This, That And The Other 



A GOOD BEGONIA 



Among all the Begonias — and the list 

 is a long one — there is none more satis- 

 factory in all ways than the variety known 

 as Argentea Guttata. It is of as easy 

 culture as a Geranimn. Anyone can grow 

 it, and it appears to he as much at home 

 in the dwelling house as in the greenhouse. 

 It is of rapid growth. It has a spreading 

 rather than an upright habit. A two or 

 three-year-old plant is often four or five 

 feet across, with dozens of stout stalks all 

 sent up from the roots of the plant. Its 

 foliage is long, sharply pointed, of a rich 

 olive on the upper surface, thickly spotted 

 with silvery white, while the lower side 

 is a dull red. A well-grown plant is 

 simply magnificent, its foliage being far 

 more attractive than that of most plants 

 grown for decorative purposes. But in ad- 

 dition to its foliage it has most beautiful 

 flowers, in large, spreading clusters, a soft, 

 pearly flesh in color, passing to almost 

 white. 



To grow this Begonia well give it a soil 

 of loam into which considerable leaf mold 

 and sand has been worked. Keep it out 

 of strong sunshine. It grows nearly all 

 the year round, therefore a fertilizer can 

 be safely applied at any time. Those who 

 have trouble with Metallica and other 

 varieties shedding their leaves will find 

 that this sort will not give them any cause 

 for complaint. If I were to have but one 

 Begonia it should be this one. 



THE ABUTILO^T 



Here is a plant that any one can grow, 

 and one that all who are in search of plants 

 that pretty nearly take care of themselves 

 will be delighted with. It is an old fa- 

 vorite, having been grown for years under 

 the name of Chinese Bellflower, Flowering 

 ^faple, and Fairy Balls. Its blossoms are 

 bell-shaped and pendent. Its foliage is 

 shaped very much like that of many va- 

 rieties of our native Maples, hence its 



popular names. There are many varieties^ 

 in red, pink, rose, yellow, and white. AYe 

 have several sorts with' prettily variegated 

 foliage — Tliompsons, green marbled with 

 yellow; Souvenir de Bonne, green and 

 ivory; Savitzii, green and white, 'and 

 Vexillarium, light and dark green and 

 light and dark yellow, in mosaic-like blocks 

 of color. Give this plant a soil of or- 

 dinary garden loam, with frequent appli- 

 cations of some good fertilizer when it is 

 growing. After flow^ering cut it back well 

 and let it renew itself. It can be wintered 

 safely in the cellar. It can be grown in 

 bush form or as a tree. Insects seldom 

 attack it. On this account it will be a 

 favorite with those who have to fight 

 scale and mealy bug and aphis. 



THE ACHAINA 



This plant is a near relative of the 

 Abutilon, and has equal merit, but, for 

 some unaccountable reason, it is seldom 

 found in ordinary collections. It has 

 pretty, dark green foliage, which in itself 

 is sufficient to render it very attractive. 

 Its flowers are a bright, rich scarlet, con- 

 trasting charmingly with the foliage. It 

 is one of the most persistent of all flower- 

 ing plants. A well-grown specimen is 

 seldom without blossoms. I do not re- 

 member that I have ever seen an insect 

 on it. Its leaves have a little white granu- 

 lar substance on them which is often taken 

 to be an insect of some kind, but a little 

 careful examination will show that this is 

 a peculiarity of the plant, and not some- 

 thing to be feared. 



THE PLUMBAGO 



Here is another plant of great merit 

 which is greatly neglected. Those who 

 do grow it, however, are always enthusi- 

 astic over it. It is a rapid grower, and of 

 such slender habit that it seems almost a 

 climber. Its foliage is not particularly 

 attractive, because there is not much of it. 

 But its flowers are borne in great profusion 



