278 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF 

 PARLOR PLANTS. 



In the culture of flowers in the parlor there is a growing 

 taste, which should be encouraged. It was not my inten- 

 tion to offer any inducements on the subject, as my object 

 was to give as much information as possible. I now deem 

 it best to point out the plants best suited for that purpose. 

 The aptness so characteristic in females to propagate flowers, 

 with little instruction, is manifest to any person perambulat- 

 ing the city and its suburbs. Still there are many flowers 

 now cultivated that may be considered worthless by many, 

 for it will be found that a plant admired and propagated by 

 one person may not be fancied by another. All flowers 

 possess some attraction, though a discriminating taste will 

 differ in persons ; this is all proper. Many are cultivated 

 from the facility of obtaining those most accessible, but 

 the choicer exotics are more difficult to manage than 

 others. Those will be left out of the selection named 

 on page 282, where I have retained those only that can 

 be easily managed. The choice of plants in a city is 

 easily obtained ; but those difficult to manage will never 

 realize the expectation of the amateur for the outlay he 

 may be induced to make ; such are also excluded. Enough 

 can be had to satisfy the desire of affording a gorgeous dis- 

 play in their season. 



The management of well selected plants for the parlor is 

 more difficult at one time than at another, for a variety 

 may embrace so extensive an assortment that their treat- 



