PLANTS SUITED FOR SUMMER DECORATION. 71 



most common mistakes made by purchasers of plants in 

 our city markets, is that of almost invariably choosing 

 large plants, forced into flower ; such plants are usually 

 grown under a high temperature to get them in bloom 

 early, and many a housewife has found that the beautiful 

 full blooming plant of a Eose, Fuchsia, or Pelargonium, 

 which she so tenderly carried home, will in 48 hours drop 

 its flowers and leaves in the cooler and drier atmosphere 

 of her greenhouse, parlor, or garden. But the florist is 

 hardly to blame for this, though I know he is often se- 

 verely censured ; not one in a score of those who pur- 

 chase plants in spring will buy any plant unless it is in 

 bloom ; the florist grows plants to sell, and must suit the 

 wants of his customer. This partial divergence from the 

 subject in hand, is to show that the small slips or cut- 

 tings that the amateur may raise himself, are in most in- 

 stances better than full-blown forced plants, costing 

 50c. or $1 each. This is particularly so with - monthly 

 Roses, Verbenas, and Petunias ; young plants of these, 

 set out in May, if not more than 3 or 6 inches high, will 

 grow and bloom in profusion the entire summer, while 

 those which have been forced, if they recover at all, will 

 be greatly inferior. 



We plant our young Eoses in May, usually in beds 

 4 feet wide, setting the plants 12 inches apart each way ; 

 they begin to bloom by the middle of June, and con- 

 tinue without interruption until checked by frost in the 

 fall ; and so with most other kinds here named ; nearly 

 all of which are from young plants, propagated during the 

 winter and spring months. The product of cuttings or 

 slips from a " stock" plant varies greatly according to the 

 kind. A good healthy plant of Fuchsia, say 18 inches 

 high, will easily give 40 cuttings ; while a Eose or Gera- 

 nium of the same size will not afford half that number. 

 A fair average for medium sized plants of those named 

 would be 10 cuttings or slips to each plant, so that start- 



