The Qhinese ^antern Plant. 
(Physalis Franchetti .) 
A Most Ornamental Window and Garden Plant, 
and a Delicious Fruit. 
A MOST magnificent plant for the garden during summer, or for pots both summer and win¬ 
ter, and a useful fruit. Not in years has so unique and novel a plant been introduced, or 
one which combines so thoroughly great beauty and usefulness. We enumerate its good quali¬ 
ties as follows: 
ist. Treated like a Geranium it grows and fruits freely from seed the first season, yet the 
plants are perennial and perfectly hardy in the open ground, or may be wintered in the cellar or 
grown in pots as a window plant. When in fruit during early fall and winter it is a superb pot plant. 
2nd. The plant produces numerous large white flowers,' which are followed by large, in¬ 
flated husks, much the shape of Chinese lanterns, at first a beautiful green color, changing to a 
yellowish hue and then to brightest scarlet, and as they hang suspended among the green foliage 
they present a most novel and strikingly beautiful appearance. Autumn frosts do not injure 
foliage or fruit, and it is a showy plant long after all others are killed. 
3rd. In these husks or “ lanterns” a fruit is borne much like a Winter Cherry, except that 
in color it is a deep ruby-red and is in every way superior to the Winter Cherry, either for cook¬ 
ing, preserving or eating raw, and keeps well into the winter. 
4th. Branches of “lanterns” cut and dried retain their rich and brilliant color, and make 
most beautiful winter bouquets when used with dried grasses or leaves. 
The plant grows from to 2 feet in height, clothed with luxuriant foliage among which is 
suspended an abundance of bright “lanterns” all the time. An elegant pot or garden plant, 
and one which we can strongly recommend. It is in many particulars the most unique plant we 
know. We can supply both seed and strong plants. The plants will bloom and fruit at once. 
SEED.— 1 oc. per pkt.; 3 pkts for 25c. Plants from seed fruit well first year if started early. 
PLANTS. —Strong plants, ready to commence blooming and fruiting in a very short time, 
20c. each; 2 for 30c.; 5 for 50c.; 12 for $1.00; 100 for $6.00. 
Our Great Surprise Collection. 
Larger and Finer This Year Than Ever Before. 54.00 or 55.00 
Worth of the Choicest Flowers for only 51 .OO. 
We are obliged to grow enormous stocks of all kinds of Plants, Bulbs and Seeds, generally 
more than is necessary, to make sure of having enough. It is our custom, after the heavy spring 
business is over, in May, to take the surplus stock of various good things, make it into “Surprise” 
Collections, and offer them to our customers, giving them four or five times the value of their 
money. In fact, the “ Surprise ” is the great amount of fine things one gets for the money paid. 
These collections cannot be sent out until about the middle of May, and will be entirely of our 
own selection, from kinds of which we have a surplus. No collection will be made up for less 
than one dollar, and from that up to any amount the purchaser may desire. They will be sent 
free, by mail, unless desired by express, and in that case we can send very much more for the 
money than by mail. All “Surprise” Collections ordered previous to May 15th will be booked 
and shipped then, but we can continue sending them up to the first of July. We advise our 
friends to invest a dollar or more in this collection. We can guarantee that all will be pleased. 
JOHN LEWIS CHILDS, Floral Park, N. Y. 
LITHO. BY H. M.WALL,BROOKLYN, N.Y. 
