1800 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
367 
of pale green straps of various degrees of nar¬ 
rowness, spreading evenly round the middle, 
and forming a green star with innumerable 
points. Such is the Rose Bengale verte. It has 
no scent, and does not show the least inclina¬ 
tion to exchange its verdure for a rosy hue. It 
is quite regular in its form and greenness, no 
change having been remarked in it since the 
year of its birth. It is now a well established 
five-year-okl plant, with a fixed habit. 
Although this has no great beauty in itself, it 
is considered possible that by hybridizing, new 
varieties may be obtained, combining the parent 
colors, red, white and green, and thus new beau¬ 
ty be added to the Queen of flowers. 
The Zinnia, after years of cultivation with very 
little success in changing it from its single hab¬ 
it, has at last rewarded the florist's care, by don¬ 
ning a full flowing suit equal to the Dahlia. 
Specimens have been produced by the Messrs. 
Yilmorin, of Paris, which measure from two to 
three inches in diameter and are as-completely 
double as the Pompone Chrysanthemum. The 
colors are also variegated, purple, deep rose, 
light rose, rose striped, red, orange red, buff, and 
various shades of these colors, presenting hues of 
unrivaled brilliancy. These results of long 
continued painstaking are cheering to the florist, 
as indicating that the highest results of the art 
are not yet reached, and new and unexpected 
beauties may yet be developed in the floral 
world. 
Window Grardening'. 
We could wish that more attention were given 
to this branch of horticulture. For what more 
pleasing sight than a good collection of plants 
in a living-room in Winter! We at once asso¬ 
ciate ideas of refinement, grace, delicacy of 
sentiment, and home attachment wit lithe mem¬ 
bers of such a household. Of house-flowers, as 
well as of out-door flowers, it may be truly said 
“ They refine and hold us; they not only ele¬ 
vate our sensibilities, but wind themselves about 
our heart-strings: they employ our daily 
thoughts—demand our daily care. They imply 
frailty, and we guard them; helplessness, and 
we assist them.Who shall say that 
this culture, this care and labor, is not condu¬ 
cive to virtue ?—is not virtue’s self, transferable 
to humanity when the exigency claims it ? And 
yet it is so beautiful, this voiceless commune 
with the flower's! The glossy leaves only trem¬ 
ble their gratitude, and the blooming roses blush 
their psalm of thanksgiving. And then, what 
silent preachers—how suggestive of brightness, 
that passes away; of patience, that waits and 
watches for the bloom; of diligence, that wa- 
tereth when the shower is withheld, and the dew 
is gone; of sorrow, from the broken stem and 
withered leaf; of resignation, for they live yet 
at the root; of immortality, for 
“Flowers bloom again; leaves glad once more the tree ; 
And man, there blooms a second Spring lor thee.” 
But the poetry of our subject has led us away 
from its more practical aspects. It is not neces¬ 
sary to have a costly green-house or conserva¬ 
tory, in order to grow good plants. In many a 
kitchen'window have we seen as handsome ge¬ 
raniums and roses, as under the costliest glass 
roof. All that is wanted, is to give them the 
requisite soil, light, heat, air and moisture—in 
short, to make their condition as nearly as pos¬ 
sible like that of out-doors. 
As to Soil. —It requires some experience to de¬ 
termine just what kind of soil each plant needs, 
their wants are so different. But we will give a 
few hints: All plants, unless it be aquatics, need 
drainage at the bottom of the pots, about one 
sixth the depth of the pot. This prevents the 
soil from becoming heavy and,sour. Plants 
with slender branches, and roots of a fine, 
thready, fibrous texture like the heaths, require 
peaty earth. Those with branches and roots 
somewhat stronger, should have the same soil 
with a mixture of sand added. Almost all bul¬ 
bous plants do best in light, rich, sandy loam. 
Shrubbery and herbaceous plants, such as the 
myrtle and jasmine, require a rich loam and 
leaf mold. Those with strong roots but slender 
heads, as Veronica, Maurandia, etc., need a sandy 
soil mixed with leaf mold and rotten manure. 
Orchideous plants want a soil composed of 
sandy loam and peat in equal parts; and they 
should have little or no water while not in a 
growing state. Succulent plants, as the Aloe 
and Cactus, do very well in stove-heated rooms, 
and require only a little water; for soil, a mix¬ 
ture of sandy loam and lime rubbish. Aquatic 
plants, as the Villarsia, require to be constantly 
wet; the saucer of the pot should always have 
water standing in it. A mixture of peat and 
loam is the soil for them. 
As to Light .—As a general rule, plants can not 
have too much. But as all can not have the 
same amount at a given window, we may put 
those which are out of bloom and in a partly 
dormant state, the furthest from the window. 
A southern exposure is the best, and a northern 
the poorest. Turn the pots around every few 
days, in order to prevent their “drawing,” and 
so as to make the plants round and bushy. 
As to Air .—Give all you can without freezing 
them. Lower the window sash a few inches at 
the top, whenever, the mercury rises out-of-doors 
to 40°. At other times, let in fresh air from ad¬ 
joining rooms. Plants breathe, as well as peo¬ 
ple, and want good air. 
