14 THE GARDEN 



means a sickly, drooping, dying coleus. We are not saying a word about 

 the effect of such an atmosphere upon the human beings living in houses 

 with such air. 



The vast i-ange of rich, variegated colors shown by these <?oleuses en- 

 ables one to make an exacting choice. Do you desire something darkly 

 Oriental, showing glowing crimsons, melting browns, or velvety maroons? 

 Or something with marvelous tints of gold and, green, with wavy bands of 

 orangy brown along the fringed edges? Or, again, a shiny, waxy wonder, 

 whose every leaf and stem and stock shows the coursing life blood, ruby, 

 within? 'Tis easy to have your wildest desire, the field is so vast from 

 which to choose; and never one leaf like another. 



Buy a single package of coleus seed. Scatter this seed in some fairly 

 rich earth, just such earth as you have been using for the other potted 

 plants. Place the box upstairs in the attic, if the attic is fairly warm, just 

 sufficiently so that the frost is kept out. Let the sun shine upon that box 

 of earth until the tiny shoots appear. It may be some six or eight weeks, 

 but wait patiently. Once the plants are up, growth is quicker than before. 

 When large enough to show the colorings and leaf shapes, choose the most 

 desirable specimens, and carefully remove to individual pots. Give -a fair 

 amount of water. Too much moisture will cause a white mould to form 

 on the leaves and stalks. 



Turn the plants daily, so that a symmetrical form "is encouraged. Pro- 

 tect from draughts, hot air, gas fumes, and occasionally have the man of 

 the house smoke his pipe into the wealth of colored leaves to drive away 

 any insects that are fond of breeding in these tender coleus plants. 



THE CYCLAMEN, OR ALPINE VIOLET 



Many people are not aware of the remarkable ease with which the 

 alpine violet can be cultivated. Commonly known as the cyclamen. 



It is not generally known, either, that these plants may be raised from 

 seeds. This way of procuring stock is very slow, however, since the seed- 

 lings require considerable time in which to form the necessary bulb or 

 corm, for the cyclamen is mostly thought of as a bulbous plant. 



Do you know the cyclamen? The leaves are fleshy, often spotted, with 

 whitish or yellowish blotches here and there, either irregularly or quite 

 symmetrically along the green. These leaves are large and more or less 

 heart-shaped. 



Even when not in flower the cyclamen is a pretty, nay, an unusual 

 ornament, on account of the unique leaves. 



The flowers, from white to a deep blood-red, are borne singly on fleshy 

 stalks, six to eight inches long, well above the thick, low-spreading mass 

 of leaves. There is one variety that produces a curious magenta flower. 

 It is decidedly not pretty. No magenta flowers are pretty. 



Grown for indoor flowering plants, these cyclamen are usually satis- 

 factory. Given a cool and shady spot, they will thrive merrily -vvithout the 

 least hint of sun. 



While these plants also do not like a swamp surrounding, yet they do 

 rdemand plenty of moisture, and an almost daily sprinkling of the leaves. 



Once carefully potted, the need for repotting does not again soon come 

 round, for the tremendous growth of the plant is above, and not below, the 

 earth. 



To have a fine pot several good-sized coms should be placed in one 

 large pot." Take care to have the earth fairly peaty, and certainly not too 

 heavy. A little leaf mould in the bottom of the pot is advisable, and some 

 touches of lime very grateful to the bulbs. 



One of the best incentives to fresh bloom is the spraying of the whole 

 plant every day. 



