The Window Garden. 
Please allow me to preface this window 
garden talk with a very few important sug¬ 
gestions. Amateur florists should be very 
judicious in the handling of insect destroy¬ 
ers and fertilizers for pot plants. Of the 
former, for instance, the use of the com¬ 
mon match to destroy white worms, &c. 
Stuck down into the soil they will no 
doubt destroy or drive out the worm, but 
if the crock be small and full of roots it 
will also cause much injury, perhaps de¬ 
stroy the plant also, therefore it is danger¬ 
ous. I have proven this fact by experi¬ 
menting with small pots of Geraniums, and 
it is my opinion where a sufficient number is 
used to destroy animal life, vegetable life 
will suffer rather than receive benefit. In 
using stimulants the fault lies in making 
them too strong. A lady said to me a few 
days ago “I sent for a fertilizer to make my 
plants bloom, have only used it twice and 
the leaves are turning yellow, what is the 
matter?” Too much rich food given at once, 
their digestive organs are out of order just 
as the human is sometimes troubled for 
similar reasons. I know this fertilizer to 
be good, properly applied, but so many are 
apt to conclude 4 ‘if a little be good, more 
is better” 
Chinese Primroses are becoming great 
favorites for winter flowers, their low 
compact growth makes them desirable for 
the window shelf. Seed sown in April or 
May make tine plants for the winter. Use 
shallow box or pan, good friable garden 
loam prepared down to one inch of the top. 
Scatter seed on the soil and give a covering 
of moss rubbed very fine, just thick 
enough to cover the seed and retain the 
moisture necessary to germination. Keep 
in a cool place partially shaded, water 
moderately until plants are of sufficient 
-ize to pot off singly in small pots. Grow 
diem well and shift into four- or five-inch 
pots before putting into winter quarters. 
Use rich soil in filling in at re-potting. 
They will begin flowering as soon as cool 
weather sets in and continue until late 
spring. Kept in’ a cool shady place and 
watered carefully they may be made quite 
effective plants for the next winter. At 
this, their season of rest, it is a very easy 
matter to over-water them. Cineraria Hy- 
brida seed may be treated much the same 
as primroses, but they begin flowering 
later, are lovely plants for late winter and 
early spring flowers, having also the ad¬ 
vantage of a similar growth. They are 
profuse bloomers; flowers borne well 
above the foliage. Another favorite for 
winter flowers is Cyclamen Persicum, a 
native of Persia, said to be abundant in the 
Holy Land. This plant also has a dwarf 
habit; leaves beautifully marked: flowers 
lovely, standing above the foliage, and 
best of all, lasting some weeks, perfect. 
Cyclamens should be grown from seed 
sown as soon as possible after ripening. 
Water carefully, that is, do not keep them 
wet or let them get verv dry. Pot off sing¬ 
ly as soon as the plants have attained suffi¬ 
cient size and strength to bear handling. 
In re-potting be very careful not to disturb 
the ball of dirt. After flowering, and the 
leaves begin to turn yellow, turn the pots 
upside down on the north side of a build¬ 
ing or fence and allow them to remain so 
until September. Unless the season is un¬ 
usually dry they will draw from the earth 
sufficient moisture to keep them fresh and 
plump. Re-pot and set aside until new 
growth begins, after which, they may take 
their place in the window garden and soon 
begin to flower. Plant the bulb fully one- 
half on top of the soil in pots about three 
times the diameter of the bulb. Use char¬ 
coal, if possible, for drainage for all pot 
plants. A little, pulverized, will help to 
keep the soil pure. Over-watering, that is 
keeping the soil soaking wet, is a mistake, 
but allowing the dirt to become powder dry 
and remain so for any length of time is also 
wrong. Plants, like people, must only 
drink when dry, but the soil about the roots 
should be always moist. Water on the 
stove in the room where plants are kept 
keeps the atmosphere in better condition 
for floral and humam life. Irregular 
watering of plants causes great loss of 
blooms. Yours &c., Amateur. 
The bank where the wild thyme grows has 
declared a dividend of ten “scents” a share. 
