4 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



in ; they are far neater tban plates or saucers, which are often 

 used for the purpose, and are moderate in price. 



But the flower-pot allows of a wide 

 definition according to circumstances or 

 necessity, for you will sometimes see 

 fair specimen plants growing in an old 

 teapot, jar, jug, or even, as I have seen, 

 in an old tin can. I know an old woman 

 at the present time who has a pretty 

 red China rose flourishing in an old 

 tin can, and a small lemon plant grow- 

 ing in an old Coleman's mustard tin 

 with the bullock's head on it entire. 

 Well done, old lady, you deserve credit. 

 Still regular pots are best, for they 

 have a purpose-like appearance, though, 

 as I have hinted, the want of pots 

 need not deter any one from growing 

 window plants. All makeshifts, bow- 

 ever, should have holes punched out in 

 tbe bottoms for drainage. 



It is very interesting to have a wire 

 basket hanging from the centre of the 

 window, with a saxifrage or the Aaron's 

 beard of the cottagers, ivy -leaved gera- 

 nium, or any other hanging plant grow- 

 ing over it. A wire basket is easily 

 made, and when tastefully arranged, is 

 a very creditable thing to display ; but 

 you can purchase them of various de- 

 signs and moderately cheap from any 

 seedsman. The one figured here is a 

 very good example of a gaivanized-iron 

 wire basket. Galvanized iron wire is 

 the best material for your purpose ; but 

 you can also make very pretty ones 

 with hazel boughs, willows, knotty 

 wood, virgin cork, or pine cones, which 

 can be nailed on a wooden frame. 

 When neatly made and varnished, home- 

 made rustic flower-baskets look very- 

 pretty. Two or three plies of smail 

 wire twined together in the form of a 

 cord, makes a very good suspender for 

 a basket. Three, or at most four, of 

 the twined wires, of sufficient length 

 for the basket to hang down gracefully, 

 joined together in a stout ring, and 

 having small hooks to catch the basket, 

 are quite enough. Earthenware bas- 

 kets, as represented by the figure on p. 5, 



