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HOUSE-PLANTS AND FLOWERS. 
It is becoming so customary nowadays for every 
lady that has the facilities for doing so, to cultivate 
plants—some for love of them, some, as I once heard 
a lady express it, because it is so fashionable to have 
plants—I fear for their success; hut for whatever pur¬ 
pose they are desired, any information in regard to 
their care or treatment, and the varieties best adapted 
to such purpose, is gladly received by those of less 
experience. 
It is a study, a most beautiful book, which never 
grows tiresome or monotonous, and with the turning 
of every leaf we behold new wonders, we learn new 
lessons, and with the opening of every lovely bud or 
blossom, find fresh cause to praise the glorious Crea 
tor of such blessings given to cheer our path through 
life. Do we ever think, should they be suddenly 
withdrawn from us, what a blank it would create that 
nothing else can fill ? What else could so comfort the 
bereaved heart of the mourner, as seeing the beloved 
dead enshrined in these beautiful emblems of a Sa¬ 
viour’s undying love? They are comfort and joy 
everywhere. 
It is a delight to me to hear of a new plant that 
will bloom in a window. My window is enclosed from 
the rest of my sitting-room by glass doors, which are 
always left open, so the temperature of the two rooms 
is almost the same, and year after year I cultivate 
plants and experiment with them in my little window 
garden, and I would like to tell the readers of the 
Cabinet about the plants that I am most success¬ 
ful with. 
Early in the fall and until now, December 4th, I 
have had a fine show of young Geraniums ; one or 
two will continue to bloom all winter. I put my 
Geraniums into their winter quarters the last of Au¬ 
gust, and, hardening my heart, cut off every bud and 
blossom, and water once a week with manure water, 
and in a month or so they will be filled with buds, and 
after cold weather sets in will blossom as long as there 
are any buds left. Beautiful Luna, with its varie¬ 
gated foliage and scarlet blossoms, will bloom all win¬ 
ter. Others I rest until February, when they are ready 
for spring blooming. Chinese Primroses I raise from 
my own seed, which I ripen myself every year, and I 
find my own seed never fails to come up. The flowers 
on young plants are much larger than on old ones; 
it is such an accommodating plant, giving equal satis¬ 
faction in sunshine or shade. The seed pods are not 
very ornamental, therefore are cut away before the 
seed ripens. 
Bouvardias do exceedingly well in the house with 
proper treatment. They require frequent showering, 
and show a decided antipathy to coal smoke or gas. 
I have been very successful with a plant called Im- 
atophyltum Miniatutn, called by some Clivia; is like 
the Amaryllis in style of growth, only the leaves are 
much larger and longer ; it is an evergreen, and has 
large clusters of erect, large salmon or flame colored 
blossoms, and with me it has never failed to bloom. 
Last winter it bad twelve beautiful lilies on it. It 
can be procured foi $1.00, and is well worth it. The 
beautiful Begonias, cultivated for the foliage, are ex¬ 
quisite and grow with the simplest treatment, and it is 
so interesting to watch them grow from the leaf. Take 
a box of the finest sifted sand, with good drainage 
in the bottom, and good-sized stones scattered all 
through the sand, and half covered, so the leaves will 
not rest entirely on the damp sand and rot before they 
root. 
As the leaves grow old on your Begonias, lay them 
lightly on the sand, and put a pinch of it. in the mid¬ 
dle of the leaf; cover the box with glass and give a 
little water occasionally, and some sun, and in a little 
while a tiny shoot will spring up from the old leaf. I* 
have learned with perseverance, and the loss of several 
fine bulbs, how to treat the Cyclamen. I never dry 
my bulbs entirely now ; nor set them out in the bor¬ 
der, as a wet season will kill them. I set them away 
on an out of the way shelf in my window, and when 
they are looking very dry, I give them a little water, 
which keeps them plump without rotting them ; in 
the fall they will begin to sprout, when they require 
more water and all the sun they can get. 
Amaryllis Liles I treat the same way in winter, 
giving now and then a very little water to keep the 
roots from drying up entirely, and my experience is 
they do better, and one is not so apt to lose their bulb 
by rotting, in starting it. 
I prize my Sedum, or Ecbeveria, because it never 
fails me, and it see'rns to need just no treatment, at all, 
will bloom in the warmest room, or in a cool green¬ 
house; flowers scarlet and yellow; they look like 
wax. 
Last winter I thought I would have a crock of the 
fragrant White Violet; so I took up a nice large 
clump in the fall; all winter it grew' and thrived lux¬ 
uriantly, but did not show 7 a flower; I was disap¬ 
pointed, but tried again, and during a January thaw 
I took up another clump, which began to grow as soon 
as brought in, and the flowers came up with the leaves. 
I was soon rewarded with an abundant of bloom, so 
this winter my Violets are out getting a rest and a 
good freeze, before bringing into the house. Inly of 
the Valley I treat in the same way. Fuchsias I put 
in the cellar until near spring, then I pot them in rich 
earth, giving one-half w 7 ell rotted manure with plenty 
of powdered charcoal and burnt bone; try it, and see 
how 7 they grow and bloom. 
