of Rural Art and Ta^te. 



309 



Window Garden Notes. 



BV HORTICOLA. 



Cnllas.—OwQ of my lady correspondents 

 complain very much of her Calla Lily which 

 "grows vigorously but produces no flowers, 

 and has not had any for two years." With- 

 out asking any questions, I venture the asser- 

 tion that the trouble is not in the bulb as she 

 sujjposes, but is in her mode of caring for 

 the plant. She probably waters it regularly 

 the whole year, and thus keeps up a constant 

 growth which effectually prevents bloom. 

 All bulbs must have a season of rest in order 

 to produce fine bloom, but her lily gets none. 

 It is too late to remedy the trouble so as to 

 obtain the winter or spring which she desires, 

 but we would suggest the following treatment 

 for next season. About the last of May or 

 early in June turn the pot on its side under 

 a tree, and, if possible, forget it entirely, 

 until the last of August or first of September, 

 when she may place it on her shelf and 

 supply water gradually at first, and as the 

 leaves increase, more liberally; if sunniier 

 bloom is wanted, let the rest be in the winter. 



Han<fiit<j Baskets. —Msiay readers are, 

 no doubt, in a state of doubt as to what plants 

 to select for their winter hanging baskets and 

 vases. For this purpose we would strongly re- 

 commend the finer Tropreolums. None are much 

 better than the T. Lobbiaman and T. Schulzii, 

 though I have had good success with T. pere- 

 grinum. One trouble with these plants is, 

 that with many they lose all their beauty 

 when their owners find they are nothing but 

 Nasturtions. These plants need a free supply 

 of water, and do best in large baskets where 

 the roots have room. A large basket or 

 vase may be well filled by a plant, each of 

 Thunbergia Aurantiaca, Tropaeolum Lobbi- 

 anum. Convolvulus Mauritanicus and Scy- 

 panthus Elegans. Some would like to add a 

 Barclayana, but we find it too delicate to 

 struggle with those which we have named. 



rot Flowers.— M'duy of those who attempt 



the raising of flowers in pots, make a fatal mis- 

 take at the very foundation, in the selecting of 

 the soil. Many use a soil which is too compact 

 to allow water to pass freely through it, and the 

 plants soon become "water logged." The soil 

 should be porous enough to admit of the 

 free passage of water, and yet not so open as 

 to dry up. A jjile composed of equal parts 

 of partially decayed sods, manure and wood 

 loam, will, when thoroughly decayed, make 

 the best possible soil for pots. If sods and 

 manure are used, garden soil may do, but 

 most of it contains most too much clay ; this 

 may be counteracted by using sand. The 

 soil must allow the water to pass freely 

 through it, and too much should not be 

 applied at one time ; little and often is the 

 safest rule. 



After another season's trial, I can strongly 

 endorse the use of a single plant of Passiflora 

 in a large vase or pot, the vine to be allowed 

 to run over a window, but not in contact 

 with it. The new variety P. trifasdata is 

 the finest, as its tri-colored leaves are a great 

 addition to the beauty of its flowers, which of 

 themselves are the most beautiful of the Passi- 

 floras, though much of their beauty depends 

 on proper care and treatment. 



Plants in Rooms. 



IIoiv to Plant; When to Trunnpliint. 



|R. Robinson's new horticultural journal. 

 The Gardefi, in discussing lately the 

 best season for transplanting house plants, 

 says, it is when the plants are about to pass 

 from a state of rest into a condition of fresh 

 growth, that is, early in spring. Another 

 favorable time is at the end of the first growth 

 in spring, and before the plants (as is the case 

 with many evergreens, such as Camellias, 

 Azaleas, etc.) commence to form the buds for 

 the following year. Transplanting at the 

 time when the plant is in full growth should 

 be avoided, as it disturbs the growth of the 

 plant, and the young shoots are frequently 

 injured, and sometimes quite destroyed. It 

 is only to be recommended when individual 



