THE names in this department will have a familiar sound to all lovers of house plants. The 

 Heliotrope, the Calceolaria, Gloxinia, Chrysanthemum, Cineraria, Geranium, Fuschia, etc., are 

 associated with our earliest recollections of floriculture. Most persons procure house plants 

 from the green-houses, and when but one or two of a kind are needed this is a good plan. 

 It is also well to purchase 01 the nearest florist, if good plants can be obtained, because you 

 can then make the selection personally, and your florist needs, and we hope 

 deserves, encouragement. Some, however, have green-houses and desire 

 many plants, and others take pride and pleasure in growing from seed in 

 watching every day's mysterious growth, from the tiny seed-leaf to the full 

 developed plant, in all its grand display of beauty. To all such we shall 

 be happy to furnish seeds. As the seeds in this department are mostly 

 delicate, it is best to make several sowings at different times. The most ex- 

 perienced gardeners always do this. Most of the varieties known as green- 

 house plants will, of course, succeed as well in the dwelling house as the 

 green-house, if we can only secure the conditions necessary to their health, 

 and which the conservatory or green-house furnishes. These are light, warmth, 

 moisture, air, and occasionally a little sunshine. Some may think that they supply all these 

 conditions, and yet the plants do not flourish. The difficulty generally is that we keep our 



living rooms too warm for plants, and too warm /<y \ _^ 



also for our own good. The atmosphere of the living 

 room, also, is too dry. 

 The florist syringes 

 his plants, and throws 

 water on the paths, 

 and all about his 

 houses, so as to ob- 

 tain a moist atmos- 

 phere by its evapora- 

 tion. In our living 



rooms we provide no water for evaporation, and the consequence 

 is a dry and unhealthy atmosphere, generally 

 filled with fine dust from the carpets. Keep the 

 plants clean and comfort- 

 able, with thermometer not 

 1 Jtf ft / ll j^x.xrifcii^^^ over seventv or seventy-five 



Bw'ifa^2k r/^^n^Jr in the da > T > and not more than 



W^P^g-j^^ fifty or sixty in the night. 



TEL ^ r ~j=^^ Keep the leaves clean. Smooth 



^ ; leaves, like those of the Ca- 



mellia and Oleander, should 

 be washed with a sponge, but 

 some rough or woolly leaved 

 plants, like the Begonia, dislike wetting of the foliage. This is particularly, the case with the 

 Chinese Primulas. The engravings at the right, commencing at top of page, show the Heliotrope, 

 Calceolaria, and Cineraria ; on the left, the Clianthus. 



108 



