iS94- 



GARDENING. 



73 



A DOZEN GOOD CHRYSANTHEMUMS 



to the plants. Except in the case of hot- 

 house foliage plants, ferns, palms and the 

 like very little shading is necessary on the 

 glass, and when it comes to carnations, 

 bouvardias, marguerites, cyclamen and 

 primroses, no shading at all is required 

 providingthe houseis a cooland airyone. 



Try to change the air in the greenhouse 

 every day. If the weather is fine and mild 

 ventilate freely; if bright but frosty ven- 

 tilate in the forenoon, a little at a time, 

 and shut up earlv. In ventilating never 

 open the sashi-s wide at once, but do so 

 gradually, an inch or so at first, then a 

 little wider once or twice at intervals as 

 the warmth and sunshine increase; and 

 shut the ventilators in the same way, be- 

 ginning quite early in the afternoon. 



Plants recently brought in from out- 

 side are apt to drop a good many of their 

 older leaves, see that these are picked and 

 removed; if they fall upon other leaves 

 they are sure to spot or rot them. 



While all fast growing plants as eallas 

 and cinerarias need lots of water, those 

 that we are sirapK' keeping alive over 

 winter as geraniums, fuchsias and cacti 

 should be watered sparingly. While it is 

 well to keep up a moist atmosphere in 

 hothouses, in cool houses and where car- 

 nations, chrysanthemums, daisies and 

 other plants are in bloom don't spill any 

 water about the floors or plants that 

 3-ou can avoid, asdamp is so troublesome 

 at this time of the vear. 



AN OBSTINATE CACTUS. 



1 liavc ahvays wondered why so much 

 has l)een written about the treatment of 



cacti while resting, and so little about 

 what to do withthem whiIegrowing;but 

 now I have discovered the reason. It is 

 because they never do anything else but 

 rest. I have had one for seven years that 

 hasn't done a blessed thing but just sit 

 still and take up shelf room. It won't 

 grow, and it is too lazy even to die. It 

 has had lots of good Lake Superior watei 

 is summer, and has been kept moderately 

 dry during winter but all to no purpose. 

 Eight ytars ago it was covered with 

 beautiful scarlet bell shaped blossoms, 

 but it retired from business immediately 

 after, evidently so satisfied with its per- 

 formance that it didn't consider it neces- 

 sary to repeat it. It can'tbe given away 

 because it is sort of an heirloom. Besides 

 nobody wants it. It is not only a thorn 

 in the flesh, it is a whole cactus plant full 

 of thorns. Carroll W. Rankl\. 



Michigan. 



Don't blame the poor cactus, it isn't its 

 fault. If it isn't too enervated already 

 give it another chance. Let it rest the 

 coming winter. Keep it in a moderately 

 cool room, rather dry (but not dust dry) 

 at the root, and perfectly dry overhead, 

 it doesn't reed sunshine but don't 

 smother it under other plants. When 

 spring comes don't try to make it .grow, 

 just let it alone, but give it a little more 

 sunshine and a little more water; jjutting 

 it to the front in an east or south-facing 

 window will answer. In May stand it 

 out on the piazza or elsewhere with your 

 other plants to inure it to outside airand 

 sunshine and keep it drv overhead. About 

 the end of .Mav when it is tlioroughlv 



"hardened off," turn it out of its pot 

 shake all the old dirt awayirom its roots 

 and plant it oiit in the garden in an open 

 but sheltered spot, and where water in 

 the event of storms or thunder showers 

 cannot lie in a puddle about it, not even 

 for a few minutes, and never let another 

 plant encroach upon it or shade it. Then 

 let it alone till August, when if it still 

 lives, it should be lifted and potted, and 

 kept slightly moist at the root but rigidly 

 dry overhead. In summer give all the 

 Lake Superior water you want to your 

 sweet peas and cannas, but not a drop to 

 the cactus, the rain from heaven is all the 

 moisture it wants or should get. 



CANNAS BY TflE WATER'S EDGE, AND IN 

 THE HOUSE. 

 My cousin has a water lily pond on the 

 edge" of which her cannas grow beauti- 

 fullj'. I have a fish pond that proved a 

 failure for fish on account of muskrats. I 

 want to make it a lily pond in the spring. 

 The ground around it is very rich and 

 cannas will grow there grandly. I got 

 eleven of the leading varieties of cannas 

 from Mr. Saul last spring and they are 

 now (October 15) blooming nicely in- 

 doors. I put the roots into small boxes 

 with as little earth as possible and 

 brought them inside, where the5' are now 

 covered with bloom; indeed, they seem to 

 fancy the move. When it gets too cold 

 to keep them without stove heat I intend 

 to cut down the tops and put the roots 

 into warmer quarters. L. G. C. 



Rockingham Co., Va. 



