THE PARLOR GARDENER. 63 



tie leaves of the seedling wither and turn yellow, 

 cease altogether to water them. A few days 

 afterwards, when the contents of the pots are 

 perfectly dry, take the pots out of the cold por- 

 table greenhouse ; crumble these contents care- 

 fully, and pass them through a tin colander with 

 very small holes. There will remain in the col- 

 ander little plants of ranunculus, each one not 

 more than an inch or two long. 



You are afraid, perhaps, ladies, that these so 

 very delicate plants will make you wait a long 

 time for their bloom. You are mistaken. When 

 spring sets in, plant them in pots of the common 

 size, in a mixture of good ordinary garden earth 

 and manure ; they will all bloom before the end 

 of the warm weather. 



You see how many things you can accomplish 

 in horticulture, under the cold portable green- 

 house, with nothing more than sowings. Slips 

 offer you pleasures not less varied. Grafting, 

 which your taper fingers, habituated to delicate 

 work, can execute to such perfection, will add 

 to your stock of enjoyments. You will after 

 some time not a long one have around you 



