PLANT FOR DINING TABLE 



Fig. 1292. —Cacti tn Mexico. 



loused, then insert in sand, but not 

 deeply. Keep shaded and slightly 

 moist until roots form, than replant in 

 proper soil. This is the common method 

 of propagation by slips or cuttings. 



I trust these remarks may increase 



the interest in this curious and beautiful 



class of plants, as I am certain every one 



will be delighted in growing a few cacti. 



James Lockie. 



Gladioli from Seed.— In spite of all that has 

 been written, few amateurs seem to understand 

 how easily and successfully blooming bulbs can 

 be produced in a single season. The question of 

 seed is of great importance, as practically all the 

 seed offered is from self-fertilized flowers, giv- 

 ing varieties of so little individuali; y as to rarely 

 reproduce characteristic flowers. For the grow- 

 er of a few packets of seed, there is no better way 

 than to sow it in a pot of sifted sandy loam, made 

 richer in the lower strata, to be ready when the 

 plant most requires it. Cover lightly and sift on 

 more if needed, as the bulbs are formed one inch 

 and more below the level on which the seed is 

 planted. Keep shaded until the blades appear, 

 about twenty days, but do not interfere with the 

 circulation of air. The pot may then be plunged 

 in full exposure to the sun, in the cold frame or 

 open ground, and kept well watered during the 

 period of active growth, about four months being 

 necessary to develop the corn. By sowing the 

 seed in October under glass and ripening off in 

 March, with a rest until May and a summer in 

 the open ground, larger bulbs can be produced 

 and a season saved. H. H. (iROFF. 



PLANT FOR DINING TABLE. 



THE Rural New Yorker commends 

 the feathery little palm Cocos Wed- 

 deliana, as the best for permanent 

 use on the dining table. A plant 

 in a four-inch pot, stippled into a pretty 

 jardiniere, makes a very attractive orna- 

 ment, and, when more elaborate decora- 

 tion is desired, it may be used as a 

 counterpiece for ferns or flowers. It has 

 a very light and graceful appearance, 

 yet it stands the conditions of an or- 

 dinary room very well. Do not take it 

 out of the ordinary red earthenware 

 flower-pot and plant it directly into the 

 jardiniere, because the infallible result 

 will be poor drainage and sour soil, 



causing damage to the roots. A cover- 

 ing of green moss, put over the top of 

 the soil, will improve the appearance, 

 and also prevent the earth from drying 

 out so rapidly. The foliage should be 

 well sprayed or sponged every week. 



A cheap but attractive plant for the 

 table is the showy variegated Wander- 

 ing Jew, Tradescantia zebrina, which 

 grows rapidly under unfavorable condi- 

 tions. Small plants of the Silk oak, 

 Grevillea robusta, are excellent for the 

 same purpose ; their prettily-cut leaves 

 are very graceful, and the plants bear 

 rough usage with equanimity. 



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