42 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



December, 



The Poinsettia is a native of Mexico. It was 

 discovered as early as 1828 by, and was named 

 in honor of, Joel R. Poinsette, a gentleman 

 who was then the American minister to that 

 country. The plant belongs to the natural 

 Order Euphorbiacese, and is a member of the 

 Spurge family, largely represented in wai-m 

 climates, and containing many of our finest 

 hot-house plants, among which are the Croton 

 and Acalypha. W. F. L. 



The Golden Star of Bethlehem. 



The common but pretty little white-flowered 

 Stai" of Bethlehem {0)-iiitho(fahim'nn}bcUafiiiu] 

 is one of our best known hardy garden flowers. 



THE GOLDEN STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 



Unlike that hardy species, the gold-colored 

 species here figui'ed is a half hardy or tender 

 bulb, and usually is grown in pots. It is one 

 of those handsome and rather easily grown 

 Cape bulbs that is more often seen in green- 

 houses on the other side of the water than with 

 us. Indeed, we do not know to-day of a single 

 American catalogue that is offering it for sale, 

 although some years ago that lover of fine 

 jjlants, Robert Buist of Philadelphia, cata- 

 logued it. He styled it a "magnificent plant." 



A gentleman who has this plant in his col- 

 lection says it blooms during the early part of 

 the season. The flowers, of which there are 

 many, are star-like in form, and of an orange- 

 golden color, with a lead-colored eye. There 

 is an agreeable, delicate odor to the ilower. 



The plant is not large, the flower stalk rarely 

 rising higher than from eight to ten inches. It 

 is also of comparatively slow growth, both as 

 to foliage and flowers, to compensate for which 

 the blooms, when they do appear, last fully a 

 month. Like those of its hardy sister, the 

 flowers expand in the sun and close at night. 



Another near and well-known relative of this 

 pretty flower, and which is tender, is the Onion 

 hily,0.maritimuin(S(:illaiiiaritimum of some); 

 also known as the Squill of commerce. We 

 have also heard it called Chinese Lily, but why, 

 we do not know, for it is a native of Africa. 

 The bulb, which is large, green, onion-shaped 

 and watery, appears on the surface of the soil, 

 on which account it is looked upon as some- 

 thing of a curiosity. This species bears whit« 

 flowers on stalks some two feet high. 



A Talk on Freesias, Preceded by 

 Some other Matters. 



Our esteemed friend and correspondent " L. 

 S. H. G." of Newton, Mass., and a favorite 

 writer for the former Floral World, in send- 

 ing to us an article on Freesias, expresses her- 

 self as displea.sed at not meeting more of the 

 names of former correspondeuts of that paper 

 among those who contribute to Popular Gar- 

 dening. In this regret we ourselves share, 

 aud trust that many more of such than now 

 write to us will follow the good example set 

 by this enthusiastic writer, aud make them- 

 selves often heard in our columns. 



Right here let us say that no part of this 

 paper is more generally valuable than the 



numerous contributions, small and great, from 

 our readers. With our correspondent, we want 

 to see a great increase of these from our large 

 family throughout, and especially from those 

 who have come from the Floral World, the 

 Friiit lierordi'r, and now the Gai-den Beview. 

 Whatever 3'ou meet, good reader, when at 

 your work that will be of value to the family 

 of readers scattered from Maine to California 

 along with it ; it will be welcome. 



The only restriction we can think of naming 

 is that of reasonable, brevity, or else permission 

 to allow of some editorial revision of what is 

 sent in. This rule is necessary by no choice of 

 oiu- own, but because of the great press of 

 matter on our columns ; if not observed, some- 

 thing else of importance to many members of 

 the family must be crowded out. We want to 

 accommodate the needs of every reader. 



Use patience also if your esteemed and wel- 

 come favors do not appear quite as soon as 

 you would like to see them. We sometimes have 

 to carry matter over from month t» month be- 

 fore the space for it turns up. This is less apt 

 to happen with the shorter and more pithy 

 and seasonable articles. Another thing that 

 helps — if the writing' be in ink, in a fairly, un- 

 crowded hand, and on only one side of the paper. 

 Now for our correspondent's valued article : 



There is but one opinion about the Freesia. 

 Last year finding myself too late for the market 

 in that line, I accepted a very generous offer 

 from the florist and took all he had left over 

 from the previous yeai\ Congratulating my- 

 self on the opportunity to deal very liberally 

 with my floral correspondents, I sent them 

 (the bulbs, not the friends) broadcast over the 

 land, planting at various seasons myself. 



Being desirous of prolonging their season of 

 bloom to its utmost this year, and wanting 

 some early, on the ITth of June I planted a 

 half dozen and watched and waited, intending 

 to follow with others in five or six weeks. 

