THE V SA V. 



i8i 



The Dwarf Orange. — -What is known in the trade as 

 the Otaheite orange is a charming plant for pot culture 

 in the conservatory or window-garden. In a two-inch 

 pot, it will flower most profusely and ripen its fruit. 

 Orange blossoms are ever desirable, and when from 

 twenty to thirty can be had on a plant not more^than six 

 inches high, and growing in a two-inch pot, there is no 

 reason why they should not be found in every window. 



Roses at Kew. — In the article on Kew there is no 

 mention of the grand collection of roses to be seen there. 

 I went there in the latter end of last June, just when 

 they were in all their glory. No one can describe my 

 feelings on first seeing them. All the old favorites were 

 there and a great many new ones. I wandered round 

 and round the beds containing them and felt almost like 

 worshiping them. There were a great number of stand- 

 ards, as well as dwarfs, all alike for health, vigorous 

 growth and bloom. I noticed that the beds were all 

 heavily mulched with fresh cow manure. After leaving 

 Kew, I went direct to Paris, France, and saw perhaps 

 the finest exhibition of plants and flowers in the world. 

 There were thousands of roses on exhibition, by all the 

 leading growers of France ; but the bloom was nothing 

 to compare with the display at Kew. The beds there 

 were also heavily mulched, but with old rotten manure. 

 There was a grand display of evergreens and coniferous 

 plants, and also of clematis, orchids, etc. This was in 

 the Trocadero park, of Paris, which formed a part of 

 the great exhibition. I also noticed at nearly all the 

 railway stations in Kent, along the platforms, great rose 

 bushes covered with beautiful flowers. — John Whit- 

 ham, Oitlario. 



Do Catalogues Pay? — While writing to-day, a lady 

 of more than ordinary observation, asked: "Do these 

 expensive catalogues pay ? The same things over and 

 over again ; and as for the new things, they are so fre- 

 quently not as represented, that I pay but little attention 

 to them. Why don't the seedsmen get up something 

 that will tell us how to manage our garden, how to get 

 the most and best for the least money ; and then, too, 

 if they would tell people the various uses of vegetables, 

 and how to cook them, a good work would be done." 



This is my opinion to the letter. The catalogue of 

 the day is not the publication wanted; it is the old, old 

 story, cheaply displayed, and not half told. Give us 

 a plain list of vegetables, fruits and flowers, unadorned 

 with high colors and illustrations of things we have 

 known for years, but full of information as to methods 

 of culture, and how best to prepare and cook the vege- 

 tables after we get them. There are hundreds of ways 

 of cooking vegetables that the masses know nothing 

 about. Tell people all about these things, and they will 

 not only read the catalogue, but buy liberally of what is 

 offered. --C. L. A. 



Solanum Jasminoides, var. grandiflorum, is just 

 what its name implies, a grand flowering plant ; in 

 the much desired class of trellis plants it has no rival, 

 growing freely, and producing immense panicles of 



pure white flowers, with a slight tinge of purple on the 

 bud and on the back of the petals. It thrives well as a 

 pot plant, flowering freely in winter, and can be trained 

 into any desired shape or form. Its greatest use, how- 

 ever, is as a trellis plant, growing freel)-, its bright green 

 foliage contrasting beautifully with its matchless trusses 

 of white flowers. 



Arnebia Cornuta. — The Continental European 

 novelty that seems to be attracting the most attention 



just now is the 

 A r I! (' /' ; a cor- 

 lui/a, in course 

 of distribution 

 by Ernst Ben- 

 ary, of Erfurt, 

 Germany. It is 

 the first annual 

 species of this 

 genus. The 

 plants reach a 

 height of two 

 feet, are much 

 branched, and 

 furnished with 

 linear, oblong 

 leaves. The cu- 

 rio u s flowers 

 expand daily in 

 succession, and 

 are produced in 

 great profusion on the numerous branches. They are 

 about the size of a quarter of a dollar; of a rich yel- 

 low, marked with five spots nearly black, the first day 

 of opening, turning to maroon on the second and vanish- 

 ing on the third day, leaving the flower a clear yellow. 

 It is said to bloom with unusual freedom, and the flow- 

 ers retain their freshness well when cut and placed in 

 water. Although a novelty in cultivation, it was de- 

 scribed many years ago by Ledebour. It is curiously 

 distributed by nature, being found in Siberia, south- 

 eastern Russia, Algeria and Tunis. 



Manettia Cordifolia. — Few plants of recent intro- 

 duction are as valuable as this, from the fact of its al- 

 ways being in bloom. It is a growing climber, that is 

 delicate, so far as foliage and flowers are concerned, 

 but a vigorous grower and persistent bloomer. In the 

 open border it will flov/er the entire summer ; in pots in 

 the house the entire season. Its flowers are small, bril- 

 liant scarlet, tipped with yellow ; their immense number, 

 ever present on a well-grown plant, is very attractive. 

 Being a native of Brazil, it requires an abundance of 

 heat and light. 



Glue for Window Plants. — Window plants will bear 

 abundant flowers by putting common glue into the pots. 

 Press a small piece of glue here and there in the pot, an 

 inch or more under the surface, as the decomposition 

 otherwise would be offensive, and injurious to the health . 

 of the household. — S. B. D. 



