AND HORTICULTURIST. 



361 



sun heat ; and we may say a slight variation for a 

 few hours at a time will not be injurious, should 

 the temperature rise or fall. 



First on our list are begonias. These embrace 

 several distinct characteristics. The shrubby 

 flowering species, generally with bright, clean 

 leaves, give general satisfaction, and if properly 

 watered and placed where they can have a little 

 sun, flower persistently the whole of the winter ; 

 such as Saundersoni, Hybrida multiflora, Wel- 

 toniensis, Semperflorens, the brilliant Rubra and 

 Insignis should be included in a limited collection. 

 These do not include nearly all of this section, 

 but are easily managed. Another class of be- 

 gonias are the Rex type, with beautiful marked 

 leaves of all shades of green and silvery-white. 

 These require a rather shady position and a moist 

 atmosphere ; in fact, they must have a "good de- 

 gree of moisture atmospherically or they are un- 

 satisfactory. They are impatient if subjected to 

 too much water at the roots, or too much dust. 



Caladiums, with many-colored, spotted, striped 

 and mottled leaves, are very handsome plants for 

 summer, and can be started in small pots in March 

 in the warmest corner, re-potted as they grow into 

 pots of four or five inches in diameter, and by the 

 time other plants have to be removed out of doors 

 these will be fine objects all summer. 



Coleus and Achyranthus are splendid plants for 

 very warm rooms. Strong tops can be easily 

 rooted from plants growing outside, by the mid- 

 dle of August, taken inside before any chilly 

 nights come, re-potted into necessary sized pots, 

 and kept well supplied with water. They are 

 among the best plants for winter, and are not at 

 all costly. 



Crotons have not as yet been employed for win- 

 dow plants to the extent they deserve. Their 

 richly-marked leaves, elegant forms and variable 

 shapes are always attractive. They delight in rich 

 soil, a high temperature and moderate light : 

 should be frequently cleansed, either by sprink- 

 ling, bathing or sponging ; they may either be kept 

 inside all summer, or after the ist of June they 

 may be plunged in some shady, warm corner out- 

 side, until September. Any. straggling shoots 

 should be pinched or cut off from time to time, 

 thus producing a bushy growth. The varieties 

 Interruptum, Irregulare, Variegatum and Pictum 

 are among the cheapest and best. 



Dracaenas are well-known elegant plants, easily 

 managed. The varieties Terminalis, Guilfoylei, 

 Cooperi and Amabilis are grown in great numbers 

 for window plants, and if they are treated as ad- 



vised for crotons they will give the same satisfac- 

 tory results. 



Ferns are numerous, succeeding in the shadiest 

 windows, requiring but little attention, and al- 

 ways graceful and cheering. They must be kept 

 well supplied with water, occasionally bathed or 

 syringed ; in the summer time plunged out of 

 doors in some shady, damp spot, and in Septem- 

 ber, before bringing in again, should be re-potted ; 

 this is about all the cultivation required. A few- 

 beautiful varieties are Adiantums cuneatum, Far- 

 leyense, gracillimum and trapeziforme, Davallia 

 tenuifolia, Lomaria gibba, Microlepia hirta cris- 

 tata, Nephrolepsis davallioides furcans and Pteris 

 Cretica albo lineata, not forgetting a few varieties 

 of Selaginellas or Lycopodiums. 



The Ficus elastica or India-rubber tree is well 

 known, and might almost be called the indestruc- 

 tible plant. With its bold and leathery leaves, its 

 free and noble carriage, it bids defiance to dust 

 and smoke alike, providing always it has plenty to 

 drink, with occasional stimulants added. 



Palms are the aristocracy among foliage plants, 



mostly very easy to manage, requiring a good 



deal of water and not necessarily very large pots ; 



; thriving well in a partially shaded window, to be 



frequently washed overhead, and can always be 



placed outside under partial shade in summer 



time. A few fine kinds are Arecalutescens, Cary- 



ota urens, Cocos Weddelliana, Latania borbonica, 



and Oreodoxa regia. They can be used for va- 



Lrious purposes of table decoration, and not neces- 



I sarily taken out of doors if desirable for windows 



in the summer. 



In our second section we have a more extended 

 list of flowering plants, and not so large a list of 

 fine foliage plants. Beginning with abutilons 

 (often called flowering maples), we have a class of 

 elegant free-flowering winter-blooming plants, em- 

 bracing pure white, yellow, orange and deep red 

 flowers ; thriving in a partially shaded window, 

 adapting themselves to any mode of training, 

 plunged out of doors in the summer time, re-potted 

 I in August. They can be trimmed into either 

 I standard or any other form, and will flower con- 

 tinuously. 



Azaleas are very beautiful, easily managed, but 

 rather impatient if subjected to a dry atmosphere 

 or allowed to get dry ; in fact, they should never 

 be allowed to get dry at the roots, either winter or 

 summer. A frequent bath, immersing plant and 

 pot, is a safeguard against drought and otherwise 

 beneficial. A partially shaded window and a 

 shady spot in the summer will give them about 



