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163 
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WINDOW PLANTS. 
Thinking that my experience might benefit some 
of the Floral friends, I’ll give a “ wee hit.” For 
many a year an east and two south windows have 
been filled with plants, and many a night have they 
had to be moved for fear of Jack Frost; but all that 
is ended by my having a conservatory built last year, 
much to my delight and of many others. My south 
windows didn’t do me much good, as the roof of 
the piazza kept the sun from coming in. My plants 
all grew very thrifty, but so few blossoms. 
Now I have the sun all day, and therefore have 
more blossoms; averaged about twenty kinds every 
day this winter ; just now counted twenty-four differ¬ 
ent flowers. 
Last fall I took up a lot of Lily of the Valley, Liver¬ 
wort, Scilla, Bluebells or Grape Hyacinth, and Bleed¬ 
ing-Heart: put them in an upper room after they had 
been frozen (as they are said to do better to freeze); 
when ready to blossom would bring down in conser¬ 
vatory. They all did nicely. The Bleeding-Heart 
made a great 
show, 
grew very rank; one day I 
men I raised from seed had over three dozen dowers, 
eighteen out at once; it was pure white. My roses, 
when they are just ready to open, I cut off and wind 
a piece of yarn (that’s softer than thread) once or 
twice around—that keeps them from opening—and 
put them in water in the dark, and you can keep 
them two or three days till you want them. Another 
thing that has been admired very much is a lot of 
Ferns that I took up from the woods about Christinas; 
they are lovely. I find Petunias in the house last 
much longer than when blossoming out doors. Bou- 
vardia Liantlia has given a good many clusters; my 
white one, too, is beautiful, so velvety. Am looking- 
daily to find buds on Malieruia. 
Wish I knew the names of my Begonias; have 
white, coral, and a number of different kinds of pink 
ones. White Daisy, or Feverfew, is a favorite, the 
blossoms are so perfect and last so long. But it 
won’t do for me to tell of any more of my dowers, or 
I never shall come to tell the true reason of dowers 
growing : they want to be truly loved and tended. 
Aunt Kate. 
Felton, Bock Co., \Y is. 
A PLEA FOR THE COLD-FRAME. 
counted thirteen clusters out at once. For steady 
blossoming Browallia goes ahead, if you will only pick 
off all the seed-pods. The blue is a lovely color; the 
white doesn’t grow quite so strong, but helps to make 
bouquets till the Eupatoriums come on. Eupatorium 
Kiparium comes first, then another kind, which grows 
larger; the leaves are as broad again, and the flower 
clusters more compact. Mignonette and Sweet Alys- 
sum did well, had blossoms all winter; the little 
sprigs of Sweet Alyssum are pretty to put in bouquets, 
even without the blossoms. Maurandia is a lovely, 
graceful vine; the ends of the branches or little vines 
with ferns also add much to the beauty and grace of 
a bouquet. 
You know the more we pick our flowers the more 
we have. Four kinds of my Fuchsias have had many 
on; never a day without buds or blossom. The spe- , 
ciosa has been most abundant, Oyalis is another 
steady bloomer. Have white, pink, and yellow, and 
expect they will keep right on, till next summer I 
shall have to dig them up. 
This year I tried a Canna, and it has been a great 
success; been in blossom over a month j two main 
stalks had twenty blossoms, and the little side shoot 
half as many more, and more still coming. For 
hanging-baskets Blue Lobelia and Kenilworth Ivy are 
always in blossom. Last summer, instead of letting 
my Callas rest, I kept them growing to make them as 
large as possible, and they have looked noble and 
grand, but never a blossom till now; the first, bud is 
almost out. I have four roots in a large pot, with Lo¬ 
belia and Kenilworth Ivy running over the top and 
sides of pot. I painted a six-quart pan dark brown 
to hold the Calla pot, and then pour boiling water in 
that; also use manure water often. I fill an old pail 
part full with manure from stable; pour boiling water 
on it; then, as I water my plants, use a little of that 
now and then; hurt my Geraniums at first by using it 
too strong; some dropped leaves and buds. 
