164 THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. [Oct'r. 



if you have been practising this dribbling system daily on your plants 

 all summer, they will look miserable enough. Before you Water any 

 plant, satisfy yourself in the first place that it actually requires it; ex- 

 amine the soil, and if it is dry, give a good soaking. Let it be dry 

 again before you give it any more — never mind although a week or 

 ten days intervene between the waterings ; as long as it is wet it re- 

 quires no water. 



Geraniums. — If you have not already done so, you should lose no 

 time in pruning away all of this year's growth, except two or three 

 buds at the base. If they have long bare stems, cut them down to 

 within six or eight inches of the pot ; do not give them much water 

 until you perceive symptoms of a young growth. This should have 

 been done several weeks ago, but it is better to do it now than leave 

 it undone altogether. 



Roses. — If you have a moderate sized rose bush in your flower bed, 

 and would like a few blooms in your parlor window about Christmas, 

 take it up carefully ana put it in a pot ; | give it a good watering and 

 set it in a shaded place for a week or two. If it wilts much, prune 

 back some of the strongest shoots and cut out the weak ones. Should 

 you purchase a few plants for this purpose, prefer either of the follow- 

 ing — Mrs. Bosanquet, Agrippina, Hermosa, and Souvenir de la Mal- 

 maison. 



Bulbous roots of Hyacinths, Narcissus, Crocus, &c, for the win- 

 dows, should now be procured and potted. Let the pots be well drain- 

 ed ; an oyster shell at the bottom, with a handful of charcoal at top, is 

 as good for this purpose as anything. A little charcoal mixed in all 

 your potting soil will be highly advantageous to the plants — it pre- 

 vents it from getting hard, and lets in the air to the roots. After pot- 

 ing your bulbs place them in a quiet corner, and cover up the pots 

 with ten or twelve inches of coal ashes or common soil, cover it with 

 a few boards to keep off heavy rains. Let them remain so for six or 

 seven weeks ; if you then turn one of them out, you will be delighted 

 with the potful of roots it has made. If you grow these bulbs in glasses 

 of water, take care that the water merely reaches to the bottom of the 

 bulb ; keep them in the dark until they have made some roots — dark 

 colored glasses are always to be preferred. 



General Remarks. — You need not trouble yourself about procur- 

 ing a variety of soils for different kinds of plants. Get a quantity of 

 tough turfy sods, and lay them in a pile with the grassy side down ; 

 when you desire to use it, chop it up with a spade, (not too finely,) 

 and mix about one-fourth of sand and charcoal dust with it. With 

 I proper care in draining pots well, you will find all your plants grow 

 C^ thrifty and flower abundantly in this soil. Chrysanthemums will soon h 

 (^be in flower now ; keep them neatly staked up; use as small stakes asUj 



