10 



THE FLOT{AL lVOT{LD 



CALLA AND FREESIA IN JANUARY. 



The Calla, if given proper soil at re- 

 potting time, is now at its best, and, 

 as the blooming period is short, will 

 pay us well for all extra trouDle. First 

 give them sunshine, all that is possi- 

 ble. They are aquatic plants and, al- 

 though we grow them in pots of soil, 

 they must be kept constantly moist. 

 The first of this month I begin giving 

 them a cup of hot water on the soil 

 each morning. This greatly helps to 

 force the flowers. 



I use liquid fertilizer twice a week, 

 half a teaspoonful of ammonia to half 

 a gallon of water. I find also, that a 

 cupful of boiling water set on the flow- 

 er shelf — among the plants — is very 

 beneficial. Even on the coldest days 

 a cupful of boiling water will steam 

 for some time, and when it cools off, a 

 few minutes on the stove will bring it 

 to the boiling point again. This 

 steaming process is very beneficial to 

 all plants at this time, and especially 

 so to the Calla. 



The sweetest of all our winter- 

 blooming plants, the Freesia, is bloom- 

 ing now, and this same hot water 

 treatment is very beneficial to it. T 

 move my plants to or three times a 

 day to give all the sunshine possible. 

 I allow neither 'of them a temperature 

 lower than fifty-five degrees. 



Kentucky. Miss Laura Jones. 



CINERARIAS FROM SEED. 



In my first trial with Cinerarias, I 

 hit upon the right treatment quite by 

 accident, as I knew aimost nothing of 

 their requirements. I succeeded in 

 raising a number of plants, which 

 grew and bloomed very satisfactorily. 

 But, at my next trial, every plant died 

 off. This, I think, was the cause of 

 the failure: The soil I selected was 

 too close and heavy, and I sifted it, 

 making it yet more compact; while 

 the cinerarias loves a porous soil, with 



perfect drainage, though fond of 

 plenty of water. 



Give them good ventilation and the 

 coolest place you can find (without 

 freezing). I tried some seed again 

 last spring and now have some very 

 nice, thrifty plants, v. ah large, glossy 

 leaves. 



The greatest enemy of the cinerarias 

 is the aphis, or green fiy. He will sure- 

 ly ruin your plants unless you take 

 measures to prevent him. I used to 

 wash my piants with soapsuds ana to- 

 bacco tea, after they became infested 

 with the insects. But this year I have 

 tried to prevent their appearance, thus 

 far with success. I keep a light mulch 

 of tobacco on the soil. Any kind of to- 

 bacco will do; powdered cigar stubs 

 are good. 



After the plants are done blooming, 

 the tops can be cut down and new 

 shoots will spring up from tne roots, 

 which will bloom quite well another 

 season. 



New York. Mrs. J. M. Perkins. 



THE DEATH OF THE FLOWERS. 



Oh, woe is me today I 

 King Jack, what hast thou done? 

 Where are my beautiful treasures, I say, 

 Thou cruel, mocking one! 



But yester-night old Cardinal Sage 

 Stood strong, erect, and all aglow, 

 Breathing cheer on youth and age 

 And now, of a truth, it is fallen low. 



And my lovely nasturtiums, cadmium-reds, 

 Like butterflies hovering gorgeously massed. 

 Brave to the last, held up their golden heads. 

 But they, too, went down as the king of terrors 

 passed. 



I sighed, oh, for one more precious flower, 



But not even a daisy was left in the lot. 



I stooped, lo,a little blue face close to mine from 



'neath the bower 

 Faintly breathed, "Forget-me-not." 



Ah, what punishment is meet for him of the 

 icy heart, 



Who has wrought all this havoc in a few short 

 hours? 



Old Sol shall come forth and wither him with a 

 dart. 



As tolls the knell of the passing flowers. 



—McLeod. 



