THE CANADIAN H0KTICULTUKI8T. 



255 



ward glance at our successes and fail- 

 ures, which will help us to make 

 success more certain in all departments 

 when again the icy bands are loosed, 

 and mother earth is free once more. 

 But, as we gather around our firesides, 

 let us enjoy the consolation that all of 

 our floral pets were not outside when 

 that midnight assassin, Jack Frost, 

 paid us a visit. These will now be- 

 come more dear to us, and we will 

 watch them with pleasure as the dreary 

 days of winter pass by. Let us see 

 that comfortable quarters are given 

 them, that their insect enemies do not 

 increase and prey upon them, that food 

 is given and water is not withheld 

 when required by them. 



As a mother watches her child that 

 cannot tell its wants, and supplies 

 them, so must we watch our dumb 

 pets ; and as a child needs sleep, so 

 must our plants have rest. A cooler 

 atmosphere at night will give ifiis, but 

 sometimes the house is warmer at night 

 than in the day ; and, if they are kept 

 up at fever heat day and night, sick- 

 ness and de.th must follow. Many 

 times I am asked, " "What is the mat- 

 ter with my geraniums : I cannot get 

 them to flower ;" or, " I cannot succeed 

 with fuschias ; I wish you would tell 

 me what is wrong." Well, as I do 

 not know all the circumstances, I tell 

 them there is something materially 

 astray in the home treatment ; it is 

 nothing outside of nature — it can all be 

 accounted for ; and he who has plants, 

 and I'eally loves them, will have healthy 

 plants. I want to say something about 

 a few plants that nearly all can succeed 

 with in the house duiing winter. I 

 would place foremost on this list 



PRIMULAS, 



better known as Chinese Primroses. 

 They need liardly ever to be out of 

 bloom, except for a short time during 

 the hot summer weather. They must 

 be kept in a cool room or window ; 



they will do little or no good in a hot 

 dry atmosphere. 



CYCLAMEN'. 



Another pretty winter blooming 

 plant, requiring a rest dui-ing the 

 summer. By this I mean the bulb 

 may be dried off" altogether, or only 

 l)artially so, and repotted early in Se]>- 

 tember. Most varieties have not only 

 a peculiar flower, but also a pretty 

 marked leaf 



BEGONIA REX 



makes a grand plant for the table, if 

 nicely grown, as it does not require any 

 sun. It is very suitable for a north 

 window. Two things are requisite to 

 bring this plant to perfection, viz : 

 large pots with good soil, and plenty of 

 water in the growing season, or duiing 

 the summer. Not s < much is required 

 in the winter. 



BEGONIAS FLOWERING, 



such as Rubfa, Metallica, Nigricans, 

 Schmidtii, and many others, are beau- 

 tiful for the window garden, but we 

 would not leave out our old standby 

 friends, the Geraniums, which can be 

 had single and double, all shades, and 

 may be had in bloom nearly all winter ; 

 there is the Paris Daisy, in shades of 

 yellow and white, nearly a constant 

 bloomer ; then there are the monthly 

 rd^es, stocks, svjeet allyssiim, and many 

 others. But I want to tell yjm 



HOW TO MAKE A FERNERY 



in an hour, that will give more pleasure 

 an^reqaire less care than will any 

 plants that I know of. These home- 

 made ferneries may be made square 

 or octagonal, high or low, rustic or 

 plain, small or large ; but so as to be 

 easily understood, let us describe a 

 plain square one. Make or procure a 

 small box, 12i x 12^ inches, and six 

 or eight inches deep. This is the case 

 to hold the earth and ferns. Now 

 take four lights of glass, 12 x 16 in., 

 and i)ut strips of glazed cambric about 



