THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
33 
AQUILEGIA CANADENSIS. 
jjHIS elegant but hardy perennial is, as its name implies, 
a native of Canada, where it usually grows about nine 
inches high ; but in this country, however, it generally 
attains the same size as the common Columbine, which 
it greatly resembles in the appearance of its leaves, 
though it differs in having its flowers of a different form and colour. 
It may be easily propagated by dividing the roots either in the 
autumn or the spring ; or it may be raised from seed, which it 
ripens in great abundance. In the latter case, however, the seeds 
should be sown as soon as they are ripe, as otherwise they will be a 
long time before they germinate. The very graceful, nodding, 
scarlet and orange flowers, which appear in April and. May, are 
nearly two inches in length, and on each pedicel there are two 
bracts, so near the flower as to have almost the appearance of a 
distinct green calyx. 
THE FLORAL DECORATION OF ROOMS, HALLS, AND 
PASSAGES. 
BY JOHN II. MOLLISOX. 
[N the floral decoration of our dwellings a great many in- 
ji geuious contrivances have been brought into repute. 
In this paper I intend to notice a few of them, and 
describe their arrangement and practical usefulness. 
The chief of all decorative inventions is the glazed 
plant case, or M'ardian case. The case in various styles we have in 
our rooms, on our staircase landings, in our halls and passages, full 
of tender exotic ferns, hardy ferns, and floweriug and fine foliage 
plants. The inventions next in importance are the hanging baskets, 
and wall brackets, earthenware and china vases, cut-flower glasses 
and screens. They are all used for hanging from the windows, on 
the walls, standing on stair-landings, in passages and vestibules. 
Hanging baskets are very suitable for the cultivation of many 
plants having slender drooping habits of growth, such as the Con- 
volvulus mauritanicus, C. tricolor, common Ivy, Linaria or toad-flax. 
Creeping Jenny, ivy-leaved Geraniums, Lobelias, Saxifrages, Trades- 
cantia zelrina, and Selaginella ; and all ferns, foliage plants, and 
cut flowers. They can be obtained of various sizes and materials. 
Those made of galvanized wire are best, for rust is not so liable to 
disfigure them as when they are only painted, and they are also 
light in appearance. Baskets made of earthenware are very good, 
but always heavy-looking. Very pretty rustic hanging baskets are 
made from wood and virgin cork. Hanging baskets, with zinc 
boxes fitted inside, having a false bottom and tap to collect super- 
fluous water, are preferable for indoor decoration. For baskets on 
February. 3 
