By Henry T. Williams. 
Vol. YI. 
NEW YORK, OBTOBER, 1877. 
No. 70. 
Price 12 Cents. 
HINTS ON WINDOW GARDENING. 
If we who are healthy and strong rejoice in these 
winter pets, how much more delightful must they he 
to the invalid who is deprived of the fresh, invigor¬ 
ating air of out-door exercise, whose amusements 
are limited within four walls, whose days drag, whose 
hours are all too long. To these afflicted ones we 
cannot bestovv more cheerful 
pleasures than by giving them a 
window shelf or box filled with 
Chinese Primroses, Oxalis, 
Sweet Alyssum, Mignonette, 
Dicentra, Ten weeks stock, 
Abutilon, Adjuratum, Carna¬ 
tions, Bouvardia, Salvias, 
Vincas, etc.; also some vines, 
Stnilax, Maurandya, Coboea 
scandens, the ivies, and Morn¬ 
ing glories. 
You thus give diversified, 
gentle occupation to the hands, 
consequently varied entertain¬ 
ment to the mind. Each day 
brings out new attractions, an 
unfolding leaf here, an incipi¬ 
ent bud there—the sign of 
a yellow tinge telling of wrong 
somewhere. Calla leaves must 
be freed from dust, Rose 
bushes cleansed from those 
little pests, green flies. This 
pot must have a bath to free it 
from rising green mold, that 
adventurous vine needs train¬ 
ing. Where are the dull 
homes, the lonely moments 
that were spent in sad 
thoughts, in painful retrospec¬ 
tive, unprofitable repinings— 
all, all absorbed by the beau¬ 
tiful flowers which give back 
only exhilarations and smiles. 
But to bring about these happy results we must be 
thoughtful and far-seeing ; like the proverbial ant and 
provident bee, use our summer hours in preparation for 
winter days. When wandering through our gardens, 
admiring and drinking in beauty and sweetness, gath¬ 
ering bouquets for vases or friends, for the hospital 
patient, or the sick, unprovided-for poor, take off any 
fine slips you may see, prepare your dish of sand, just 
covered with water, in which place your slips, and 
give all the sunshine possible. When the water has 
evaporated, or generally in five days, you can raise 
one slip, and I think you will be rewarded by finding 
white fibrous roots all ready for transplanting to a 
good soil. In this way you can raise quantities of 
Home, Sweet Home. 
plants for friends, or the impecunious ones loving 
plants but not being able to spend money for them. 
Should you wish to carry slips or keep them four or 
five days, as soon as broken from the plant, sprinkle 
with a little warm water and wrap up in paper, folding 
up the corners carefully, and tie with a string; they 
will come out most satisfactorily. 
In taking slips keep those only that break off the 
parent stem crisp, and short ; they will be almost sure 
to live; but those that are stringy and soft, reject. 
As the summer advances, and your beds are getting 
crowded, pot any plants that you wish to take in for 
winter blooming. This will give them the required 
rest they must have, and they will be in fresh leaf and 
bud for your windows. Bring 
in the house all plants at least 
two weeks before your fires are 
lighted, so that the change will 
not be so great for them. When 
your house is heated leave your 
room doors open at night so 
that the temperature will be 
lowered considerably. When 
the weather grows colder place 
every evening newspapers be¬ 
tween your plants and the win¬ 
dows. This will protect them 
from serious injury from a sud¬ 
den falling of the thermometer. 
Do not let the cold frosty air 
blow directly on them, but 
manage some other way to have 
the air pure. Use very warm 
water for moistening them and 
beep them damp. Sprinkle your 
boxes with your hand. Give 
all a watering just before the 
sun comes on them during very 
cold weather. 
In potting, be sure to scald 
your soil with boiling water 
after you have sifted it through 
a coal-sieve. Powder with 
white hellebore, Scotch snuff, 
or flower of sulphur, to destroy 
insects; also use a soft old tooth 
brush, and wash off these little 
troublesome creatures into a 
pan of water, and beg your 
gentlemen friends to puff their tobacco smoke freely 
among your plants. Be sure to keep the soil well pressed 
down about the roots, leaving the edges loose. When 
the earth cakes in the pots, turn it up with an old knife. 
I have tested the value of these directions and know 
they will insure success to every amateur window gar¬ 
dener who will follow them. Aunt Addie. 
Jr 
