THE FLORAL IVORLD. 



5 



Centaureas, with their beautiful, sil- 

 very foliage sets off the others well. 

 Another fine foliage plant with curled 

 and crested leaves, glistening like sil- 

 ver, is Glaucium Corniculatum. 



Asparagus Penmosana and A. Spren- 

 geri are easy to raise from seed. A. 

 Verticillatus is a graceful, hardy climb- 

 er — a perennial. 



Eryngium Amethysturium is a no- 

 ble and handosme plant, with spiny, 

 laciniated foliage and heads of flowers 

 of a lovely amethystine blue, the 

 bracts as well as the upper portion 

 of the stem being of the same color. 



Nebraska. Mrs. O. H. Hereford. 



CYCLAMEN A GOOD PLANT FOR 

 AMATEURS. 



ihe most satisfactory plants that an 

 amateur can have are three or four 

 Cyclamens — red, white, rose, and the 

 white with pink eye. They will bloom 

 for several months in succession dur- 

 ing the most gloomy days of winter. 



The corymbs increase year by year 

 until they lack the vitality to produce 

 the largest flowers. Those about two 

 inches in diameter are the best. Pot 

 them in five-inch pots. Use porous 

 soil; leaf mold, old manure, with a lit- 

 tle wood soot is good. Do not cover 

 the corymbs; but press into the soil 

 until half covered. Good drainage is 

 important. They dislike stagnant soil. 

 When they are started, give a free 

 supply of water until after the bloom- 

 ing period. A sunny window will 

 make thrifty plants and fine blooms. 



The roots of the cyclamen live from 

 year to year. Therefore the corymb 

 should never be dried off. Always 

 keep the soil moist, not wet. Even 

 after blooming, when summer comes, 

 place the pots in at sunny spot in 

 the garden and cover with a mulch of 

 old manure. At the end of August 

 the pots can be taken up, the corymb 

 shaken out and put in larger pots, if 

 needed. Cyclamens are not often 



troubled with insects, but you should 

 sponge the leaves once a week to re- 

 move dust. 



The propagation of Cyclamen is al- 

 ways by seed. Seeds are easy to 

 grow, but the seedlings do not bloom 

 till they are about three years old. 



Missouri. Mrs. John P. Ernst. 



ODDS AND ENDS ABOUT FLOWERS. 



Select the seed from your zinnias 

 from the first and second fiowers. A 

 good way to mark them is to tie a 

 piece of yarn as near the color of the 

 flower as possible, and the same with 

 other flowers. Amateur growers 

 should not attempt to save seed from 

 sweet peas, cosmos, petunias, etc. I 

 would say, save all the good seed you 

 can, buy all you can, and give away all 

 you can. The tiny brown seed may 

 convey a divine message. 



An important thing is to have your 

 house plants healthy and free from 

 insects. A good sousing in kerosene 

 emulsion will rid them of soft-bodied 

 insects. 



Armnge your plants to suit their 

 wants. Great care should be taken in 

 watering the rose geranium. Nothing 

 but clean water should be used, as 

 dirty water will kill the foliage. Fish 

 geraniums thrive well with dirty wa- 

 ter. With geraniums that are for wintet 

 blooming, the buds should be pincned 

 off all summer. Most living rooms are 

 too dry for plants, so a basin of boil- 

 ing water should be set near the plants 

 daily. Maderias, dahlias and gladiolas 

 should be lifted the last week of Octo- 

 ber, the dirt shook off and put to dry. 

 Before they are lifted a thick layer of 

 horse manure should be put on the 

 ground. 



Pennsylvania. E. Jane Gray. 



THORN VINES. 



Last April I secured a few thorn 

 vine seed, soaked them over night, cut 

 a slit in each seed to hasten growth. 



