisfactory shrubs, still I doubt its 

 hardiness where the winters are more 

 severe. 



Among the many orchids in bloom are 

 large specimens of Dendrohium nobile 

 hanging from the roof among baskets of 

 ferns. 



Among the best abutilons in bloom 

 Golden Fleece, canary yellow; Splendens, 

 red, and Snowdrift, white, are very satis- 

 factory kinds. For an edging to benches 

 the variegated variety called Eclipse 

 mixed in with the variegated trailing 

 vinca and plants of the grass called 

 Isolepis gracilis make a pretty combina- 

 tion. Canna Souv. d'Antoine Crozy has 

 behaved exceeded well as a winter bloom- 

 ing plant, the crowns were started in 

 boxes in the fall, and when large enough, 

 transferred to 6-inch pots in which they 

 are flowering. During the period of 

 growth thej' were fully exposed to the sun 

 in a warm house until the flowers began 

 to open, when they were taken to a cooler 

 place. The plants are about 2I/2 feet high; 

 the flowers are very large, scarlet, with 

 an irregular band of yellow around the 

 margins of the petals. ImpatiensSultani, 

 where a little heat can be given it. is I 

 think, one of our best winter blooming 

 plants, the best results are had from seed- 

 lings, as they make a larger growth than 

 cuttings before coming into flower. It is 

 an equally good thing for the summer 

 border, where it seeds freely; a pinch of 

 seed can be sown the latterpart of Aug- 

 ust or earlier and grown on. Another 

 good thing treated in the same wav is 

 Browallia elata. G. W. 6. 



Washington. 



CyCflS REVOLUTfl WON'T GROW. 



T. J., Western Massachusetts, writes; 

 "Two years ago I purchased a Cycas 

 rcvoluta (a large plant for a 5-inch pot). 

 It has failed to make growth for two 

 seasons. I repotted it a year ago, and 

 while the roots looked fresh and thrifty 

 the plant failed to grow last season. Can 

 anything be done except to give time?" 



Ans. If the roots are in good condition 

 the top is sure to grow, but it often 

 hai)pens that cycads will onlj- throw up 

 a head of leaveseverv second vear. Don't 

 force it. 



Forcing P.tjonies.— I have a fine red 

 pfEony now in bloom; it has three open 

 flovi-crs in a 10-inch pot. The root was 



be treated to secure the best results 

 forcing next season? 



Ans. Keep it growing and in good 

 vigorous condition as long as possible. 

 When properly hardened off' it may be 

 planted or plunaed out of doors, but not 

 in a hot dry place. While peonies, if not 

 rushed in very early, may force fairly 

 well a second year, it is much better to 

 force them one year, then plant them out 

 to rest and grow for another year, then 

 lift and force them the succeeding one. 



IWy BULB8 ffND OTHER PLANTS. 



1 am not a gardener, but a busy busi- 

 ness man. I have a small old-fashioned 

 lean-to greenhouse 12x24- feet, which I 

 have run the past three y«nrs as a pleas- 

 ant relief from business cares. I do not 

 pretend to much knowledge in the garden- 

 er's art, but as I enjoy the limited time I 

 have to devote to the care of my plants 

 I naturally have fair success with a good 

 portion of them. 



As to bulbs, I am yet a student in their 

 culture. My observation, however, 

 teaches me that to secure good results 

 we should not bring them into heat too 

 soon or grow them in a high temperature. 

 I pot my bulbs, hyacinths, tulips, nar- 

 cissus, etc., in moist soil in October and 

 November, cover them with about an 

 inch of sand, and set them in a trench in 

 a cool moist cellar, and as coal ashes are 

 more abundant with me than sand I then 

 cover them with three and four inches of 

 this material. I do not bring them into 

 heat until they have made three to five 

 inches of growth, say from the middle of 

 January to the last of February. When 

 brought up the layer of loose sand 

 enables me to shake off" the sticky coal 

 ashes, and thus leave the surface of the 

 soil with clean presentable appearance. 

 Many of my hyacinths when brought up 

 this winter had the flower head developed 

 to the size of a small hen's egg, while the 

 leaves were but little taller. When un- 

 covered I set them in a shady place for a 

 few days, or until the foliage darkens, 

 when they are exposed to the full light of 

 my 1-ather dark greenhouse. The tem- 

 perature of my house is kept at about 

 60° by day (without sun and 65° to 75" 

 with sun) and at about 50° by night. 



