14 



Wwms in Flower Pots. 



quire winter protection in our climate, bu» 

 the trouble of this is so small that it is 

 hardly worth mentioning. No one who has 

 seen the fine bed of roses blooming all sum- 

 mer in Mrs. Eaker's yard, at the corner of 

 Third and Ludlow streets, would begrudge 

 the small expense and trouble of protection 

 which they require. 



The secret of success in the cultivation of 

 flowers, by persons of moderate means and 

 no special skill in floriculture, is rwt to at- 

 tempt too imirji. A few varieties, well 

 chosen and carefully cultivated, will give 

 far more satisfaction than many kinds over- 

 crowded and not properly cared for. A 

 single variety, as the scarlet geranium, the 

 verbena, or the petunia, massed in a circu- 

 lar bed cut out in the turf, is very showy 

 and striking. For bouquets, a few varieties 

 will suffice. A comparatively small place 

 planted with roses, scarlet and rose gera- 

 niums, heliotrope, verbenas, feverfew, sweet 

 alyssum, lobelia and mignonette, will pro- 

 duce a bouquet every day to adorn the table 

 or present to a friend. Many of the old 

 varieties are unsurpassed for beauty and 

 sweetness, and are yet so common that they 

 can be had almost for the asking. What 

 flower can be more beautiful and fragrant 

 than the Lily of the Valley, and yet it can 

 be easily procured, and requires little or no 

 care in cultivation. One is perfectly be- 

 wildered by a florist's catalogue, and the 

 temptation is strong to multiply varieties. 

 A new flower with a high-sounding name, 

 and represented by a gorgeous picture as 

 possessing all the tints of the rainbow, is too 

 much for us. We wish to astonish our neigh- 

 bors, and buy at a high price only to find, 

 in nine cases out of ten, that the flower does 



not come up to the picture, or is unsuited 

 to our soil and climate. It is unsafe to 

 trust to big names in purchasing by cata- 

 logue, for perchance we may find that, under 

 some high-sounding name, we have bought 

 an old, and perhaps despised, acquaintanca. 

 The " bellis perennis hortensis " would turn 

 out to be the daisy ; the " amaranthus hy- 

 pocondriacus " the prince's feather; the 

 " antirrhinum majus " the snap dragon ; 

 the "cheiranthus cheiri vulgaris " the com- 

 mon wall flower, and so on. It is better to 

 purchase of our own florists, rather than go 

 abroad. We thus buy of friends and neigh- 

 bors who have a claim upon our patronage, 

 and possess the double advantage of seeing 

 what we buy and of having a responsible 

 party to look to in case of failure. 



I would not for a moment be understood 

 as undervaluing or discouraging the cultiva- 

 tion of new and costly varieties of flowers. 

 For one who has abundant means and can 

 employ a gardener, or possesses the neces- 

 sary skill himself, there can be no more de- 

 lightful or praiseworthy pursuit. He is a 

 public benefactor and worthy of thanks who 

 adds to our floral treasures, and by liberal 

 expenditure of money procures new and 

 choice flowers, not merely for his own grati- 

 fication, but that every eye may be feasted 

 with their beauty. It will be apparent to 

 all that the object of my essay has not been 

 to instruct the skillful horticulturist, or to 

 make new suggestions, but sin}ply to show 

 how any one who possesses a small piece of 

 ground, by the exercise of taste and a small 

 expenditure of money, may make it beauti- 

 ful and attractive, and enjoy, as well as his 

 rich neighbor, the lovely tints and fragrance 

 of flowers. 



"Worms in Flower Pots. — We have of- 

 ten heard ladies, and even professional gar- 

 deners, complaining of the abundance of 

 various species of worms inhabiting flower 

 pots, thereby injuring the growth of plants 

 growing therein. If a little lime is dissolved 

 ;n the water applied to the soil, nearly every 

 species of worms that ig found in such posi- 



tion will be killed, and the plants not in- 

 jured. Tobacco will also destroy most kind 

 of worms ; but lime is preferable, because it 

 aids in dissolving the plant food in the soil, 

 thereby stimulating growth. Watering the 

 plants with lime water once a week, will be 

 sufficient to kill the worms in the soil, and 

 stimulate growth. — Ex. 



