14 



THE FLORAL IVORLD 



'^A w£ BIT ABOUT IVIY FLOWERING." 



My conservatory has an east, west 

 and two south windows, a shelf on 

 three sides one foot high, reaching the 

 windows, also a shelf on two sides half- 

 way up the windows. Brackets, hang- 

 ing baskets, and boxes made like paper 

 holders to hang on wall between the 

 doors made that a bank of green. I had 

 two light doors to stand up, buttoned 

 on outside, so as to steam my plants 

 by putting in a large kettle of boiling 

 water. Heating stones and irons red 

 hot, dropping in the water, made a 

 mist that covered every leaf and 

 flower. Sometimes with my brass 

 syringe I would give them a real sum- 

 mer shower, drenching them from top 

 to toe; thus everything grew rank and 

 thrifty. Vines add much beauty. My 

 Hoya, trained overhead, loaded with 

 blossoms, made a fine show. The En- 

 glish ivy running out into the sitting 

 room spread across two sides. Mau- 

 randia, white and purple, had to 

 be watched closely to cut off seed 

 pods. A variegated passion vine 

 was one of my prettiest vines. 

 Hanging boxes and baskets were 

 filled with oxalis, sweet alyssum, 

 kenilworth ivy, peristrophe and lo- 

 belia. Asparagus tenuissimus up 

 to top of window was lovely. Senecio 

 scandens and Cobea, with its purple 

 bells, with the yellow asters, made a 

 good contrast. One year I got some cow 

 manure over a year old and potted all 

 my plants. A friend coming in, said: 

 "Throw that away; your pots will have 

 worms in." I didn't believe him, foi' 

 had I not read one ought to get manui e 

 a year old? One day I found six big 

 white grubs in one pot. I soon got 

 fresh earth, baked it and potted them 

 again — the hardest day's work I ever 

 did. But I didn't tell my friend — I had 

 heard "I told you so" before, and did 

 not care "lo hear it again. 



Wisconsin. Aunt Kate. 



TO PREPARE^PRIMROSES^FOR WINTER 

 BLOOMING. 



The primroses are very attractive 

 flowers in all their varieties, but those 

 best adapted for the amateur culturist 

 arc of the species distinguished as the 

 Chinese. These bloom most freely dur- 

 ing the latter part of winter and 

 through spring and often into the sum- 

 mer. The leaves are soft and downy^ 

 the flowers are like delicate porcelain, 

 and appear in clusters, with a plain or 

 fringed margin. The colors are white, 

 rose, and varying shades through to 

 crimson. They can be grown from side 

 s.ioots (used as cuttings), which, when 

 low down on the plant, start the rudi- 

 ments of roots even before removed. 

 The great trouble is that they are apt 

 to "damp off" or decay at the base be- 

 fore rooting. The following method we 

 have always found successful in our 

 garden. 



We take the cutting as soon as sev- 

 ered and dust the end with powdered 

 charcoal; then press it against the soil, 

 taking care not to emi^ed it too deeply, 

 and then cover with a glass, tilted 

 slightly so as to admit fresh air. These 

 primrose cuttings require a moist, still 

 atmosphere when taking root, but they^ 

 do not thrive if too damp, as a rot at- 

 tacks the stalk, sometimes looking; 

 quite healthy at the top when it is 

 gone past redemption just above the 

 root. Keep the plants in a lov/ tem- 

 perature and a shady situation. Do> 

 not over-water. When in bloom they 

 can be placed in north windows. With 

 a little care and good judgment, these 

 plants can be made general favorites, 

 in our winter window garden. Baby 

 Primrose is -already in bloom at this, 

 time (December 17). Obonicia is a va- 

 riety that ought to be in every collec- 

 tion. These little beauties were rightly 

 named when they were given the name 

 primrose, for they are always looking^^ 

 prim. 



Indiana. Mrs. R. A. Houk. 



