of Rural Art and Taste. 



77 



suspend the ball of moss therein. The roots 

 will soon commence to grow, and afterwards 

 the moss should not quite reach the water, 

 as the roots will extend down into it and 

 prove all sufficient. So many very beautiful 

 varieties of Ivy are now in cultivation that 

 by selecting kinds that will form a decided 

 contrast in shape and color the effect will 

 be sensibly heightened. The center of the 

 vase may be filled with cut flowers or grasses, 

 or, indeed, nothing would look better than 

 ferns. The Ivy may be allowed to hang 

 down over the sides of the vase in graceful 

 festoons, or else trained over and around 

 the window, thus making a room appear 

 cheerful and pleasant all winter long. It is 

 not necessary, and, in fact, I do not believe 

 it will grow as well in the strong light as 

 when in a partially shaded position, as the 

 Ivy loves shade and an even, cool atmos- 

 phere. I have known instances where Ivy 

 has been grown in large tubs and trained up 

 a stairway, thus forming a mass of green 

 foliage from the hall below to the floor 

 above. Used in any way, as fancy directs, 

 it is unexcelled as a house plant." 



A. Parlor Windotv Garden. 



In our parlor window I have at present 

 a delightful garden, consisting of a new 

 green-leaved Myrtle in the center, on each 

 side of which is placed a plant of India-rub- 

 ber tree, and between these and the sides of 

 the window two pretty plants of Veronica 

 Imperialis, bearing respectively eight and 

 twelve expanded spikes of beautiful purple 

 flowers. In front, next the glass, I have 

 two elegent little plants of Acacia Lopkantha, 

 and on either side a potful of Roman Hya- 

 cinths ; then two nicely variegated-leaved 

 silver tricolor Pelargoniums, and two pots, 

 each containing four Due Van Thol Tulips, 

 similarly placed. In each corner is a pot- 

 ful of Ferns, Pteris serrulata and Adian- 

 tum Cuneatum. The whole is set in a frame- 

 work of Jasminum Nudijlorum trained up 

 both sides of the interior of the window ; 

 two branches being introduced from a plant 

 grown outside, through apertures made 

 purposely for them. They are laden with 

 flowers in even greater profusion than the 

 shoots outside, and they come into flower a 



fortnight earlier. The surface soil of the 

 Myrtle, Veronica and Acacia pots is covered 

 with Club Moss [Selagiiiella Kraussiana), 

 intermingled with some seedling Ferns. — 

 The Garden. 



A Parlor Floti'er Jiox. 



A device for holding easily a large num- 

 ber of window plants is thus mentioned by 

 Forest and Stream : 



Among the not expensive window gardens 

 we may name a device we used in our own 

 sitting-room, which we called an "adoptive 

 case " as we made it a receptacle to receive 

 our flower pots, and our experiment not 

 being patented, and not beyond the con- 

 structive genius of the village carpenter, of 

 course any one who chooses can have one 

 made to order. Our window shelf being 

 six inches only in width, we had a box made 

 that would just fit into our window, of the 

 following dimensions : The length of the 

 box was three feet, the depth fourteen 

 inches, and the width fourteen inches. Into 

 this box we had a zinc pan placed, made so 

 it would just fit the inside of four inches in 

 depth. This box was to receive a drainage 

 of surplus water from the plants, had a hole 

 to draw off dirty or surplus water from the 

 end, and was stopped with a wooden stop- 

 per. A box of this kind, properly made 

 and attended to, would not need drawing off 

 perhaps during a winter, and I am speaking 

 of the winter treatment of plants now. 



Having placed the zinc pan within the 

 box, fill the same with tolerably small bits 

 of broken crock until it is even with the 

 top of the pan ; then cover the top of this 

 pan with a thin piece of board (pasteboard 

 will do), in which holes are bored, and then 

 place your composition of earth for your 

 plants ; set out your plants, choosing those 

 of any of the species you may wish, and at 

 once commence your study and treatment 

 of the same. With such a simple box as 

 this you may grow not only our native 

 American ferns, but add to them from time 

 to time, as your progress in knowledge 

 increases. 