I reserve for home and store decoration 

 a portion only of what I bring into 

 bloom, sending to mA' neighbors and 

 friends the greater portion of what I 

 raise, as I receive more enjoyment in 

 watching their development than in re- 

 taining them after they are in bloom. 



I now (March 20) have in perfectfon a 

 pot of Parrot tulips — the first I have 

 grown — they are grand, rivaling the 

 orchid, I wonder this bulb is not oftener 

 forced. 



My results with lilies (Z..//arr/s//) this 

 season differs from what it was in former 

 seasons. In previous years I had large 

 bulbs and grew them in a vep- moist at- 

 mosphere, at about 65° by day witho«t 

 sun. The result was a grow*h of seven 

 to nine feet in height with eight to 

 thirteen blossoms to a stock. This season 

 with medium sized bulbs, a temperature 

 of 5° lower and with a much less moist 

 atmosphere my plants are up four to five 

 feet in height and carry but four to seven 

 buds. I think the size of bulbs does not 

 wholly account for the inferior results, 

 but that the difference in conditions of 

 growth is partly accountable. 



I have two pots of Cypripedium specta- 

 hile with six and eight growths. From 

 the stronger of these growths I expect to 

 see flower bud appear. Should the weaker 



stalks be cut out to throw strength into 

 the larger growths? 



[Not necessarily unless crowded. But 

 it any of the growths are quite weak 

 they should be cut out. — Ed.] 



A year ago last fall I planted a bed of 

 liaeonies. The prepared ground settled 

 more than I expected, and as a conse- 

 <iuence I find the plants will be some three 

 inches below usual depth when the bed is 

 properly graded. Will the plants stand 

 this extra covering of soil? 



[If the crowns are strong flowering 

 ones, they will come up all right through 

 three inches deep of covering, but if any 

 are weak we would pry them up a little 

 with a fork. It is well to have them a 

 couple of inches beneath the surface, for 

 as years pass by the crowns will rise up 

 to the surface.— Ed.] 



Will the cosmos bloom in October 

 whether planted in February, March or 

 May? 



[Yes, it makes no difference. The same 

 thing is common in chrysanthemums, it 

 doesn't matter whether one raises them 

 from cuttings put in in January or May , the 

 ])lants will bloom at the same time next 

 ( )ctobcr or November.— Ed.] 



PALM, OXflLIS, CyCLflMEN flS flOUSB PLANTS. 



The little palm Cocos Weddeliana 

 makes a dainty centerpiece for the dining 

 table, the plants growing to a height of 

 12 to 30 inches or more. Place the pot 

 in a small silver pan and cover the top 

 with moss. This will conserve the mois- 

 ture. It will look well all winter and 

 need less care than a fern pan. 



The Bermuda buttercup oxalis (O. 

 cernua) is a strong grower and bears on 

 stifl!" steins clusters of bright golden yellow 

 fragrant flowers. It is a free bloomer 

 and makes a sunny spot in the room 

 when in flower. 



I have a cyclamen in my sitting room 

 at the present time that has been bloom- 

 ing for four months. The plant is IS or 

 20 inches in diameter, and is crowned 

 with a mass of more than fifty rosy pink 

 flowers. It requires plenty of water and 

 a sunny window to stand in. Sprinkle 

 the leaves and flowers as well as giving 

 the roots water. When it has done 

 flowering dry the bulbs off" very gradually, 

 let it remain in the pot dry during the 

 summer until August, then pot again in 

 vcrv light soil and start it for the coming 

 winter. Potted at that time it should be 

 in flower for Christmas. S. M. T. 



THE POINSBTTlfl flS fl WINDOW PLANT. 



As requested, I will tell how I treat the 

 poinsettia. A neighbor who had been 

 unsuccessful in his treatment gave me one 

 that looked like a dried stick. I set it in 

 the ground in a 6-inch pot at the north- 

 east comer of the house, where it re- 

 mained until time to bring in plants in 

 the fall. It showed no signs of life until 

 July. I repotted it when I brought it in 

 and set the pot in a flower table with 

 dirt packed around it. The red leaves (or 

 flowers) opened about the first of Novem- 

 ber and continued brilliant until April. 

 Last June I cut it back and started slips, 

 which I found easy to do by letting them 

 lay two or three days until the cut end 

 dried oft", then set in pots which I placed 

 in a shallow box and packed dirt around 

 the pots. I kept them in my out door 

 nursery wliere they were shaded bv vines. 

 In the fall I repotted them. Out of four- 

 teen slips eleven grew nicely, and what I 

 now (March 20) have are very showy 

 and will probably remain so until some- 

 time in April. I make a free use of bone 



