1883.] 



t 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



49 



There is a class of autumn-blooming spe- 

 cies which must be planted in August, of 

 which C. Europceum and Neapolitanum are 

 examples. The flowers are red-rose or pure 

 white, and fragrant in the former; the 

 latter is scentless, and blooms before the 

 leaves appear. C. Coum is a very pretty 

 species, with bright, green leaves, red on the 

 under side ; the flowers are bright red, pro- 

 duced external to the leaves, to which they 

 form a margin. It blooms in February or 

 earlier. C. repandum much resembles C. Nea- 

 politanum, but blooms in April, later than 

 any other species ; the flowers are bright 

 rose. 



C. vcruum resembles C. Coum, but is larger 

 in every way ; the leaves have white mar- 

 bling, and the flowers a purple shade. It 

 blooms from November to March. 



C. Afkinsi is a hybrid between Coum and 

 Persicum, The foliage is very large, of deep, 

 glossy green, with a pale zone within the 

 margin ; the under side reddish purple. The 



CYCLAMEN PERSICUM. 



flowers are scentless, white, with crimson 

 eye, but there are all shades of white and 



CONSTRUCTION 01 CONSERVATORIES. 



A suburban or rural mansion can hardly 

 be considered complete without a well-ar- 

 ranged conservatory. Conservatories differ 

 materially from greenhouses, and their con- 

 struction offers frequently considerable diffi- 

 culty to the architect who has not given 

 special attention to the subject. At the out- 

 set several points must be kept in vi6W, 

 which Mr. F. A. Fawkes, author of " Horti- 

 cultural Buildings," in a recent address be- 

 fore the British Architectural Association, 

 sums up as follows : 



1 . A conservatory must be treated as 

 one of the reception-rooms of the dwelling- 

 house. 



'J. Without departing from its strictly 

 horticultural character, we must endeavor to 

 make it ajjproxiniate architecturally, both 

 inside and out, to the other portions of the 

 dwelling-house. 



3. This being so, we must regard the 

 functions of growing and showing as quite 

 separate. I am perfectly aware 

 that many cases exist in which 

 it is necessary that growing and 

 showing be accomplished in the 

 same house. In such eases a 

 compromise must be effected, for 

 if all the conditions of growing 

 be complied with, the conditions 

 of showing will suffer, and vice 

 versd. 



Summing up the chief points 

 to be observed in designing a 

 conservatory, I would say : Con- 

 struct it in harmony with the 

 adjoining or surrounding archi- 

 tecture. Give as much light as 

 you can. Ornament the con- 

 struction ; never construct the 

 ornament. Interest and pleasure 

 should be excited by the broad 

 lines of a conservatory rather 

 than by meretricious ornament 

 and fussy detail. 



Touching the interior I would 

 say : Throw away stages, hide 

 the pots, and let us see natural 

 beds and banks of foliage and 

 flowers massed with artistic ir- 

 regularity. Let there be an ample 

 aved space — not a mere path, 

 but a space so that a table and 

 chair or two may lie placed in 

 it. Let the conservatory be re- 

 garded more as a lounge than a mere place 

 to walk round in single file. 



CYCLAMEN CULTURE. 



The Cyclamen is one of the best plants we 

 have, both for greenhouse and parlor cult- 

 ure, combining neat habit, elegant foliage, 

 and beautiful flower. The roots, which are 

 round, flatish tubers, may be had in the 

 autumn at the seed-stores, or of florists at 

 any season ; but, as the plant is winter- 

 blooming, and rests during the summer, 

 autumn is the season for planting. The 

 proper soil is a mixture of equal parts of 

 turfy loam-peat, leaf-mold, and silver sand ; 

 but where these cannot be had, the tubers 

 may be potted in any rich, light soil. Only 

 one tuber should be placed in a pot, which 

 should always be three times the diameter 

 of the root. It should be well drained, filled 

 with the compost, so that the crown of the 

 tuber when planted will be level with the 

 rim of the pot, leaving about half an inch 

 all around for watering. 



