282 
Make a tapering point—two inches long— 
on oneend; the other should be drawn down 
to an edge. This latter will be very useful 
in separating the plants and firming the 
soil about the seedling when it has been set 
in the new soil. 
Put in rows an inch or two apart, water 
thoroughly, and shade for several days 
from hot sun with newspapers. Do not 
water again until the surface of the soil be- 
gins to dry. Do not delay the pricking off, 
do it just as soon as the littie seedlings can be 
handled for they may all be lost by “‘damp- 
ing off” or they may become drawn. Should 
the seedlings begin to damp off apply some 
hot sand, sprinkling it on with a fine-meshed 
sieve. 
As soon as the plants need still more room 
prick them out singly into thumb (2-inch) 
pots. When transplanting insert the plant- 
let a little deeper than it was in the old bed. 
THE FATAL FROST 
All the plants named later in this article 
can be grown in an ordinary window, where 
ordinary living-room conditions — prevail. 
The temperature should be from 50° to 55° 
at night, and under no circumstances must 
the freezing point be reached. The day 
temperature, if you can control it, may be 
allowed to rise 10° on dull days and 15° or 
20° will do no harm when the sun shines. 
During the winter have a care that none of 
the leaves of the plants touch the glass 
during the night or when there is frost out- 
| 
E 
A poor sort of screening as drainage holes! An ash 
sieve is used for screening the soil 
An 8-inch pan with corse screenings, and drainage 
topped with sphagnum moss, to prevent washing 
l« 
The same pan filled with soil, and ready for the seeds 
—compare with first two figures on page 281 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
side because it will at least chill and maybe 
kill them. 
On very cold nights move the boxes or 
pots away from the window and put news- 
papers in front of the glass, but leaving 
a dead air space between. 
IS FEEDING NEEDED? 
When the roots have well filled the pots, 
the plants may need a dose of liquid manure— 
plant fertilizer in solution or soot water. 
But for the first year this is unnecessary, and 
in any case should be done only during the 
spring and summer when growth 1s active. 
Cow manure is the safest article for the win- 
dow gardener to use as there is no danger of 
getting it too strong and burning the roots. 
To make use about one bushel of manure 
to a 50-gallon barrel of water. Soot water 
is made by putting one-half pint of soft coal 
soot to ten gallons of water, hard coal soot 
is useless as a plant food. 
RED BERRIES FOR CHRISTMAS 
Nothing is easier for the owner of a sunny 
window than to grow a few plants of the Jeru- 
salem cherry (Solanum Psuedo-Ca psicum), as 
the spare room is needed only when the 
weather gets warm outside. I don’t know of 
a more generally satisfactory Christmas plant 
either. It is symmetrical, full of bright red 
berries, and can easily be had with a head 
a foot in diameter for the holidays from 
seeds sown during winter or spring. The 
“cherries” hang on for three months. 
Sow the seeds in February, and as the 
plants fill their pots with roots, shift to a 
slightly larger pot. qg 
During summer, plunge them in a shady 
place outdoors, and give plenty of water. 
By pinching back, and turning, the plants 
may be kept symmetrical. When taken in 
the house in the fall, see that they get plenty 
of air and plenty of water at the roots, and 
syringe the foliage. Be careful about water- 
ing while the fruit is setting and ripening, 
which will be in November and December. 
To carry the plants over from one year to the 
next, cut back the old plants in the spring, 
and give the same treatment as they had the 
previous summer. 
A PLANT FOR BASKETS 
The best decorative plant for shelves, 
baskets, or hanging baskets is the foliage 
asparagus (A. Sprengerz). Its foliage is much 
coarser than that of the fine-leaved aspar- 
agus (A. plumosus), somewhat resembling 
light, glossy-green pine-needles, stuck end- 
wise upon viney stems. But its branches 
hang down gracefully on all sides, and make 
a handsome, symmetrical plant. If kept 
growing freely all summer the plant will 
produce an abundance of red berries about 
Christmas time, making a welcome addition 
at that season. 
VINES THAT FLOWER ALL WINTER 
I think no plants are more artistic, more 
beautiful for room decoration than the 
climbing vines. The fact that they are so 
seldom used for this purpose gives them an 
added distinction. For myself, I prefer the 
JANUARY, 1907 
ivies, on account of their simple strength and 
grace; and they are best got at the florist’s. 
But several good house vines are best raised 
from seed. ‘The cup-and-saucer-flower (Co- 
bea scandens), and Thunbergia alata, with 
its varieties, are the best two flowering vines 
for the house. The former has purple, bell- 
shaped flowers, two inches across, the latter 
having, according to the variety, blooms of 
golden yellow, rich orange, white and blue, 
or pure white, with white or dark centres, and 
about one and one-half inches across. Both 
these plants are perennials, but are often 
grown as annuals. They are easily raised 
from seed, are strong, rapid growers, and 
have very decorative foliage. 
If seeds are sown early in the year— 
January or February—the plants can be used 
outdoors during the summer, and in Septem- 
ber may be cut back, dug up, and potted for 
the window garden. By making successive 
sowings once a month until the end of May, 
the Thunbergia may be had in bloom all 
winter. The Coboea seeds must always be 
set edgewise in the ground. 
VINES GROWN FOR FOLIAGE 
The smilax of the florists (Asparagus 
medeoloides, also known as Myrsiphyllum 
asparagoides) is also one of the best vines 
A pot needs more drainage than a flat or pan, be- 
cause it is deeper and holds more soil 
Two inches of coarse drainage is not too much 
to provide for an 8-inch pot 
