SALVIA, UOUVARDIA 85 



The Salvia 



The Scarlet Salvia — S. splcndcns of the catalogs — 

 is a fine plant for house culture, provided the red spider 

 can be kept from wrrkinfj on it. If not showered well 

 daily, this pest will soon ruin it. It grows to the 

 hight of three or four feet, in a good soil, if given 

 plenty of root room. It has large, rich, shining foliage, 

 and bears long spikes of velvety scarlet flowers, of 

 most intense richness of color. It is one of our best 

 autumn flowering garden plants, and young plants can 

 he taken away from about the roots of the old ones 

 in September and potted for winter use. In a short 

 time they will become good specimens, and by Novem- 

 ber they will come into bloom. If the spikes are cut 

 off as soon as the flowers on them fade, new branches 

 will be sent out below, which, in turn, will produce 

 flowers. As growth will go on all winter, if good 

 soil is given, flowers will be borne constantly, and in 

 great profusion, and nothing finer in the way of vivid 

 and brilliant show can be imagined. Its flowers have 

 a fiery luster equal to those of the Lobelia cardinalis. 

 They are excellent for cutting for use in bouquets. 



The BoHvardia 



This plant would be a general favorite with all 

 who love beautiful flowers if it were of easier cultiva- 

 tion. But, as generally grown, it is unsatisfactory. 

 This is the fault of the grower, rather than of the plant, 

 however. If proper attention is given to the soil and 

 general requirements of the plant, it can be made to 

 bloom successfully in the window, but if neglected 

 in these respects it will generally refuse to blossom ; 

 or if it bears flowers they will be so few and inferior 

 that after a year or two the owner gets tired of tr\ing 

 to grow good plants and they will be thrown aside 

 for something less exactinsr. 



