22 



HOME AND FLOWERS 



bloom till late in February every year. I have 

 a few Daffodils, Iris, Jonquils, and a red and 

 a pink Amaryllis. The red one is blooming now. 

 The Gladioluses are blooming now, too. I have 

 many of them. I have never been without 

 Smilax. It grows outdoors all winter, and is 

 very pretty to decorate with, I have a lot of 

 Daliliats, and have raised so many from seed; 

 I don't think I could have a garden without 

 them. I have a few Cannas. My favorite 

 flower of all is the Hyacinth, and I am proud 

 of my bed of these plants. Eight years ago I 

 bought two dozen bulbs from a firm in Spring- 

 field, and they have increased so well that last 

 March when they were in blossom there were 

 one hundred and fifty blossoms. I felt repaid 

 for all the care I had given them. I have all 

 shades and colors; white formed two-thirds of 

 all the blossoms. They were a mass of beauty. 



"Mrs M. E. Howard." 



This letter from Texas gives us an interesting 

 glimpse of conditions in that section of our 

 country, and will be read with interest, we are 

 very sure: 



"As I haven't seen anything from Texas, I 

 will give some of my successes and failures with 

 flowers. I have always loved flowers, but for 

 a great part of my life had no chance to grow 

 them, but since my children have all married 

 and left me, I find I have time to do so. I 

 have tried a good many kinds, and have had 

 many failures and have been deceived by flat- 

 tering catalogues, but get many nice plants. 

 There are some plants that won't stand our long, 

 hot, dry summers. They are all right in win- 

 ter, but just as soon as the hot months come 

 they die. The Pansy blooms all winter here, 

 but dies about the first of July. Our greatest 

 trouble is to get our plants started early enough 

 in the season to get the start of the hot weather. 

 All kinds of Eoses stand the winter, and are 

 often in bloom at Christmas. I spent part of 

 last summer in California. That iV > <th2 land of 

 flowers. I thought when I was .^jr I wouldn't 

 try to have flowers any more in Texas, but when 

 I got home I couldn't think of doing without 

 them, and have tried harder than ever to suc- 

 ceed with them, and have nicer flowers now 

 than I ever had before. The Canna lives out all 

 winter here. My worst trouble with it is it 

 increases so fast. I have divided with all my 

 friends and neighbors, and mine are still so 

 thick they don't bloom well. I have a Palm 

 that I have had for five years, and it is the 

 nicest one I know of anywhere. I have a very 

 nice Boston Fern, also a Lace Fern. My Be- 

 gonias don't do so well. I think the climate is 

 almost too dry for them, but Lantanas, Carna- 

 tions, Chrysanthemums, Coleus, and Geraniums 



grow finely. My Gladiolus are just beginning 

 to bloom. Dahlias don't do well here. I tried 

 a Fern-ball. It didn't grow at all. I think 

 it was spoiled before I got it. I got another, 

 and it only grew on one side, so it wasn't a 

 success. I got a Silver-spot Salvia, but it 

 hasn't got any spots on the leaves, and looks 

 very much like the old sort. Is there such a 

 Salvia with a spotted leaf? With the exception 

 of a small green worm that bothered my Fuch- 

 sias, I haven't been troubled with any pests, 

 this year. If I get in trouble about any of them 

 I hunt up my old Home and Flowers and find 

 a remedy. I couldn't think of doing without 

 the magazine. I have taken it for five years, 

 and have my subscription paid up to 1905. I 

 love to read the letters from the subscribers, 

 for they give me to understand that I am not 

 alone in my failures. I agree with Mr. Eexford 

 that there is too much sentimental theorizing 

 that reads well, but can't be put in practice. 

 I am an old woman of sixty year^, and this is 

 my first attempt to write for a paper. If you 

 don't think it worth publishing, just throw it in 

 the waste basket. Mrs. D. L. Chapman." 



We hope Mrs. Chapman's "first attempt" 

 will not be her last one. Come again, please. 

 A lover of flowers is as young at sixty as she 

 was at twenty-five, when flowers sre being 

 talked about. In fact, I have never seen a 

 flower lover who seemed really old. The "foun- 

 tain of youth" will be found to have flowers 

 growing all about it, if ever found. 



Mrs. Albert F. Bean, Vienna, Maine, will 

 please accept hearty thanks for this pleasant 

 and helpful letter. Her Palm is probably doing 

 all that could be expected of it. The best Galla 

 is the old kind. If they are covered well, hardy 

 Chrysanthemums ought to survive a Maine 

 winter. 



"I have derived so much benefit from Home 

 AND Flowers that I would like to thank you all. 

 I keep a few house plants, and in summer have 

 a garden. I grow Verbenas, Begonias, Gera- 

 niums, and Ageratums for the house, and peren- 

 nials for the garden. I have never 'succeeded 

 in making my Geraniums bloom before the last 

 of February, but they give a wealth of bloom 

 after that, and they are always pretty when not 

 in bloom. Shall keep my old Geraniums and 

 treat as Mr. Eexford advised in the May num- 

 ber of Home and Flowers, and see if I can 

 have them flower earlier next winter. I take 

 Verbena slips any time in summer or fall, 

 place in water until rooted, then pot in rich 

 soil, and they will bloom in a few weeks and 

 continue all winter. Treat as you would Gera- 

 niums. Ageratum is also good. I had a lovely 