Jean Sisley has been and is a beauty. A Cycla¬ 
Yeky satisfactory results arc obtained by starting 
young plants for summer flower-gardens in a cold- 
frame. One the size of two common window-sashes 
will enclose sufficient space for twenty-five varieties 
of seed. Select a sheltered, sunny spot, and make 
the soil mellow with sand and leaf-mould to prevent 
its crusting over, for the slender sprouts cannot force 
their way through a hard clay or grow and thrive 
upon a rough, uneven surface. When all is prepared 
and the glass in place, allow it to remain for several 
days, until the earth is thoroughly warmed. In 
Rhode Island we sow our seed about the middle of 
April, and by flic 20th of May have fine, vigorous 
plants to fill our beds and borders. Do not allow the 
seed-bed to become dry; if neglected, and the hot 
sun shines brightly, the delicate, seeds or plants soon 
become parched, and the very choicest variety will 
be the first to take its departure. Give the moisture 
through the fine rose of a watering-pot—the finer the 
spray the less danger of washing the tiny seed. The 
young plants need a little air when the noonday sun 
becomes too fervid. As the time approaches for 
transplanting they should be gradually hardened off, 
the glass being removed entirely for a few days before 
they are taken up. Soak the earth thoroughly before 
disturbing the plants. If possible, choose a, cloudy, 
dull day for making up the garden-beds ; if not, take 
the time just at night after a nice shower. Then the 
soil is moist and pliable, and the plants will not be 
subjected to the sun’s rays for several hours at least. 
No more “ toting ” of countless window-boxes for 
us: here to find a breath of air, there to catch a ray 
of sunshine; on the mantel-shelf for bottom-heat, and 
out of doors and in every day for a week before the 
young plants can be removed to the garden! All 
these extra motions to make in the midst of house¬ 
cleaning ! And, after all our labor and painstaking, 
the little things had a forlorn, wizened appearance-^ 
the most desirable kinds never advancing beyond the 
seed-leaf, if, indeed, they ventured forth at all. In a 
cold-frame we may have constant warmth and 
moisture, abundant light and sunshine; in fact, every 
requisite for speedy germination and healthy growth, 
with only a minimum of care. Plants will attain a 
larger size here in one month than would be possible 
in twice the time if kept in the dry atmosphere of a 
dwelling-house. Many delicate varieties may be 
started in this manner which elsewhere would surely 
disappoint us. We grow Verbenas from seed of our 
own gathering, and have many new and beautiful 
colors each year. Stocks that remain very slender, 
and are so liable to damp oil' in the house, are easily 
propagated in a frame. 
By having strong, vigorous plants to set out as soon 
as the weather permits, we can have our annuals in 
blossom much earlier than by the old method of sow¬ 
ing the seed in the open ground; thou, if a certain 
kind failed to come, that spot—perhaps the most con¬ 
spicuous in the garden—was destitute of flowers and 
foliage for a whole season; whereas now we have 
ample time to supply all deficiencies. P. 
Warren, B. I. 
HYACINTHS. 
Having tried the following plan with Hyacinths, 
I can recommend it. My rooms aye warmed by a 
furnace, and I have had a good deal of difficulty in 
getting the flowers to open well, on account of the 
dryness of the air. 
V hen the pots were well filled with roots I washed 
all the soil from them, and, after cutting off the roots 
within an inch of the bulb, I placed it in a Hyacinth- 
glass, and thwe every bud matured and opened splen¬ 
didly. I followed tin* same plan with every one, with 
the same result, I never put Hyacinths in the sun¬ 
shine, but bloom them in a window which faces the 
north. M. p. G. 
BUDDING- ROSES. 
This is a simple process by which amateur culti¬ 
vators often increase their stock. A sharp penknife 
can do duty for a budding-knife, and the handle of a 
toothbrush, if ground down smooth, will answer for a 
spud to aid in lifting the bark. From the last of 
June to the last of August is the best time for this 
process, as the bark can then be more easily raised 
from the wood. Take a smooth stalk and make a 
horizontal cut across the bark through the wood, but 
not into it. From the centre of this cross-cut make 
another cut straight down the stem an inch or more 
in length. These two cuts should resemble a T. 
; Slice off the bud you desire to propagate with one 
| cut of the penknife, cutting it close to the main stalk. 
Now, with the edge of the spud, turn back the bark 
on each side of the straight cut and insert the bud on 
the wood of the branch to be budded, fitting it tightly 
to the crossed cut. With a bit of soft yarn bind 
down the bark, leaving the point of the bud exposed. 
A handful of dampened moss must then be bound 
round the stem, taking care to leave the tiny point of 
the bud exposed to the air. In six weeks the wrap¬ 
pings can be removed, but all other shoots must be 
kept from growing on the budded branch. By this 
means a rose-bush can be made to bear half a dozen 
different-colored roses. — Ex. 
