wnvnow gardenino. 
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spot or sprig of living greenery. So we tell them how to make some pretty little 
contrivances in grasses, &c. 
Plants with light, graceful foliage are every year becoming more popular; and 
to complete a picture of the highest order one requires a great variety of colors, 
and graceful pencilings; so in window gardening the culture or the grasses adds 
greatly to the whole eflect. Their feathery plumes may not possess brilliancy of 
coloring, but their silvery and emerald tints are an offset to their more gorgeous 
companions. 
Far prettier than many a pretentious and costly ornament is a simple bowl of 
grasses planted in pine cones, set in sand, in moss, or common soil. 
If grown in cones — procure them from the woods, and sprinkle in as much 
soil as their scales will retain ; then scatter the grass seeds over it, and sprinkle 
with water ; place the cones in sand or moss — and be sure that they do not 
become dry — but water them sparingly at first, once a day, and set in a mode- 
rately warm place. Soon the seeds will 
sprout, and the tiny spears protrude in 
every direction. 
Grass will sprout and grow in pine 
cones without any soil, but it serves to 
prevent the cone from closing too tightly 
when sprinkled, and also makes a more 
vigorous growth. The cones can be sus- 
pended in a window, either singly or in 
groups of three fastened together with 
thread wire ; or a rustic basket or stand 
can be procured, and filled with cones with 
different kinds of grass, growing in each 
cone. There are three thousand different 
species of grasses in the world, and their 
study is a pleasing pursuit. Fig. 29, a .Sa.icer Garden. 
A very charming effect can be produced by placing a wet sponge in a glass 
bowl, and sprinkling over it canary seed, grasses and flax seeds ; soon it will be 
covered with a thick growth of fresh bright green ; it must be judiciously 
watered; if kept too dry it will wither away; if too wet it may damp off. 
Mustard seed may also be used, and its tiny yellow blossoms, will be to many, 
a novelty as well as a delight. 
Children and invalids can derive much pleasure from raising a grass garden ; it 
is better to select the dwarf varieties, as the taller kinds require more nourish- 
ment. 
A Tumbler Garden maybe constructed as follows: Fill a common tumbler or 
goblet with water, cut out a round of cotton batting, or of soft thick flannel of 
just the size to cover the surface, and lay it gently upon the water, upon this 
scatter the seeds of grass, or flax or mustard, or all mixed, and gently set the 
tumbler away in a dark place. In a few days the seed will start; soon th«j roots 
