126 Editors' Letter- Box. 



Novice, Elton. — You have given the fern, which is a very pretty Maiden- 

 Hair (.4 (//^«/«/«), too much water, and all the roots are rotten. Sow fern-spores 

 on the surface of fine loam in a shallow pan, keep moist, and cover with a bell- 

 glass, or merely lay a sheet of glass over the top. In a week, you will see the 

 ground green with the young plants. 



A. K. Bull, Hartford. — You can raise dahlias from seed ; but the chances 

 are greatly against your getting any flowers as good as will come from roots, 

 which you can buy at one or two dollars a dozen. 



The tiger-flower is a native of Mexico, and is killed by frost. 



S. Latimer, Ithaca. — You have drawn a peculiar flower, and, probably, from 

 imagination, not, as you say, from Nature. We should be pleased to receive 

 dried specimens, but hardly think you can produce them. 



S. S. — The best season for root-pruning trees, we have found to be early in 

 June. If performed when the trees are dormant, it will not check their growth 

 so much. 



Elliott Bros. & Burgess, Pittsburg, Penn. — The calceolaria flowers came 

 in passable order. Both are good flowers ; and, if the habit of the plant is good, 

 the varieties are worth propagating. 



Of the two, as nearly as we can judge from faded specimens, the yellow is the 

 better : it is seldom we see such a rich, clear color. 



Mrs. O. H. T., Rochester, N.H. — The plant sent \s Achania Malvavisais. 

 It is a charming parlor-plant, and never out of bloom, requiring little care, and 

 always doing well : the berries are no less ornamental than the flower. 



Idem. — There are two plants commonly known as Hibiscus grandiflonts; of 

 these the true is an herbaceous perennial with flame colored flowers, and attains 

 the height of three feet ; a native of Georgia ; this requires to be grown in loam 

 and peat, with plenty of water, and blooms in the summer. It is not hardy, and 

 should rest in winter. 



The other is H. heterophyllus, a greenhouse shrub with white and red flow- 

 ers. It should be grown in loam and peat, and have a warm exposure, and be 

 kept in the greenhouse in winter. 



Mrs. N. L. D., Rutland, Vt. — The tall white flower is Spircsa aruncus, or 

 goat's-beard ; the yellow is Lysimachia verticillaia, one of the hardy herba- 

 ceous loosestrifes. The shrub is a hawthorn, probably Cratccgus Cnis-galli. 



A Subscriber, Wood's Hole. — The three yellow flowers are, No. i (the 

 composite plant), Hieracium venostim, commonly called rattlesnake weed ; No. 

 2, CEnothera pumila^ dwarf primrose ; No. 3, Xyris Carolinia?ia, yellow-eyed 

 grass. 