 Their long delay in throwing up shoots cau- 

 tioned me. On July 31st an examination 

 showed them to be as plump as ever, with no 

 sign of germinating. Aug. 13th I planted 

 another pot for Christmas, which began com- 

 ing up in about two weeks, although it was 

 Sept. 18 before the last of these appeared. 

 Now as to results. Those fir.st planted (June 

 17th) greeted me with flowers as follows: Sept. 

 17, 'Si, 24; Oct. it, 11 and 13. Moral: "Let 

 patience have her perfect work." Oct. 4, two 

 more pots were planted, a part of which sur- 

 prised me by putting in an appearance in just 

 a week; two days later all 

 in one pot were above the 

 groimd ; also one in the other. 



I expect to continue plant- 

 ing them at intervals of a 

 few weeks, so as to assure 

 constant bloom until late in 

 the spring. At the great 

 show of Orchids In Boston, 

 last spring, there were a few 

 Freesias to be seen in bloom. 

 Of the great variety of very 

 beautiful Ranunculus and 

 Anemones, single and 

 double, I can heartily rec- 

 ommend both to all flower 

 lovers. A cordial greeting to 

 all flower lovers in the P. G. 



beyond the line of the house wall, and covered 

 with hot^bed sash, besides shutters for bad 

 weather. The pit the other way is a little 

 more than ten feet long. For this length the 

 cellar is without a wall, a post rising midway 

 in the opening, supporting the sill above. 



" In this pit, during three years' time, I have 

 never had frost once. Usually through the 

 winter the temperature, as shown by a ther- 

 mometer, ranges from 85° to 45° at night. A 

 furnace in a division adjoining the plant quar- 

 ters serves to keep down chill always. But, 

 even if there was no heater, I should anticipate 

 all trouble by using several lamps on the cellar 

 floor in the colder weather. 



"During the summer I keep the shutters down 

 (they are neatly painted and not objectionable 

 to looks) . I also board up the opening between 

 the annex and the cellar ; then no outside heat 

 enters through the pit into the cellai-. " 



Not only does the sketch plainly show how 

 the annex, together with the shelving in it, is 

 constructed, but our correspondent also gives 

 us an insight into the convenient appointments 

 of the " plant quarters "in the cellar. We should 

 judge that the large plant standing back in the 

 cellar was an Oleander, receiving here all the 

 light it needs in its winter state. 



In this valuable communication we have the 

 secret of providing the requirements of light 

 and protection for tender plants, by means 

 that ai'e scarcely inferior to those presented by 

 a regular greenhouse, and the cost of which 

 is very slight. We are sure our readers will 

 join us in thanking Mrs. Bane for her sugges- 

 tions, and in the hope that we may often hear 

 from her on such timely and practical topics. 



Balsams in the House, and other 

 Matters. 



In the fall I potted a few late Balsams that 

 were self sown. They did beautifully in the 

 window, and are now in bloom. If an assort- 

 ment of colors were used the effect would be 

 very gay. Double Marigolds also grow nicely 

 in the window garden, aud give that touch of 

 j'ellow that sets off the whole collection. 



The rage to adorn everything fairly Inundates 

 the land. A lady called me in to see her 

 " beautiful flower pots." It was a sight to make 

 a florist merry. She had painted the pots red, 

 green, grey and blue, and then pasted brilliant 

 scrap pictures all over them. But the plants — 

 they were long stalks with a miserable looking 

 leaf or two on top. But ' ' the pots were lovely. " 



A GLASS-CX5VERED PLANT ANNEX TO THE CELLAR. 



A Useful Plant Annex to the Cellar. 



In last month's paper (page 27), Mrs. Geo. 

 W. Bane, of Kent Co. , Delaware, referred to a 

 cold-pit connecting with her cellar and in 

 which, as there alluded to, she winters her 

 Wallflowers. A note addresssd by us to our 

 correspondent, asking for a further description 

 of this plant annex for the benefit of the Popu- 

 lar Gardening family, brought forth the 

 handsome and telling sketch herewith figured. 

 Accompanying her drawing was a note as fol- 

 lows, relating to the same: 



' ' By the rough drawing you will see that this 

 annex is a mere extension of the cellar five feet 



Another lady moved Into a house where there 

 was a small glass conservator}-. Did she fill it 

 with blooming plants, and delight to care for 

 them and keep them growing >. Alas ! No ! 

 She made a lot of wax flowers, stuck them in 

 vases and thus desecrated her plant shelves. 



In my pleasant bay, on an upper shelf, is 

 a Cotton plant. The pod has parted and the 

 white cotton is beginning to show. Last spring 

 the seeds were sent from the South, I planted 

 them and placed the pot in a sunny window. 



To my surprise these seeds came up, and by 

 June had grown into thrifty plants. Soon a 

 very pretty cream white flower appeai-ed, then 

 the green pod gradually fonned and was the 



