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133 
{Continued from Page 2.) 
ly Lilies. The soil is rich loam, mixed with a little 
sand, and the outside of the jar is nearly concealed by 
the thick growth of German Ivy and Tradescantia 
planted among the Lily bulbs. The best way of treat¬ 
ing Calla Lilies I <?ver heard of is to keep the pot 
containing the bulbs in the open air during summer, 
and give water enough to prevent the surface of the 
soil from cracking open. Bring them into the house 
early in the fall, and give 
them plenty of warm water, 
occasionally washing their 
large leaves with a soft 
sponge, and if they have ar¬ 
rived at years of discretion 
they will blossom from No¬ 
vember to May. Once in 
three or four years is often 
enough to change the soil. 
There is only room for one 
row of small flower-pots 
around the rustic support in 
this stand, and these con¬ 
tain a few bulbs, two or 
three kinds of Lobelia, and 
some small Chrysanthe¬ 
mums. 
A large pot of Madeira 
Vine stands in the comer 
between the south and east 
windows, and its delicate 
leaves and graceful sprays 
are trained across the win¬ 
dows, mixing with the Ivy 
and Maurandya vines, 
which start from the oppo¬ 
site corners of the little 
room. On the panel be¬ 
tween two of the south win¬ 
dows I have a bracket, on 
which stands a pot of Smi- 
lax, the pretty sprays trained 
in the shape of a fan. The 
shape of a fan is first made 
of wire and the sticks are 
formed of slender threads, 
on which the Smilax climbs. 
I can do nothing with Smi : 
lax unless it is kept in such 
a condition that I can re¬ 
move it from a shelf or 
bracket and shower it plen¬ 
tifully with warm water 
once a week or so. 
Between the other two 
south windows is another 
bracket, holding a pot of 
Ivy Geranium — the white- 
edged, rose-tinted variety. It took me some time to 
find out that this plant required very poor sandy soil 
and very little water in order to grow and thrive. 
Swinging brackets in the east windows hold my 
three varieties of Oxalis, and a pot each of Mignonette, 
Smilax, and Morning Glory. 
The arched opening into the dining-room is decora¬ 
ted with the slow-growing, ever-patient English Ivy, 
which will try to do its best under such circumstances 
as would quench any less patient climber. But give it 
rich soil (at least half of it should be composed of leaf- 
mold) and not too much water, and with a soft wet 
sponge occasionally wipe its glossy leaves, then— 
watch the result. 
This article is assuming an untoward length, and I 
have not said one word of my hanging-baskets. After 
all, I suppose they are much like other people’s bas¬ 
kets, with one exception. Who has tried Sweet Peas 
for a hanging-basket? I sowed the seed of mine in a 
good-sized basket, in common garden-soil, in Septem¬ 
ber, and stuck a branching stick some two feet high in 
the center of the pot. As they came up, some at¬ 
tached themselves to the stick, and others to the cords 
which suspend the basket, while some drooped over 
the sides; and when they were long enough I crossed 
them underneath and let them climb on the opposite 
side. Hanging - basket, stick, and cords are now cov¬ 
ered with the healthy vines and there are dozens of 
blossoms. Ho seeds must he allowed to form and the 
supply of water must be ample. My box of Petunias, 
which stands before the fifth and last window, is 
now a sight to behold. In July, when the bed of seed¬ 
ling Petunias was in the full flush of blooming, I took 
cuttings from eight of the 
most beautiful varieties — 
five single and three double 
ones. I rooted these in wet 
sand and had a box made, 
about four feet long, one 
foot wide, and one deep, for 
their benefit. The box was 
made of pine, and the out¬ 
side covered with strips of 
bark from the white birch, 
glued on. Curved iron sup¬ 
ports to a light framework 
of hoop - skirt wire were 
fastened to the ends of this 
box, and it was then filled 
with loam and sand in equal 
proportions, and the slips 
of Petunia, a few of Ger¬ 
man Ivy, and three Smilax 
bulbs placed therein. The 
framework is in the center 
of the box and the slips 
were planted on each side, 
and the remaining surface 
was covered with soft green 
moss. The single varieties 
and the Ivy soon took pos¬ 
session of the frame, leaving 
the slower - grow ing but 
more beautiful double ones 
to put forth their immense 
blossoms from a perfect nest 
of Ivy leaves. The pretty 
Smilax sprays ramble about 
on the green moss and spread 
a misty veil over the silvery 
white of the birch-covered 
box. This is, I think, a most 
satisfactory way of growing 
Petunias. I tried them once 
without the Ivy; but their 
long branches were too strag¬ 
gling and the framework was 
not properly covered. Care 
must be taken to pick ofE all 
the blossoms as soon as they 
begin to fade, or the strength 
of the plants will be expend¬ 
ed in the formation of seed- 
I have no space to speak of 
my Oleander and Abutilon 
trees, which occupy the cen¬ 
ter of my little room; nor of 
the rustic Fernery in the 
shady corner. The room is 
heated by the large double 
stove in the dining-room, 
on a few of the very coldest 
nights I put newspapers between the plants and the glass. 
Fresh air is given them every day, except in very 
severe weather, by means of hinged openings in the 
upper windows. To this and the regular showerings 
with warm water I owe the dark green leaves and 
fresh, bright blossoms of my house-plants. 
Margaret Sutherland. 
Mountain Scenery in Colorado.—Wagon-Wheel Gap. 
