102 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Skimmia Japonica is a broad-leaved ever- 

 green which is not hardy north of Washing- 

 ton, D. C, but, although rather a slow 

 grower, it is one of the handsomest of the 

 red-berried plants which may be had for 

 Christmas decoration. If seeds are sown 

 in the fall and the young plants carried over 

 winter in a cool place, and planted out in 

 the garden in good soil, beautiful little 

 plants will be had for potting in October, 

 which will bear a good crop of berries that 

 will remain on the plants all winter. These 

 berries are bright scarlet or coral red, slightly 

 angled, and about one-quarter of an inch 

 across. At the present time seeds are 

 scarce, so the best way will be to buy a plant 

 from the florist and carry it over from year 

 to year. 



With the best of care and cultivation 

 these plants w^ill probably never exceed a 

 height of two or three feet when grown in 

 pots. One drawback to their cultivation is 

 that only one kind of a flower is borne on 

 a plant so that if one wishes berries he must 

 see to it that he has both staminate and 

 pistillate flowers. 



In addition to the winter decorative 



