134 Shading Caladias and fine-foliaged Plants. 



These cr}-ptogamic plants are the great " quartz-crushers " of God's 

 providence to man, grinding the rocks into dust for him to amalgamate in 

 Nature's laboratory, and out of it gather fine gold. 



No matter what we call the rocks in their primitive form, — whether 

 granite, gneiss, trap, hornblende, quartz, felspar, argilaceous or calcareous, 

 — God's quartz-crushers will grind them down; and out of the dirt will 

 spring up trees, vines, shrubs, plants, flowers, grains, animals, and my 

 lovely little Nymphalia, who, with all her beauty and sweetness, never was 

 arrayed like one of these; yet out of them she grew, and back to earth 

 must go again. Let us reflect, then, " What is dirt ? " 



It is the rose that blooms so sweet ; 

 It is the grass in emerald green ; 

 It is the fruit, the bread, the meat, 

 And e'en this paper white and clean. 



The sweetest bunch of lovely flowers 

 That ever fragrance gave to air 

 Has been, in some preceding hours. 

 The dust of earth, which mortals share ; 



To which they must again return. 

 And therefore dirt should not despise. 

 But what it is should try to learn, 

 And how from dirt the flowers arise. 



Remember, then, that flesh is grass ; 

 And vnsdom should make us alert 

 To search the cause that brings to pass 

 That flowers and food are made of dirt. 



Solon Robinson. 



Shading Caladias and fine-foliaged Plants. — Caladias, and all 

 plants, whether requiring shade or not, are best grown near the glass, 

 but not nearer than from nine inches to one foot. On very bright days, 

 they require partial shade from nine, a.m., to four, p.m., as their beauty is thus 

 much prolonged ; but the more light a plant has, the more bright will be the 

 color of the foliage, of whatever shade that may be : and to some plants it 

 is absolutely necessary to bring out the color of the leaves ; as, for instance, 

 in the case of crotons, dracaenas, pandanas, and }niccas. Exposure to 

 the full sun is injurious in the case of other plants ; for instance, variegated- 

 leaved begonias and ferns. — " Country Getitleman.'" 



