FOR LOVERS OF FLOWERS. 



481 



washing and scrubbing, if once attacked, to 

 rid it of the pest. 



The English ivy is about the only plant 

 that lends itself to training round a room, 

 and as mentioned before, it grows equally 

 as well without sunlight as with. The 

 color of the leaves in fact take on a deeper 

 and richer tone if in complete shade. Aim 

 always to keep the plant in a perfectly 

 healthy condition. If disease attacks it, 

 leaves will fall oflF before recovery sets in, 

 anid the long naked branches are anything 

 but a " thing of beauty." 



Another Blue Hydrangea 



GEORGE VAIR, NORMAL SCHOOL, TORONTO. 



1 NOTICE by the October issue of The 

 Horticulturist that Mr. E. Tyrrell, 

 president of the Toronto Horticultural So- 

 ciety, writes about a blue hydrangea, belong- 

 ing to a lady somewhere in England, which 

 produced blue blossoms, and that the owner 

 in question was offered the sum of 10 pounds 

 but did not make a sale even at that sum. 

 The plant referred to is not the only one that 

 produced blue flowers. 



I remember in my father's time (who by 

 the way was a gardener) hearing of a simi- 

 lar freak which occurred in Scotland. 



Of course it was a wonder, and very 

 many ideas were put forth as to the cause. 

 Finally the whole matter was exploded, 

 The hydrangea was planted against a wall 

 and through the wall there was a lead pipe. 

 The roots of the plant wound around the 

 pipe of lead and thus became what might be 

 termed oxydized. The plant produced blue 

 flowers. The lady spoken of must have 

 possibly in some way placed some lead fil- 

 ings amongst the soil, hence the result. Let 

 some one try the experiment. 



Preparing Roses for Winter, No. 1. 



Many amateur rose growers in Canada fail to attain success 

 through not knowing how to properly protect their plants in winter. 

 One of the most successful rose growers in Canada is Mr. W. G. 

 Black, of Ottawa, who in an address on roses, delivered recently 

 before the Ottawa Horticultural Society, gave some valuable in- 

 formation on this subject. The process by which he prei^erves his 

 rose trees through the severest winter, is simple, inexpensive and 

 easily applied. In the spring, his roses come out lo feet and some- 

 times 20 feet long, as perfect as the day they were turned down. 

 This cut shows a row of roses 14 feet long, in November with the 

 leaves all off, ready for winter protection. 



Growing Sweet Peas. — Seed of sweet 

 peas should be planted at the earliest op- 

 portunity, after all fear of frost has gone. 

 Seed planted late in fall, if in well drained 

 soils, will give much earlier flowers than will 

 be secured from the earliest spring plant- 

 ings. Do not plant sweet peas in the same 

 soil two years in succession, or where you 

 have planted garden peas the previous year. 

 The vines should be located so as to receive 

 the sunshine at all times. If too shaded a 

 location is selected for the sweet peas the 

 vines will grow to an extreme length and 

 have but few leaves and fewer flowers. — 

 (C. B. M. 



Syringe your plants often with pure water. 

 It will add health and vigor to the plants be- 

 ing grown in the windows, or in a hot dry 

 atmosphere. Sprinkling and washing the 

 foliage in hot, dry weather is good for all 

 plants. Pick off all dead and sickly leaves 

 as soon as they appear. They only drain 

 the strength of the plant and do no good. 



Never allow plants to droop for want of 

 water. Do not let water stand in bottom 

 of jardinieres, as it rots the roots and the 

 plants soon die. 



In winter and cooler months give plants 

 all the sunshine possible. Fresh air in mild 

 weather is exceedingly beneficial for all 

 plants kept indoors. 



