﻿374 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  October, 
  1907 
  

  

  inducement 
  should 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  fern 
  ball 
  

   to 
  grow. 
  The 
  whole 
  thing 
  must 
  be 
  steeped 
  in 
  

   water 
  once 
  in 
  twenty-four 
  hours, 
  while 
  when- 
  

   ever 
  it 
  is 
  deemed 
  to 
  be 
  necessary 
  the 
  shooting 
  

   rhizomes 
  should 
  be 
  syringed. 
  Toward 
  the 
  fall 
  

   a 
  decided 
  slackening 
  in 
  the 
  vigor 
  of 
  growth 
  

   will 
  be 
  apparent 
  in 
  the 
  fern 
  ball, 
  and 
  then 
  is 
  

   the 
  time 
  to 
  start 
  the 
  gradual 
  drying 
  off. 
  It 
  is 
  

   unwise, 
  and 
  may 
  indeed 
  be 
  fatal 
  to 
  the 
  plant, 
  

   to 
  cut 
  off 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  water 
  altogether 
  on 
  one 
  

   day. 
  Spread 
  the 
  process 
  over 
  a 
  fortnight, 
  giv- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  less 
  amount 
  of 
  water 
  each 
  time, 
  until 
  the 
  

   sprinklings 
  are 
  stopped 
  altogether. 
  All 
  the 
  

   winter 
  the 
  fern 
  ball 
  must 
  be 
  kept 
  in 
  a 
  dry 
  even 
  

   temperature, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  return 
  of 
  spring 
  it 
  

   should 
  start 
  as 
  freely 
  as 
  ever. 
  

  

  Not 
  a 
  few 
  plants 
  will 
  grow 
  in 
  water 
  alone. 
  

   Of 
  course, 
  the 
  culture 
  of 
  hyacinths 
  bulbs 
  in 
  

   glasses 
  is 
  too 
  well 
  known 
  to 
  warrant 
  any 
  

   lengthy 
  description, 
  although 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  useful 
  

   to 
  mention 
  that 
  where 
  so 
  many 
  people 
  fail 
  in 
  

   the 
  growing 
  of 
  these 
  bulbs 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  

   that 
  they 
  will 
  stand 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  light 
  position 
  at 
  

   first. 
  For 
  at 
  least 
  ten 
  weeks 
  after 
  planting 
  the 
  

   bulbs 
  should 
  be 
  kept 
  in 
  a 
  dark, 
  dry 
  cupboard 
  until 
  they 
  have 
  

   rooted 
  well. 
  Then 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  brought 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  light, 
  

   when 
  they 
  will 
  speedily 
  start 
  a 
  healthy 
  top 
  growth. 
  Hya- 
  

   cinths 
  are 
  not 
  alone 
  as 
  bulbs 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  cultivated 
  in 
  a 
  

   vase, 
  another 
  excellent 
  subject 
  suc- 
  

   ceeding 
  under 
  the 
  same 
  treatment 
  

   being 
  the 
  narcissus, 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  

   Chinese 
  joss 
  lily. 
  Acorns 
  make 
  in- 
  

   teresting 
  specimens 
  for 
  growing 
  in 
  

   small 
  vases, 
  filled 
  with 
  water, 
  and 
  

   will 
  make 
  fine 
  little 
  oak 
  trees. 
  The 
  

   succulent 
  plant 
  commonly 
  known 
  as 
  

   the 
  house 
  leek, 
  of 
  which 
  an 
  illustra- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  given, 
  will 
  flourish 
  well 
  for 
  a 
  

   long 
  time 
  in 
  plain 
  water. 
  The 
  chief 
  

   point 
  to 
  bear 
  in 
  mind 
  in 
  the 
  culture 
  

   of 
  all 
  these 
  plants 
  is 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  most 
  

   important 
  that 
  the 
  water 
  should 
  be 
  

   kept 
  perfectly 
  sweet 
  and 
  wholesome. 
  

   To 
  this 
  end 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  plan 
  to 
  place 
  

   a 
  small 
  lump 
  of 
  charcoal 
  in 
  each 
  

   vase. 
  In 
  all 
  cases 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  to 
  use 
  

   spring 
  water 
  if 
  possible, 
  though 
  if 
  

   this 
  is 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  question 
  there 
  will 
  

   be 
  no 
  harm 
  in 
  resorting 
  to 
  the 
  tap. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  foregoing 
  specimens 
  

   for 
  our 
  garden 
  without 
  soil 
  water 
  

   has 
  played 
  a 
  prominent 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  The 
  Common 
  House 
  Leek 
  

  

  Flourishes 
  Well 
  in 
  a 
  

  

  Vase 
  of 
  Water 
  

  

