Par tor- Plants. 135 



from the ends of the canes like its grandparent. The fruit is of large size, 

 of rich, delicate flavor, moderately firm, of a light-yellow color. The earli- 

 est raspberry that I know of; ripening as early as Trollope's Victoria Straw- 

 berry, and before Wilson's is gone ; therefore filling up the blank between 

 strawberries and raspberries. It is a good bearer, and has never failed to 

 ripen a moderate crop in the fall." 



PARLOR-PLANTS.— No. V. 



By Edward S. Rand, Jan., Boston, Mass. 



Is it heretical to say that the rose, the "queen of flowers," is not suitable 

 for a window-plant ? And yet there are very few roses which do even 

 passably well with parlor-culture. If we except the old Safigi/mea (now 

 seldom seen), and the common pink Monthly, our parlor rose-culture will 

 generally prove a failure. We do not say that other species and varieties 

 cannot be grown as window-plants, for we have known them to succeed ; 

 but we do assert, that, with the care usually given to parlor-plants, roses do 

 not thrive. There are several reasons for this : first, the air of most par- 

 lors is too dry for the plants to flourish or the large double buds to expand; 

 again, the soil usually becomes sour and sodden, and affects the health of 

 the plants ; and, again, the green aphis infests the plants, and is continually 

 troublesome. Now, all these difficulties can be overcome by care and atten- 

 tion ; but both must be unremitting, or failure will be the result. In our 

 list of parlor-plants, we do not intend to include those which can possibly 

 be grown, but only those which will grow, thrive, and bloom with ordinary 

 care and with such attention as can easily be given. Roses are not of this 

 latter class : they, even in a greenhouse, are not especially adapted for pot- 

 plants. Their proper place is planted out in the border of a rose-pit, where 

 they thrive luxuriantly, and, with but little care, give an abundance of bloom. 



A charming window-plant, and one which makes a very gay appearance 

 during March and April, is Tritonia or Ixia crocata. The small bulbs 

 should be procured in the autumn, and planted rather thickly in eight-inch 

 pots. The soil should be rich sandy loam, with good drainage. After 



