of limxd Art and Tade. 



197 



outside during summer and for rooms about 

 Christmas ; it is one of the most common 

 plants seen in the squares and gardens of 

 London, being about the only evergreen 

 which can live in the city smoke. This plant 

 is also quite hardy in England, at least it 

 is only injured in such a winter as '60 and 

 '61, when many of the native trees were 

 killed. It is only of late years that the full 

 beauty of this plant was developed by the 

 introduction of the male variety ; by planting 

 this in proximity to the original plants, which 

 were all females, the plants fruited, and 

 were covered with its beautiful coral-colored 

 berries ; this was a great improvement to the 

 English shrubberies, but as the plant is not 

 hardy in this country, is no use for permanent 

 decoration outside here, but for winter gi-een- 

 house decoration it is a charming plant, and 

 after the berries are set, it can be turned 

 outside for the summer grower. In the form 

 of a standard, three or four feet in height, it 

 is very beautiful and covered with its bright 

 red fruit was much admired by all our 

 visitors in the winter. A few standard round- 

 headed plants are always an improvement to 

 the furnishing of a greenhouse, either in fruits 

 or flowers, and when better known, this plant 

 will be as generally grown in this country as 

 it is in Europe. 



Epij)1ifiUuin both in baskets and pots 

 should be kept in full sun in the greenhouse 

 to induce a free growth for winter flowering. 

 These are essentially amateur plants, not 

 suffering so readily as many others if neg- 

 lected for a time for water, and few plants 

 make so much show in the winter with so 

 little trouble. 



Othonna cr/issif'oHa is a plant which 

 increases in our estimation on better ac- 

 quaintance. It is an admirable basket plant, 

 and flowers all the year. Some may object 

 to the yellow color of the flowers, but we 

 consider a few yellow flowers indispensable in 

 general decoration, although we would not 

 go the length of advocating the use of Alla- 

 manda Schotti flowers in hand bouquets, 

 which a disappointed exhibitor once did at a 

 flower show at which we acted as a judge. 



Winter Flowerluff Hegonias will re- 

 quire shifting into larger pots as soon as 

 small pots are well filled with roots, and the 

 tall growing varieties should have stakes and 

 a few tics to prevent them falling into each 

 other. The foliage varieties, if large plants 

 are required, should have good soil and an 

 occasional watering with manure water when 

 the pots are well filled with roots. To bring 

 out the color well in the foliage of these 

 varieties, the plants require shade and a 

 moderate close house. These plants grow 

 very well planted partially under the shade 

 of stage and also among ferns, when shade is 

 necessary for the other plants, although we 

 have seen some fair results with foliage begonias 

 jjlanted outside in a shady position ; but these 

 plants should not be watered over the foliage, 

 it frequently causes the leaves to rot off and 

 also to decay in spots, which spoils the beauty 

 of the plants. 



Dirfij Flower Pots should be looked up 

 at this season ; many are unoccupied and 

 should be washed on wet days or other spare 

 time, and placed away in the various sizes to 

 be ready for use when required in the autumn. 

 The pot bill is always a very serious item in 

 the expenses of a large garden, for with the 

 best care a number is continually broken, 

 especially when, as often is the case, the pots 

 and pans are thrown in a heap in some 

 corner when empty, so that every time one is 

 required a portion of the heap has to be 

 sorted over to find the size required. We do 

 not advocate stowing away under stages in 

 greenhouses if there is any other place at 

 liberty, the pots being about as ornamental 

 as a collection of old boots and shoes would 

 be in the same place ; but if it is necessary to 

 store under stages, first wash them thoroughly 

 and place them away tidy in the various sizes, 

 where they are not specially unsightly. 



Shade — Plants under glass generally will 

 require shade of some kind during the hottest 

 part of the year. When a whole house requires 

 shade it is best to have coarse canvas tacked 

 on rollers to run up and down as required, 

 but when a part only is shaded, we find noth- 

 ing better than thin lime-wash brushed on the 



