THEY SAY. 



437 



but — and this is a most remarkable fact — the rose has 

 no name in Sanskrit. In some dictionaries Java is ren- 

 dered as Rose, but this is an altogether different shrub. 

 Hibiscus Kosa-siiiiiisis, the well-known shoe flower (used 

 for blacking shoes) of Indian gardens, believed to be in- 

 digenous in China and possibly also indigenous in tropi- 

 cal Africa. As far as known at present, the roses of 

 western Asia have no Sanskrit name, and were not 

 known in ancient India. Yet Rosa Daiiiascena is exten- 

 sively grown on a large scale for the manufacture of rose 

 water and essence of roses throughout Northern India, 

 as far as Ghazipur, in 25° north latitude. Hermann 

 Schlagintweit was, I believe, the first to draw attention 

 to this remarkable fact. It is not impossible that the 

 western roses were introduced into India by the Moham- 

 medans. As there is no Sanskrit word, so is there no 

 original term for the rose in Hindoo. In most Indian 

 languages the cultivated rose is called gul, which is the 

 Persian name. It is called gulab, which really means 

 rose water, unless, indeed, as sometimes stated by 

 Munshis in India, ah in this case is a suffix with no 

 separate meaning. In addition to their local names, 

 some of the wild roses of Himalayas are often called 

 gulab, ban gulab, ^the rose of the forest, or wild rose). — 

 Nature. 



Appreciation. 



The lady took the fli>\vers brought by the cliild. 

 She felt her heart in deepening pleasure bound, 

 She kissed tlie flushing cheek, happy and round. 

 Again the offering praised, and sweetly smiled: 

 " You hunted long for those rare blossoms wild." 



1 hen, with eyes growing sad, fixed on the ground. 



" Would that my Ralph with woodland love were crow iied— 

 From planes and saws he ne'er is reconciled ! " 



The child made answer, drumming on his cheek, 

 For well he knew his parent in that hour 

 Was praising Ralph for good work he could do, 

 " Please, that's the way I heard my mother speak 

 About my love for each wild, pretty flower, 

 And so I brought these blossoms straight to you." 



Cn.'iRLES N. SlNNETT. 



The Lily of the Valley. — The substance is here pre- 

 sented of what a lady, well versed in floral culture, says 

 about winter culture of the lily of the valley. 



In large cities, during the holiday weeks, immense 

 quantities of lilies are used ; so much so, indeed, that in 

 the winter months there is considerable profit made from 

 them by those who take the pains to rear them. And, 

 indeed, near large cities, many florists make a specialty 

 of the business, keeping lilies in bloom from fall till 

 spring. Even then there is a large importation of flow- 

 ers to supply the demand. 



As there is always a demand for these flowers in win- 

 ter, the amateur gardener who has room in his conser- 

 vatory or windows to spare for this purpose can make 

 a profit by forcing these flowers for the market during 

 these months. 



Fill small pots with light, rich soil, planting as many 

 as five or six bulbs or pips in each pot. Then bury the 

 pots in the garden or other protected spot. Cover them 

 lightly with leaves or straw, all so arranged that the 

 pots can be taken up when wanted. They should re- 



main here till the ground becomes well frozen, after 

 which the removal of them to the window may begin, 

 as they are needed. Care must be taken not to expose 

 the pots to the sunlight abruptly, but accustom them 

 to its influence in a gradual manner. Care must also be 

 taken not to force too soon or vigorously after taking in- 

 to the house, as this will weaken the flowers, which will 

 not be so fine and hardy. Indeed, in order to develop 

 large fine flowers, the utmost care and attention must be 

 given them. 



On removing to the house or window, cover the soil 

 in the pots with moss ; this should be put on sufficiently 

 thick to retain moisture, and well conceal the bulbs. 

 This covering must be always kept moist. An even, 

 gentle heat is required ; this may be supplied from a 

 range by means of a steam , or hot-water pipe, or other 

 suitable arrangement placed near the pots, heated by a 

 lamp. Close attention must be paid to watering, for the 

 soil must be kept moist, and never suffered to become 

 dry. The lily blooms before taking root ; hence it is 

 so necessary to keep them well enveloped in moss, and 

 well supplied with water, or the flowers will be inferior, 

 if they do not quite perish. — J. I. Baird, Greenville, Ky. 



Window Boxes. — Make of inch boards a box eight 

 inches wide and eight inches deep, and just the width 

 of the window ; bore several holes one inch in diameter, 

 through the bottom for drainage, as window boxes re- 

 quire plenty of watering as they dry out very much. 

 Also nail two strips across the bottom to raise the box off 

 the window ledge. Do not paint the box inside, as paint- 

 ing injures the roots of the plants. Fill the box to within 

 one inch of the top with good rich loam, leaf-mould and 

 a little sand. Get the following plants and plant them 

 in rows, the whole length of the box ; the first row next 

 the edge may be moneywort (Lysiinaekia nuinmularia), 

 an attractive trailer ; its shoots will hang down three or 

 four feet, forming a back ground under the box. The 

 second row may be blue lobelia (Z. gratilis), which 

 will droop about 18 inches. The third row should be 

 of bright yellow sedum (stone crop). In the fourth 

 row for the back-ground, plant a good dwarf scarlet 

 geranium. Keep them well watered, and you will have 

 a beautiful window box of fringed carpet bedding. — G. 

 M. S., St. Paul, Minn. 



Management of Callas. — The article " My Callas 

 Don't Bloom, "in the February American Garden (adv. 

 p. 10), has suggested to me the idea of giving you a 

 description of my callas which do bloom. After an ab- 

 solute rest from the middle of June to the last of Au- 

 gust, I repot in 'c'ery rich soil, using a fourteen inch pot. 

 Then give water, light and heat in abundance, and the 

 result is most satisfactory. One of the plants is over 

 four feet high, the flower stalk measuring four feet five 

 inches to the end of bloom, the bloom itself being 6^^ 

 inches in width. One leaf measures 11 '2 inches in 

 width, and 15 inches in length. A third bloom is now 

 opening on the same plant, and it will continue to bloom 

 until I give it rest in June. — F. A. Tamplet, South 

 Carolina. 



