state; pomologicaIv society. 57' 



continually bloom, giving you a white, bell-shaped flower, very 

 fragrant and delicate. 



Another thing which we have learned is how to grow sweet 

 peas in winter. For a window take a piece of coarse hen-wire- 

 the size of the lower half of the w^indow. After this is fastened 

 on the side of the case next to the room, make a narrow box. 

 about six inches deep and the width of the window sill. The 

 last of January or the first of February, in earth not too rich, 

 plant mixed sweet peas. These will stand lots of cold, too. 

 When these sprout, you will find that they grow very slowly at 

 first. When about ten or twelve inches tall, pinch off the top, 

 which will make them branch out, then snip the branches. This 

 will fill your netting of wire full of foliage and flowering shoots. 

 If it comes a fearfully cold night, tuck newspapers between the 

 Vvire and the window. This keeps them from the outside cold. 

 Your night fire of course keeps your room from freezing. You 

 will find also that these need lots of water, especially after they 

 begin to fl.ower, and be sure that you let no seed-pod form — 

 these deplete your plant and you fail to get your flowers. In 

 the early spring, when there is mud everywhere and it seems as 

 though summer would never come, you will have these beautiful, 

 fragrant flowers, so suggestive of cool summer mornings and 

 long, sunny afternoons. There is nothing sw/eeter, prettier and 

 more tasteful in the shape of a flower for the sickroom. These 

 four things which I have mentioned will stand lots of cold. 

 That is why I speak of them as especially desirable for houses 

 where wood fires are depended upon. I used to find my 

 geranium leaves and branches in cold mornings frozen on to the 

 windows, and the rooms so cold that very, thin ice would form. 

 Just as soon as the sun shone they would thaw from the win- 

 dows and look as fresh and bright as though nothing unusual 

 had happened. In the coldest weather, in cool rooms, I find it 

 best to keep the earth quite dry. 



Ten-weeks stock makes another fine house plant. A few 

 seeds planted the last of the summer, kept well manured, will 

 soon germinate. When cold weather comes, lift these into small 

 pots — small pots, remember, — or tomato cans, or any small dish 

 which you can spare, and if the plant runs up tall and thin, pinch 

 off the top. This will branch it out and if you feed these, give 

 them light, sun if you can, plenty of air and lots of water, you 



