362 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[December, 



all they require. As to varieties, there are no poor 

 ones, and most florists have a good selection. This 

 brings us to another very ■ popular flower, the ca- 

 mellia ; one of the very easiest plants to manage, 

 but unfortunately it is generally a rather unsatis- 

 factory window-plant, from the fact of its being so 

 very conservative. It does not show any abuse at 

 the moment of affliction, and not even for months, 

 but tries to forget and start afresh, with better 

 hopes ; but alas ! it breaks down, and its appar- 

 ent fine, large buds drop off, one by one, until 

 none are left. This, in nine cases out of ten, is 

 from the plant being allowed to suffer for want of 

 water in the summer time. Those curious enough 

 to open one of the fallen buds will find generally 

 the outside of the flower quite fresh, but the center 

 is always discolored and dead, and has been for 

 months. With well-drained pots it is almost im- 

 possible to give camellias too much water in the 

 summer time ; and the same treatment and po- 

 sition as advised for azaleas will exactly suit ca- 

 mellias. As to the beauty of the camellia, every 

 lover of flowers is aware of it. They are rapidly 

 gaining favor again, and will shortly recover their 

 once great popularity ; and as there are no poor 

 varieties, it is quite easy to make a selection. 



Calla lily (Richardia Ethiopica) is another very 

 popular window-plant, and yet not very generally 

 successfully managed. Those having plants at 

 this moment will do well to keep them growing in 

 a light, sunny window ; if they have not flowered, 

 do not lose patience and set them in the back*, 

 ground; bear with them until the first of May ; 

 then find some shaded, damp corner in the gar- 

 den : in this plunge your plant over the rim of the 

 pot ; about twice a week during the summer carry 

 along with you a basin or watering-can of soapy 

 water, and give your calla. Toward the middle 

 of September dig it up, and if the pot appears too 

 small for the plant, get a pot one or two sizes 

 larger ; turn it out, and place in the larger pot 

 without breaking the roots ; then stand it in the 

 lightest sunny window. As it begins to grow, 

 give plenty of water, and often some stimulants, 

 and by Christmas, if these directions are followed, 

 you are sure to have flowers. After the flower- 

 buds are in sight, you can place the plant in a 

 very warm position without injury. 



Carnations are always favorites, and should be 

 very satisfactory plants ; they can always be had 

 established in pots in the fall. They delight in a 

 rich soil, a rather low temperature, and plenty of 

 sun. Those desiring to grow their own plants 

 should plant small ones in the open ground in 



May, in a sunny position, occasionally cutting off 

 the tops of the plants, to make them bushy, until 

 the end of July, after which they should be al- 

 lowed to grow. At the beginning of September 

 dig up carefully with ball of earth, and place in 

 pots well drained ; put in shady place, and after 

 beginning to grow, and before frost, remove into 

 the house. A few of the beautiful chrysanthe- 

 mums should be planted at the same time as the 

 carnations, and subjected to precisely the same 

 treatment, or a few can be plunged in pots and 

 watered as often as required. Those who have 

 a window should have some of this the most beau- 

 tiful of autumn flowers. 



Daphne Indica, two varieties, are most easily 

 managed, and perhaps are the most deliciously 

 perfumed winter-flowering plant we have, requir- 

 ing about the same treatment as azaleas. 



Fuchsias can be made to flower quite early in 

 the spring, and the speciosa and one or two other 

 kinds are good winter-flowering varieties. Fuch- 

 sias require good drainage, a hght, porous soil, a 

 somewhat sunny position in winter, slight shade 

 in summer, and a rather moist atmosphere. Gera- 

 niums (these are really pelargoniums, but we seem 

 to have got so used to the name geranium it is a 

 hard matter to believe any other) are for a light, 

 sunny window, where the temperature can be kept 

 about 55- to 60P : the best of all winter-flowering 

 plants, and all growers should have among their 

 collection both double and single varieties, espe- 

 cially some of the finer forms of the single kinds. 

 They are so easily managed and so continuously 

 in flower, it would seem there ought to be no 

 dearth of flowers where there are half a dozen 

 kinds of geraniums. There is often a great mis- 

 take among window gardeners, expecting to have 

 their windows gay all winter and their flower- 

 gardens gay all summer with the same plants, and 

 repeat. This cannot be done ; those plants inten- 

 ded for winter-flowering should be nicely rooted 

 plants in May, then potted into small pots and 

 plunged in the open ground, the flowers to be 

 kept picked off all summer. About the middle 

 of August they must be potted into good soil in 

 well-drained pots qf four or five inches in diame- 

 ter, placed in some spot where they will have a 

 little sun morning or evening, but not plunged 

 as before. After the middle of September take 

 them inside, in the sunniest window you have, 

 water well, and carefully turn the plants around 

 from time to time, to keep them in good shape, 

 and as the pots get full of roots, give a little 

 stimulants at least once a week, and there will be 