Oxalis bulbs I seldom di - y off, as I find those that 
have grown all summer, and bloomed, too, do just as 
well as the others. Lobelia, if once introduced among 
plants, particularly if grown in a basket hanging over 
the other plants, will seed itself among all the crocks, 
and by transplanting it you can ahvays have a supply 
without any trouble. Last winter I transplanted a 
quantity of it into a large rustic basket, setting it on 
a little projecting shelf above all the other plants, 
keeping the ends nipped out as it grew 7 . Early in the 
spring it bloomed, drooping over the rest like a beau¬ 
tiful vail of blue. 
In the spring T make for my cuttings a miniature 
hot bed. I take a shallow box, have an upright piece 
nailed to each corner, with grooves cut in them to slip 
pieces of glass in, giving glass sides; provide a pane 
also to cover over the top, fill the bottom with fresh 
manure, and several inches on top of rich earth, and 
plenty of fine sand mixed : let it steam for a few days, 
then put in your cuttings, and you will be surprised 
to see how quickly tbpy will root.. 
For a long time after my plants were brought in 
they looked so well, and bloomed so freely. T thought 
my window almost an Eden ; but, alas, for human 
hopes! as of old, the serpent’s trail was discovered ; 
I found tracks of my persistent old enemy, the red 
spider. Now, it is no wonder I w 7 as in despair, for 
last winter I fought this same army all winter, and j 
they gained the battle, and I was obliged to see many j 
a cherished bud fall without opening. I kept my 
w'indow 7 as damp as I could. I sprinkled, I showered, 
I steamed it tw 7 ice a week ; I even burned sulphur as 
much as I dared ; still they came, and seemed to enjoy 
the damp atmosphere. Well, when I found them 
again on my choicest plants, I set my teeth in grim 
determination, resolved, if they did like w 7 ater, they 
should have enough ot it. I procured several large 
pieces of iron, and an old kettle, and with these wea¬ 
pons I prepared to attack the enemy. Heating, the 
irons red hot, and putting them into the kettle, I set 
it in the enemy’s camp-ground, pouring a ket.tleful of 
boiling water over them. This I did at night, after 
tea. 1 did the same the next evening, and the next, 
tor over a week. It w-as a great deal of trouble, but 
vengeance is sweet, and after a few days of steaming, 
I examined the spiders with a glass. I found them 
still alive, but dull and quiet. I never relaxed a day, 
my vigilance; now 7 1 have the pleasure of looking for 
them in vain. 1 feel quite victorious, but the plants 
hrove so w 7 ell under the steaming, that I still give it 
to them quite frequently. 
If one wants a lovely Abutilon that blooms well, 
let them try A. Centaua; it is a good winter bloomer. 
1 am trying several new plants this winter. I cannot 
help experimenting, and at another time I hope to be 
able to give my experience with a set of entirely new 7 
plants, not so extensively cultivated as those I have 
just mentioned. S. B. 
ROSES. 
Late in April last I got a dozen small Roses \ r \ had 
another dozen I had started from slips the fall before. 
I had ready a bed four feet wide, twelve feet long and 
eighteen inches deep, piled with equal quantities of 
garden soil, well rotted chip dirt and sand ; in plant¬ 
ing the Roses, I put a little hen manure around each, 
shaded them for a few 7 days, but did not water until 
they showed signs of growth, then only once or twice, 
but forked them frequently, and never allowed insects 
of any kind to stay about them. They soon com¬ 
menced blooming, and I can assure you it was a bed of 
Roses, indeed. 
Until frost got them, I was never without blossoms; 
but I failed to say they w 7 ere ever-blooming varieties. 
I have a Marchal Neil which I bought from a Mays- 
ville nursery. It was about ten inches high, and had 
one bud on it. I had been told it w 7 as hard to raise, 
and had made up my mind to make a desperate effort 
to raise it. I got some leaf mold, sand and good soil, 
mixed them well, about, one-third of each, cut off the 
bud, then cut the bush till it was only five or six 
inches high, put it in a six-inch pot, with three or four 
rusty nails stuck in the soil from the top. 
In a short time my Rose commenced growing, and I 
discovered five small buds, which I cut off so as to 
throw the strength into the plant. Towards fall it 
made another effort to bloom, having thirteen buds on 
it, twelve of which I cut off. The other I let bloom, 
as the Rose looked so show 7 y and healthy. I cut it 
w T hen it was about three-fourths out, and it filled one 
of my coffee cups; it was a clear sulphur color, and of 
a delightful fragrance. 
It is wow three years old, is in a water bucket with 
the same kind of soil, and bloomed three times last 
summer ; it had from twelve to twenty large buds on 
it each time. I rarely ever allow them to develop 
fully ; I enjoy them much more in the bud, and I 
think it is better for the bush. 
F. C. 
Young Ferns are propagated from the leaves of 
old ones. 
