1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARl\rER. 



151 



ing mixture,, composed of stable litter and drop- 

 pings i'roin the hen roost or pigeon house. 

 E(jual parts of these three making one quart 

 of the substance is best ; to this add a quart 

 of pounded charcoal. Put this mixture in a 

 keg and pour upon it three gallons of water. 

 Stir it every fi^w days for a fortnight, it will 

 then be ready for nse. 



If the leaves of your plants do not put forth 

 as rapidly as you wish, take half a pint of this 

 liquid and dilute it with clean warm water, and 

 pour it upon the soil near the edge of the pot. 

 There will be sufficient for half-a-dozen pots, 

 unless tliey are very large. Use it once in 

 three days, three times ; then wait ten days, 

 and give the same again. This will probably 

 be sufficient for the winter ; if not, after wait- 

 ing a month, try again going through the same 

 process. 



Now, a few words about colors ; in arrang- 

 ing your flowers have regard to contrasting 

 tints and the harmony of the whole. 



Too great a variety of colers in a group of 

 plants is as detrimental to their beauty as it 

 would be in a person's dress or in the furniture 

 of a room. Scarlet and crimson should never 

 be together ; difTerent shades of either look 

 well, but the two do not hai-monize. Scarlet 

 has a good effect with white and green ; or 

 scarlet and deep blue and deep yellow with 

 plenty of green, distinct all from each other, 

 and the green preponderating. Bluish white 

 and rose color, and dark glossy leaves agree 

 well ; bluish white harmonises best with deli- 

 cate colors, — clear white, with brighter gaudier 

 hues. A variety of white flowers is a great 

 addition to the beauty of a group. 



The three primitive colors may be all to- 

 gether — red, blue, and yellow — provided they 

 are all pure ; the red only one Idnd of red, the 

 blue not purple, and the yellow not orange ; 

 then with plenty of green and white, the group 

 will look well. But if you put only blue and 

 yellow with the green the eye naturally looks 

 for the complementary color, red, and feels 

 the deficiency. Scarlet, crimson or pink, mix- 

 ed with green alone, satisfy the eye ; and pur- 

 ple, being a mixture of blue and red, contrasts 

 well with yellow — orange, formed of red and 

 yellow, with blue. Pink and pale blue con- 

 trast and at the same time harmonize well ; 

 these with delicate green and white make a 

 pretty show. Keep these facts in mind when 



aljout procuring your plants and you will l)e 

 saved many regrets ; above all, remember how 

 much white flowers will enhance the beauty of 

 all the rest. 



It h IS been estimated that there are over 

 one hundred thousand species of plants now 

 known and the number is constantly increasing 

 as new countries are visited by naturalists. In 

 comparison with that great number, the follow- 

 ing list seems small ; but it Avill be found to 

 comprise a good variety of colors and forms, 

 and they are all well adapted to house culture. 



Abutilon, Agapanthus, Alyssum, Amaryllis, 

 Arum, Auricula, Azalea, Begonias, Cactus, 

 Camellia, Calceolaria, Carnation, Chrysanthe- 

 mum, Daisy, Daphne, Eupatorium, Fuchsia, 

 Forget-me-not, Geranium, Heliotrope, Hepa- 

 tica. Hydrangea, Hyacinth, Ivy, (English, 

 German, Coliseum,) Lantana, Lemon, Lily of 

 the Valley, Lobelia, Mahonia, Mignonette, 

 Mimulus, (Monkey flower,) Myrtle, Oleander, 

 Orrange, Oxalis, Pansy, Petunia, Pink, Prim- 

 rose, Pyrethrum, Periwinkle, Rose, Sanguina- 

 ria, Salvia, Verbena, Violet, Wall flower. 



Abutilon. — Greek name for mulberry which 

 the leaves of many species resemble in shape. 

 Native of New Holland and South America, 

 in light sandy soil. Fill pot a quarter full of 

 broken crockery or shreds for good drainage. 

 Soil, two parts loam, one part leaf mould, 

 one part sand ; If too rich it will grow too tall 

 for forming handsome side branches. Keep 

 moderately moist, not very hot. It Is readily 

 increased by cuttings placed In a gentle heat. 

 First introduced to notice in 1821. A. Veno- 

 sa — so called from its deep red veins — is very 

 beautiful, bearing large yellow bells. A. Es- 

 culentum is much esteemed In Brazil ; at Rio 

 Janeiro the inhabitants dress and eat the flow- 

 ers with their food. 



A. Striatum Is nearly always In bloom. Its 

 bells, of a bright golden yellow, hang on slen- 

 der, graceful stalks that make a fine appearance 

 If well trained to a stake or a frame. 



Snow and sleet against the pane 



Tell of winter cold .and dreary; 

 But within doors, blithely reign 



Bloom, and summer, bright and cheery; 

 Building up her leafy spire. 

 Day by day still high and higher, 

 Of my flowers the fairest one, 

 Grows my gay abutilon. 



Heedless of the frost and cold, 

 Hanging out her bells of amber 