  The 
  Clay 
  Head 
  Keeps 
  Longer 
  in 
  Perfection 
  

   Under 
  a 
  Glass 
  Shade 
  

  

  culture 
  of 
  the 
  plants. 
  But 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  

   Monarch 
  of 
  the 
  East, 
  a 
  strange 
  species 
  nearly 
  

   related 
  to 
  the 
  arums, 
  even 
  moisture 
  can 
  be 
  

   dispensed 
  with, 
  at 
  any 
  rate 
  during 
  flowering 
  

   time. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  fact 
  that 
  this 
  plant, 
  bulbs 
  of 
  

   which 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  obtained 
  at 
  any 
  florist's 
  store, 
  

   will 
  display 
  its 
  fine 
  blossoms 
  without 
  having 
  

   been 
  supplied 
  with 
  any 
  water 
  at 
  all. 
  Place 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  roots 
  upon 
  an 
  ordinary 
  mantelshell 
  

   during 
  the 
  autumn, 
  and 
  go 
  away 
  and 
  for- 
  

   get 
  all 
  about 
  it. 
  Toward 
  the 
  spring 
  it 
  will 
  

   be 
  noticed 
  that 
  a 
  shoot 
  is 
  being 
  sent 
  up 
  from 
  

   the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  bulb, 
  and 
  this 
  goes 
  on 
  

   developing 
  day 
  by 
  day 
  until 
  a 
  splendid 
  flower, 
  

   glowing 
  with 
  crimson 
  and 
  yellow, 
  is 
  produced. 
  

   After 
  blooming 
  time, 
  if 
  the 
  Monarch 
  of 
  the 
  

   East 
  is 
  wanted 
  for 
  another 
  year, 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  plant 
  the 
  bulb 
  out 
  in 
  soil 
  in 
  a 
  pot 
  or 
  the 
  

   open 
  border. 
  Now 
  it 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  strange 
  plant 
  

   desires 
  water, 
  and 
  plenty 
  of 
  it. 
  With 
  extraor- 
  

   dinary 
  rapidity 
  a 
  giant 
  leaf 
  is 
  sent 
  up, 
  and 
  all 
  

   this 
  time 
  liberal 
  supplies 
  of 
  moisture 
  should 
  be 
  

   given. 
  At 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  summer 
  the 
  bulb 
  

   must 
  be 
  dried 
  off 
  and 
  set 
  aside 
  for 
  its 
  flowering, 
  

   which 
  achievement, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  seen, 
  is 
  accomplished 
  on 
  the 
  

   water 
  stored 
  during 
  the 
  growing 
  period. 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  gathered 
  from 
  this 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  most 
  

   suited 
  to 
  the 
  garden 
  without 
  soil 
  that 
  the 
  management 
  of 
  

  

  the 
  collection 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  simple 
  affair. 
  

   Given 
  a 
  good 
  light 
  situation 
  and 
  

   even 
  temperature, 
  all 
  should 
  go 
  well 
  

   with 
  the 
  plants 
  under 
  very 
  ordinary 
  

   treatment. 
  Perhaps 
  the 
  greatest 
  

   enemy, 
  especially 
  should 
  the 
  garden 
  

   be 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  living-room, 
  is 
  dust. 
  

   All 
  the 
  plants 
  must 
  be 
  kept 
  scrupu- 
  

   lously 
  clean, 
  any 
  specks 
  of 
  dirt 
  being 
  

   washed 
  away 
  with 
  a 
  soft 
  sponge. 
  It 
  

   must 
  be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind 
  that 
  artificial 
  

   light 
  is 
  rather 
  harmful 
  to 
  plant 
  life, 
  

   and 
  some 
  means 
  of 
  shading 
  the 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  should 
  be 
  adopted 
  when 
  light- 
  

   ing-up 
  time 
  comes. 
  

  

  Yet 
  so 
  very 
  little 
  care 
  is 
  required 
  

   in 
  the 
  soilless 
  garden, 
  comparable 
  

   with 
  the 
  vigorous 
  labor 
  needed 
  for 
  

   the 
  garden 
  in 
  the 
  outdoor 
  or 
  indoor 
  

   earth, 
  that 
  the 
  very 
  utmost 
  one 
  has 
  

   to 
  do 
  hardly 
  counts 
  at 
  all 
  as 
  labor, 
  

   and 
  is 
  merely 
  a 
  pleasure. 
  It 
  is, 
  of 
  

   course, 
  an 
  indoor 
  garden, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  

   much 
  variety 
  in 
  it 
  and 
  much 
  pleasure. 
  

  

  A 
  Spoon 
  Simplifies 
  Sowing 
  the 
  Clay 
  Shapes 
  with 
  Seed 
  

  

  The 
  Vanilla 
  Orchid 
  Trained 
  Along 
  the 
  Roof 
  of 
  a 
  Warm 
  Greenhouse 
  

  

  