The pots may be kept in a frame, shad- 

 ing them from the sun, or in a cellar, un- 

 til growth begins, giving only 

 enough water to keep the soil 

 moist. Then give more water 

 and plenty of light and air, 

 covering them at night in the 

 frame to protect from cold, or 

 removing them to the parlor 

 window or the greenhouse. Give 

 all the light possible, that the 

 leaves may not become drawn ; 

 if in the greenhouse, place them 

 near the glass, but do not give 

 heat. A temperature of fifty de- 

 grees is sufficient until they begin 

 to bloom. The secret of success- 

 ful culture is air, light, and a 

 low temperature. After the flow- 

 ers fade, gradually withhold wa- 

 ter and allow the tuber to dry, 

 but never to shrivel. The roots 

 may remain in the pots, placed 

 in a cool, airy situation, until 

 the time for replanting. A good 

 plan is to bury the tuber in the 

 pot, in the open ground, and thus 

 the root, when uncovered in the 

 autumn, is fresh and plump. 



Cyclamens are best propagat ed 

 by seed, and it is wonderful what 

 a variety of beautiful flowers may 

 be obtained from a packet of 

 choice seed ; and, by keeping the 

 bulbs in active growth, flowers 

 may be produced within one year. The seed 

 should be sown as soon as ripe, not later 

 than March, in a soil composed of well-rotted 

 manure, leaf -mold, and coarse sand, covered 

 about an eighth of an inch, placed in gentle 

 heat, and never be allowed to become too 

 dry, nor be kept constantly soaked. As soon 

 as the young plants make their appearance, 

 which will be in about four weeks, they 

 should be placed near the light. After they 

 have made two leaves, they have to be pricked 

 out into small pots, taking care not to tear 

 off the fine roots, and to leave about one-third 

 of the bulb above the surface of the soil. As 

 the pots become filled with roots, the bulbs 

 should be transplanted from time to time ; 

 plants that have been kept in thrifty, grow- 

 ing condition requiring, about the beginning 

 of November, five-inch pots. An even tem- 

 perature of fifty to sixty degrees, and full 

 light, are now necessary ; and, with care and 

 an occasional application of liquid manure, 

 many flowers will develop during winter. 



red. 



The most beautiful of all the family is 

 C. Persicum and its many varieties. The 

 leaves are variously heart-shaped, toothed at 

 the edge, deep green, with gray or white mar- 

 bling and pale flesh color beneath. The flow- 

 ers are on tall stalks, with very long petals, 

 white, blotched with crimson at the base in 

 the species, but of every shade, from pure 

 white to deep rosy crimson, in the varieties ; 

 all are very fragrant. A large tuber will 

 often produce a hundred flowers if well 

 grown. This is one of the most beautiful 

 plants for parlor culture ; any one can grow 

 it, and by arranging a succession, the parlor 

 window can be bright with Cyclamens from 

 January until April. All the species are 

 more or less acrid, yet it is said that in 

 Sicily they constitute the principal food of 

 wild swine ; hence their popular name, sou- 

 bread. R. S. E. 



SUCCESS WITH MIGNONETTE, 



Having failed two years in succession to 

 grow Mignonette in the house, and having 

 succeeded perfectly this winter, my plan, 

 which requires no extra pots, may be of help 

 to others. In October, when I take in my 

 Geraniums for winter, I scatter some seed of 

 Mignonette over the top of the earth, and 

 cover with a little fine Sphagnum, or other 

 moss, to keep the earth moist. Pots which 

 receive the full hot sun will not grow Mig- 

 nonette, but those which are in shade a. part 

 of the day will give as rank growth of leaves 

 and flowers as one could ask. Sweet Alys- 

 sum and Candytuft do equally well treated 

 in this way, only to grow well they require 

 the lightest places in the window, and should 

 be exposed to as much sunlight as possible. 



L. R. C. 