As to Heat —When our houses (our grandfa¬ 
thers’, we mean,) were wanned by fire-places, 
there was no danger of over heating the air for 
the health of the family or of house-plants. But 
with our modern abominations (comforts, we 
call them,) of coal stoves and hot-air furnaces, 
there is constant liability to excess of heat. 
Nearly all plants that succeed in parlors, will 
fare better with a temperature of 45° to GO 0 , 
than in that of G5° to 80°, the range of heat in 
many dwellings. 
As to Watering .—Much harm comes from the 
neglect or injudicious use of water. No one 
wants to see the soil in his pots drying up, and 
so water is thrown on, day after day, until the 
earth becomes sodden, and the roots of the 
plants decay. Of course, the opposite extreme 
should be avoided. Such plants as the Egyptian 
Lily, the Chinese chrysanthemum, the Fuchsia, 
the Ivys, etc., need a great deal of water, when 
in a growing state, but the majority of house- 
plants do not. Those which have passed out 
of a flowering state and are nearly dormant, re¬ 
quire only just enough to keep them from wilt¬ 
ing. To deluge a plant every few days, is like 
glutting the* stomach with needless food and 
drink. 
It is a good rule, to allow the soil always to 
have the appearance of dryness before watering, 
and then to water thoroughly, so thoroughly as 
to wet the entire mass of earth, and have the 
water run through into the saucer beneath. 
This water should then be emptied out. To 
find out whether a plant needs watering, exam¬ 
ine the soil with a stick. Experienced garden¬ 
ers examine it by rapping with their knuckles 
on the side of the pot: a light, hollow sound 
meaning a call for water. Of course, neither 
hot nor cold water should be used: let it be as 
near as possible to the temperature of the room. 
It is well to use every means to keep the air 
of the room as moist as possible. Sprinkle the 
leaves frequently, and the shelves or table on 
which the pots stand, and the oil-cloth or mat 
beneath. Pans of sand covered with moss, set 
between the pots and often watered, help to the 
same result. 
As to Cleanliness. —Frequent sprinkling will do 
much to prevent the accumulation of dust on the 
leaves. Where it does not fully answer, the 
leaves should be gently wiped with a wet sponge 
or soft cloth, always using tepid water. Insects 
may be kept down, by dosing them with a de¬ 
coction of soap or tobacco, or by fumigating 
them with burning tobacco leaves. For a sin¬ 
gle plant, set a hand glass over it, and burn a 
few leaves of refuse tobacco underneath. For 
several, place the pots under a dry-goods box, 
and make a bonfire of tobacco leaves for the 
amusement of the aphides. Let it always be 
borne in mind that no healthy foliage nor hand¬ 
some flowers need be expected so long as a 
plant is infested with bisects. 
As we have been requested to give a list 
of plant's which succeed well in parlor windows, 
and floweivearly in the Winter, wo annex the 
following, which can be found at any green¬ 
house : Abutilon striatum, orange colored; Aca¬ 
cia intermedia, yellow; Bouvardia triphylla, 
scarlet; Begonia incarnata, flesh-colored; Cac¬ 
tus epiphyllum truncatum, red and white; Ca¬ 
mellia alba pleno, white; C. imbricata, crimson 
and white.; C. Jeffersonii, rosy crimson; C. 
Sarah Frost, crimson; C. Feastii, white and rose; 
C. francofurtensis, crimson; C. Landrethi, rose; 
Daphne odorata, white; Epacris rosea, rose; 
Erica lactea, white; Geranium Tom Thumb, 
scarlet; Olea fragrans, white; Oxalis Bowii, 
rose; Plumbago capensis, pale blue; Primula 
sinensis, various sorts; Salvias, of sorts; Vibur¬ 
num tinus, white; Viola neapolitana, lilac; Vio¬ 
la arbona odorata, dark blue. To these may be 
added several roses, such as Sanguinoa, Aggripi- 
na, Pink Daily and White Daily, Mrs. Bozan- 
quet, Hermosa, Bourbon Queen, Aimce Vibert, 
Louis Phillippe. Nor will the collection be 
complete without the common Rose Geranium, 
the Egyptian Lily, Dusty Miller Geranium, Ivy 
leaved Geranium, and Patridge-leaved Cactus. 
From the foregoing hints and list, our fair 
readers will be able to fill their windows with 
showy plants throughout the dreary Winter. 
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Fresh Parsley in Winter. 
This can easily be obtained in the following 
way: Saw a good stout barrel in two, then 
make auger-holes of three fourths • inch diame¬ 
ter and about five inches apart, all over the cask. 
Before Winter sets fairly in, dig up an abund¬ 
ance of plants from the garden, and, beginning 
at the bottom of the barrel, set the crown of a 
plant into each hole, covering the roots with 
good garden soil as you proceed with the plant¬ 
ing. Go on thus, until the cask is filled, and 
then set a few plants on the top. Place the cask 
in a warm and light cellar, or under the staging 
of a green-house, and it will not only look well, 
but will furnish the table with many a savory 
garnish all Winter. 
A mammoth horticultural building is to be 
erected at Kew Gardens, for Australian plants. 
It will be about the size of the Great Eastern, 
