52 



7 HE CANADIAN HORTIC ULTURIS7 . 



the amount of land necessary for other pur- 

 poses, the direction of the view, and the lo- 

 cation of approaches. Ordinarily the tennis 

 court would be located on flat land, or land 

 that could be made so readily ; on the lawn, 

 or near it, if a grass court ; if a dirt court, 

 screened from it by planting. The flower 

 garden should be readily accessible from the 

 house, out of the line of an important view. 

 Its location and character could, and probably 

 would, be varied to suit local circumstances 

 more than anv other subdivision of the 

 ground. The vegetable garden would na- 

 turally take up its quarters at the back of 

 the buildings near the stable and sheds, and 

 its relative importance will be governed by 

 the desires and tastes of the owner. All 



this applies to the village lot which is all to 

 be used for home grounds, but the same 

 principles would apply to the home grounds 

 which should be reserved about the farm 

 buildings or about the house of any large 

 estate in the country. There should be a 

 distinct division between this, the home 

 ground, which would be nicely kept, and 

 the cultivated, mowed or grazing fields of 

 the farm. It may be a fence or wall bor- 

 dered by shrubbery, to one side of which 

 would come the lawn and on the other the 

 farm, or it may be a retaining or ha-ha wall 

 with the lawn sloping from the house to it, 

 and with planting along its borders above 

 the wall. 



Boston, Mass. W. 11. Mannincj. 



( To be Contitmed.) 



THE WINDOW GARDEN. 



•ASH THE Plant's Face. — Just 

 now, in the depths of the win- 

 ter's gloom, a thrifty window 

 ^j garden is a comfort and joy, 

 _ the actual realization in bloom is not 

 likely to be as profuse as later in February, 

 w^hen the greater power of the sun stimu- 

 lates a rapid growth. But few additions 

 have been made to the list of practicable 

 window plants during late years, except in 

 the more extended use of palms, ferns, rub- 

 ber trees and decorative plants of this char- 

 acter. Geraniums and Begonias are imiver- 

 sally the favorites, and are grown wherever 

 the night temperature of the living rooms 

 can be kept above freezing. The later ger- 

 aniums are really magnificent improvements, 

 bearing immense blooms of clear and pleas- 

 ing colors, and are well adapted for window 

 decoration. At this season the endeavor 

 should be to give them all the sunlight pos- 

 sible ; every hour counts in increasing vigor 

 of leaf and flower. Keep them well watered. 



The dry, hot air of living rooms absorbs the 

 surplus moisture from a pot of growing 

 plants very quickly, and there is less danger 

 of overwatering than is generally apprec- 

 iated, in case free drainage to the soil has 

 been provided. The foliage, too, should be 

 thoroughly sprayed or sprinkled often 

 enough to keep the plant tolerably free from 

 dust. Dirt and dust on the leaves clog up 

 the breathing pores, and interfere with 

 healthy growth. The window plant often 

 needs a washing just as badly as a bo}' with 

 a dirty face, and will show a deal more grati- 

 tude for it. Managers of amateur green- 

 houses, on the other hand, are likely to affect 

 the opposite extreme and shower their plants 

 into debility. The air of a small conserv- 

 atory or glasshouse is easily rendered too 

 damp for the best conditions of plant life 

 during dull weather. Careful and loving 

 observation of the growing plants will soon 

 acquaint one with their peculiarities and 

 desires. R. N. Y. 



