of Rural Art and Taste. 



215 



succeed very well with certain classes of 

 plants, such as the Fuchsia, Calla, Lobelias 

 and Ivies, and fail with other, I at once set 

 them down as being profuse waterers, who by 

 too much water injure or destroy such plants 

 as will not bear it. On the other hand there 

 are those who fail with this class of plants and 

 succeed well with others, because their mode 

 of watering does not supply enough for the 

 wants of one class, but is about the proper 

 amount for another. 



Many plants are permanently injured by 

 water remaining in the saucer ; others often 

 suffer from a bad selection of the soil. 



Some of our amateur florists fail with a 

 cei'tain class of plants, of which the Begonia 

 may be taken as a type, because they shower 

 the leaves with cold water, but for this 

 very reason are eminently successful with 

 another class, of which the Camellia will serve 

 as a type. 



As a general rule, from which there are few 

 variations, the texture of the leaf may be 

 taken as an index of their power to resist the 

 application of water. Plants having porous, 

 open or fleshy leaves covered with soft down 

 should be seldom, if ever, moistened, while 

 those having glossy or hard leaves will do all 

 the better if washed frequently. 



Our Ivies, Hoyas, and Coboeas seem to laugh 

 at us after a good dashing, but the Begonias, 

 Coleus and plants of the same class do not 

 appear to appreciate it. Horticola. 



Dielijtra Spectabilis forciug in 

 Spring. — Few plants are more useful for 

 forcing in early spring than Dielytra specta- 

 bilis, but it is seldom grown to such perfection 

 as it might be. In going round a garden 

 the other day in the neighborhood of London, 

 we observed some beautiful specimen plants 

 in the conservatory, with the flower spikes 

 growing well up over the foliage. The 

 gardener informed us that, in order to produce 

 this result, he always started his plants in a 

 dark cellar or other such structure, and when 

 the flower spikes are a certain height they 

 are gradually inured to the light, when they 

 produce their beautiful racemes of flowers a 

 good distance clear of the foliage, and the 



effect such plants have when arranged amongst 

 a collection of other plants is very charming 

 indeed. — The GardeJier's Record. 



Worms in rots — To avoid having worms 

 in pots, the amateur has only to first bake the 

 soil in an oven or over a hot fire, then rub it 

 fine, water it, and put in the plant. The 

 process of baking kills all worms or eggs 

 which might develop. For pots which already 

 contain white worms, use either lime water or 

 a weak solution of carbolic acid and water. 



Tri-Color Geraniums. — In growino- 

 these favorite plants, amateurs will need to 

 remember a few hints suggested by experience. 

 Professional gardeners have this as their creed : 



1. A good, warm greenhouse. 



2. Plenty of light. 



3. A good thrifty plant to begin with. 



In making up the earth to put them in, 

 take this as your composition : 



Turfy loam, two parts, well rotted ; cow 

 manure, one part, well rotted ; coarse sand, 

 one part. 



Mix all together by hand ; use charcoal at 

 the bottom for draining ; even dry rotten moss 

 to cover over the charcoal is useful. Plunge 

 the pots in a bed of tan or leaves (a good 

 bottom heat must be kept up constantly) ; 

 keep the bed damp, water the plants spar- 

 ingly, and neve?- allow a drop of water to 

 touch the foliage. 



This little item seems a very small matter, 

 yet, with some gardeners, it is kept as a 

 profund secret. 



The following is a good list of six varieties, 

 of different shades of color: 



1. Sophia Ihimaresque. — Broad golden 

 margin, dark crimson zone. Strong grower. 



2. Lady Cullum. — Broad rich leaf, dark 

 zone, margined with scarlet and gold. 



3. Louisa Smith. — Green foliage, margined 

 with gold, and red dark zone. 



4. Mrs. Pollock. — Fine, large green leaf, 

 overlaid by a beautiful bronze and red zone, 

 edged with red, margin golden yellow. 



5. Sunset. — Golden margin, broad dark 

 zone, shaded with scarlet. 



6. Italia Unita. — Leaves margined with 

 white, bright carmine zone. 



