24 



HOME AND FLOWERS 



the poisonous properties of P. Obconica. 

 It was claimed that many persons were 

 unable to have it in the room with them. 

 If they did, an eruptive trouble soon ap- 

 peared on the skin, akin to the effect of 

 the Poison Ivy. I have never seen but 

 two cases of it, and these were on persons 

 troubled with eczema. I do not believe 

 that any person with good blood and a 

 healthy condition of the skin need stand 

 in the least fear of injury from this plant. 



THE FREESIA 



AS a winter bloomer, the Freesia has 

 of late become very popular, its pret- 

 ty flowers being in great demand, . 

 along about holiday-time, for bouquets and 

 table decoration. It is a native of the Cape 

 of Good Hope, and was brought to this 

 coimtry many years ago, therefore it is 

 not what might be called a ^'new" plant, 

 btit for some unaccountable reason it 

 seemed to drop out of sight shortly after 

 its introduction, for a time. But a few 

 years ago, some searcher after "novelties'' 

 heard of it and succeeded in finding it, 

 -and the result is that it has now become 

 a standard flower for forcing in Winter. 

 It is related to the Irid family, which 

 includes the Iris, Gladiolus, Crocus, 

 Tigridia and others of similar habit. 



It is easily brought into bloom in the 

 window-garden. Plant several roots in a 

 vsix inch pot of turfy loam and sand. The 

 pot need not be put away in the dark 

 like those containing ordinary bulbs. 

 Simply water well at planting-time, and 

 then give no more water until growth of 

 top is seen. Give a moderate amount of 

 heat, and no sunshine until after the 

 flowers have faded. Then expose the pots 

 to full sun to ripen the roots. After the 

 foliage turns yellow, set the pots away 

 without disturbing the roots in them. 

 Let the soil dry out during Summer; in 

 September shake the roots out of the old 

 soil and rcipot. By planting at intervals 

 until December, we can secure a long 

 ^succession of bloom. The flower-stalks 



are very slender, and must be tied to sup- 

 ports of wire or something else as unob- 

 trusive, as they reach up. If this is not 

 done they will crinkle down before flower- 

 ing time arrives, and the crop of flowers 

 will be spoiled. 



In color the flowers of the Freesia are 

 pure white, or white with a blotch of pale 

 orange on each of the lower divisions of 

 the perianth. In shape they somewhat 

 resemble the Gladiolus, but they are very 

 much smaller. They average an inch and 

 a half or two inches in length, and are 

 borne in spikes which are depressed at the 

 extremity, as if an accident had happened 

 and half broken down the s])ike at its 

 junction with the stalk. The flowers stand 

 nearly upright on this horizontal stem. 

 The foliage is grass-like and sparse. All 

 the beauty of the plant is in its flowers. 

 They have a rich, fruity, tropical fra- 

 grance, and a spike of them will fill quite 

 a room with their delightful odor. They 

 are very popular for cutting because of 

 their lasting quality. 



Those who have never grown this flower 

 will do well to try a dozen bulbs of it this 

 season. I venture the prediction that 

 they will be so well pleased with it that 

 next year they will have a good many pots 

 of it. 



ARTIFICIAL MANURE FOR POT 

 PLANTS 



A WRITER in the Journal of Horticul- 

 ture advocates the use of artificial 

 manures for pot plants in window 

 and greenhotise, because it is often impos- 

 sible to procure. He such kinds as are 

 generally advised. He fully recognizes 

 the value of liquid manure as obtained 

 from the product of the cow yard, but 

 does not consider it very superior to 

 artificial kinds when the latter are prop- 

 erly applied. He has found, by care- 

 ful experiments, that equal quantities of 

 Peruvian guano and the ordinary com- 

 mercial fertilizers can be combined and 

 made to supply Palms, Ficuses, Azaleas, 



