THE FLORAL JVORLD 



9 



CARE OF HOUSE PLANTS 



Our window garden is unique, and T 

 believe the most beautiful and satis- 

 factory arrangement on record for win- 

 tering plants, being wide and deep, 

 with brick walls and cementea bottom, 

 sloping back and drained to carry off 

 surplus water. Plants are profusely 

 sprayed without injury to walls or car- 

 pet. Three bushels of charcoal is over- 

 laid with woods earth, which is formed 

 into little hillocks in the background, 

 with a ravine between, and the surface 

 carpeted with moss, wherein vines and 

 trees are planted. A basin of water 

 furnishes a bath for the canary, whose 

 open cage allows him the freedom of 

 the window, and a family of little tree 

 toads who were enchanted, and volun- 

 tarily appropriated it for their perma- 

 nent quarters. A moss-covered stump 

 with little ferns on its sides and top 

 was procured and carefully located 

 where most effective, and large ferns 

 planted between its spur roots, with 

 still larger kinds grouped elsewhere. 

 Large shells and showy minerals are 

 tastefully disposed among the plants 

 and along the margin as a hint to 

 "please keep off the grass." Swain- 

 sonia or jessamine blooms continu- 

 ously on one side with English ivy 

 scrambling over the opposite and fes- 

 tooning the archway. Hanging bas- 

 kets and brackets of primroses and 

 begonias adorn all windows with ficus 

 repens creeping up between, with a 

 large jardiniere of jaowering plants 

 before each window. Stars of hoya 

 cornita shine down from their glossy 

 depths overhead, from which a scarlet 

 fountain plant is suspended in the act 

 of crowning a venerable sago palm 

 queen of this fairyland. A stately rub- 

 ber tree at its extreme right, with an 

 oleander opposite, are rival compan- 

 ions. Excepting the palm, the kinds 

 and arrangement are changed each sea- 

 son for variety, and given a carpet of 



fresh moss, converting it into ' a thing 

 of beauty and a joy forever." 

 Indiana. Sarah A. Pleas. 



SOME SUGGESTIONS 



I think we should make our homes 

 as happy and beautiful as possible, for 

 such homes exert a powerful influence 

 on the minds and hearts of the chil- 

 dren to start them and keep them in 

 the pathway that leads to happiness 

 and to heaven. 



So I am glad for all the publications 

 and all that is being said and done for 

 the happifying and beautifying of the 

 home. I am especially glad for the 

 birth of this new influence, "The Floral 

 World," and I hope it will grow to be a 

 power for good. To help in the good 

 work, I give a few hints from my ex- 

 perience. 



Neatness is of first importance. Rake 

 up all leaves and trash, trim off or tie 

 up all straggling vines and branches. 

 It is not too late to plant bulbs yet, so 

 by all means plant some, tulips espe- 

 cially, for if a bed of tulips in bloom 

 will not convert the worst old repro- 

 bate into a flower lo-ver, nothing will. 



Bulbs can be bought very cheaply 

 now, as our seedsmen usually have a 

 lot of left-over stock and will sell at 

 about cost — a cent a piece for tulips, 

 crocus, fifty cents per one hundred. 

 Stick them in any where and they will 

 be up and in bloom before the snow is 

 gone. The narcissus is a large and 

 varied family, many of them wonder- 

 fully sweet and beautiful — one dollar 

 per one hundred and once planted, al- 

 ways there. Hyacinths are more ex- 

 pensive, but are so sweet and beauti- 

 ful they are worth all they cost — fifty 

 to seventy-five cents a dozen. Oh, 

 there are so many kinds of bulbs that 

 can be planted yet, both outdoors and 

 for the house. But my space is full. 

 Get seedsmen's catalogues and study 

 them this winter and get acquainted 

 with nature's beauties. 



Ohio. S. J. Galloway. 



