rLonicuLTURS. 409 



those which branch ^videlv. No household elegancy is more desirable than 

 a tasteful fernery, well uken care of. 



FacUsias Among Rose*. — A London florist had some of his standard 

 roses killed by the late spring frosts, but ha\-ing some large fuchsia plants, 

 they were used to fill up the "ugly gaps," and the refcult was a pleasant 

 surprise. They stood the rough weather well, and vied with the roses as to 

 quantity of bloom. He says: " If all is well we shall use fuchsias more ex- 

 tensively next season." 



Treatment ot Callas. — For blooming callas, writes a lady, I use the 

 soil firom the hennerv, and on cold mornings I pour hot water in the sau- 

 cers; I have had a bloom from every bulb. .As my fuchsias never grew very 

 large, I put in fresh soil and then used some fine manure from the hennery, 

 and before 8'>ring it covered the window, with every shoot in full bloom. 



Frozen Plants— Whenever house-plants are accidentally frozen, they 

 should be placed in a dark place and then sprinkled with cold water Gera- 

 niums, fuchsias, and similar kinds of plants, may often be e^ved if care ia 

 given in thawing them out, even if frozen quite hard. The same rule applies 

 to dormant plants, such as grape vines and trees that become frozen while 

 being carried from one section of the country to another. If packages of 

 plants are receive<l in this condition they should be placed in a cellar and 

 then sprinkled with cold water, and allowed to remain undisturbed until 

 thawed. Burj'ing in the earth will answer equally as well, altliough seldom 

 convenient in cold weather. Hardy plants, when well packed in damp moss, 

 seldom receive any injury from frost. 



Potting and "Watering Plant«— -Plants cultivated in the house often 

 suffer from being put into pots very much too large for them. The mass of 

 soil, which is quite out of prof>ortion to their needs, by frc-qutnt watering, 

 soon gets into such a sour and sodden condition, thai the roots rot away 

 completely and the plant dies. Even when the amount of soil is not greater 

 than tlie plant needs, it is quite an easy matter to give too much water to 

 succulents, such as the cactus family, the agaves, crassnlas, and others of 

 like habit. In fact, these plants, when at rest, as mo6t of them are daring 

 winter, need scarcely a drop of water. 



Covering for Tender Plant*. — A hortictiltura\ writer says: I always 

 disliked the looks of clumsy straw and matting coverings for plants. It 

 made the garden look so mean that I thought I would try another plan. I 

 had read that evergreen boughs were the best thing with which to cover 

 pansies and any tender plants, so I thought I would try it on tender roses 

 and such things, and I never had such success. I beUeve there is some- 

 thing beneficial in the balsamine odor of the leaves, the plants look so nice — 

 almost like summer. 



A Xovel Iloase Plant. — The common cranberry is a most attractive 

 plant when properly cultivated in pots, and can endure a great deal of neg- 

 lect which would be fatal to other plants. It only needs to be kept cool and 

 moist. A compost of muck and sand is the proper material for potting it in. 

 Although usually regarded as aquatic in its nature, it will not do to have 

 the soil saturated with water. \Miat it requires, is that water shall be 

 within reach of ita roots, and that the soil shall be one through which w&tei 

 can rise readily by capillary attraction. 



