STATK POMOLOC^ICAL SOCIETY. 59 



shades are the most desirable. The mammoth oxahs is beau- 

 tiful. A dozen bulbs put into a hanging pot — this will take no 

 space — and if you have all yellow ones, which I think much the 

 prettier, you will get a bunch of sunshine for your pains. Dutch 

 hyacinths, three or four in a pot that will just hold them, placed 

 in the dark till the roots grow ; then bring to the sunlight grad- 

 ually, and you have something to feast the eyes upon. As soon 

 as the flowers die, dry off your bulbs and keep them for the 

 garden. There are several colors of these, white, lavender and 

 pink being the favorite shades. 



Freesias are very inexpensive little bulbs. Put a dozen or 

 two in a tomato plant box, keep them in the cellar in the dark 

 till the sprouts show above the earth, then bring to the light, and 

 you will have as handsome a bouquet as you can wish, of tiny 

 white and lemon-tinted, bell-shaped, delicate flowers. 



Ferns and foliage plants are always desirable and can be 

 grown in the windows much easier than is generally supposed. 

 If we could always remember to keep our ferns in the shade and 

 our flowering plants in the sun, we should be more successful ; 

 and ferns, dracsenas, palms and araucarias will keep well and 

 look well and be ready to grow in the spring when their time 

 for growing comes, in a very cool room. There is one great 

 mistake made with ferns. It is natural for the most of them to 

 die down to the roots once every year. Most amateurs think 

 they are dead. They are only taking a little rest. Not many 

 know that the delicate tropical maidenhair can be frozen solid, 

 taken in, thawed, placed in the warm sun and grows again, long, 

 fine, graceful fronds. Flowering maples give good satisfaction, 

 as they, will stand any amount of abuse, and if kept in a small 

 pot, fed well with manure water, they are graceful of foliage, 

 and not to be despised flowering plants. 



I have spoken of these few common things because I know 

 they will grow and pay the grower for her trouble in an ordinary 

 farm-house, with only the heat from the kitchen stove and the 

 sunny south windows. I live in one of these same little farm- 

 houses, just out of the city limits, one story high with low ceil- 

 ings, medium-sized rooms and the sunniest south windows pos- 

 sible. There are no carpets for the sun to fade, so I bring in 

 plants, any or all kinds, and keep them for months, where they 

 always do well. I have not mentioned that it is well if you can 



