fte fillies’ floral ivafimcf tuul Pictorial 
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A Window Garden. —That picture of the Window 
Garden in one of the Cabinets, last fall, nearly upset 
me. I have been thinking and dreaming of just such 
a one for myself ever since. It is so pretty, and the 
decorations are so graceful that any lover of home 
beauties will covet it. Now I will relate my experi¬ 
ence in trying to copy the idea. Taking that picture 
as my model, I have had my window fitted up with 
side brackets for vases, and in them is planted Trades- 
cantia, Moneywort and Saxifrage, with two or three 
long branches of Ivy to be trained around the window 
frame; of course I have only to place the ends of these 
in water and they will grow as well as if in earth, and 
remain green all winter. But the puzzling part was 
that Wardian Case in the middle, which was the chief 
and central ornament in the picture. I had very pretty 
Ferns in pots, just ready for such a case, but the case 
itself, that was the question. I knew it would be next 
to impossible to get one made in time. However, no 
one need be in a quandary very long, so I put on my 
hat and went down to Henderson’s, in Cortlandt street, 
to see whether he could tell me anything about it. Of 
course he could, for lie had just the things themselves, 
ready to my hand. Some were in growing order, with 
all sorts of pretty things in them, but I wanted the fun 
of planting, so I ordered one to be sent home at once. 
And now, Mr. Editor, just ten days after I first saw that 
picture, my dream of a window garden is realized, and 
I have copied you exactly. I thank you for the idea, 
for perhaps I should never have had mv Wardian 
Case, or Window Garden but for your invaluable Hints 
in the Cabinet. I hope this will be in time to en¬ 
courage some others to go and do likewise. Success 
and many subscribers to the Ladies’ Floral Cabi¬ 
net. An Amateur. 
Crocuses.—I see in the Floral Cabinet for De¬ 
cember, that Mrs. S. E. B., Clear, Creek, Texas, finds 
difficulty in raising Crocuses. Now my home is almost 
as far south as hers, and the yellow Crocus, for early 
blooming, and what we call September Crocus, for fall 
flowers, have been indispensable. Our Texas contrib¬ 
utor I suspect has a soil too fertile, or too loose. Mine 
is a stiff clay soil, slightly mixed with sand, which I 
think suits admirably. 
Burr Roses. —Another contributor, G. C. (without 
location named), asks if all Microphylla, or Burr Roses, 
are imperfect “1 I would say that this rose is one of 
the most perfect and hardy, as well as one of the most 
beautiful in my mother’s old-fashioned gardens. The 
Lamarque Rose, another one of my childhood’s friends, 
which G. C. finds fault with as falling off' as soon as 
bloomed, since my marriage I have never been without 
one on my front porch, and it has been as little trouble 
to me as a flower could be, and through the rose 
season, indeed, “ a thing of beauty.” The soil, I pre¬ 
sume to be the trouble in tins case, as in the first, a 
firm clay slightly mixed with sand and some mild 
fertilizer. My Lantanas are not looking as well as 
Mrs. Norris’, of Texas. They are filled with buds 
which seem to be at a stand-still. Will she explain"? 
I would be glad to supply her on exchange, as I can 
supply Virginia Creeper, and would be glad to get a 
full list of her wants before mentioning mine. 
Wandering Jew. —Mary E. Look wishes to know 
if her Wandering Jew will put out new leaves if 
the old ones have been killed by freezing. I should 
think not; for the stems are certainly injured too, to 
some extent. I have a real treasure in my sitting- 
room now—the weather freezing, and very cold for 
South Carolina. Two flower-pots made of the bowls 
(the bottoms being taken off) of goblets, these were 
filled with garden soil and planted with a sprig, last 
spring, of a Wandering Jew; they now have three 
branches, two or three feet long, running up on each 
side of a four-shelf bracket. The shiny rich green of 
the leaves, together with its graceful drooping vines, 
cheer many weary hours of a sad invalid. If M. E. L. 
will procure new cuttings and begin over, I think she 
will, by keeping in a warm room and watering leaves 
as well as roots, bo repaid for her trouble. 
South Carolina. H. B. L. 
Geraniums. —A few months since I noticed a ques¬ 
tion in the Floral Cabinet in which 1 felt quite an 
interest. Some one had asked how long a time would 
pass before Geraniums grown from seeds would blos¬ 
som. The answer given was, it would take near two 
years. I had planted seed procured from Rochester, 
N. Y. The seeds had grown to fine looking plants ; 
the leaves were really beautiful. I thought that if I 
must wait two years for blossoms, the leaves would 
repay me the care I gave them. I was one day de¬ 
lighted to find one of my plants putting forth buds, 
| and now there are two clusters of blossoms, one with 
near fifty on the stem. The plant is only seven 
months old. I transplanted it when small into a 
coffee-cup, and it being the only one out of six that has 
blossomed, I’m thinking it may be the cup is better than 
pots that are open at the bottom. M. E. White. 
Description of Miniature Green-House. —This 
consists of a box 5 feet long and 3 wide, with a double 
bottom; the space between the two bottoms 6 or 8 
inches, with an opening at the side large enough to 
i 
jomjmnian. 
Roses.— In speaking of Roses you say, “When the 
plants are out of flower, remove the soil to the depth 
of an inch, if you can do so without injuring the roots.” 
Now I have found out by experience lately that you 
can do this without the least danger to plant or roots, 
by laying the pot on its side and syringing with face 
directly into the pot, until you have washed away all 
the earth you wish, then fill the jiot with fresh earth, 
and your plant will never feel the least bad effects. 
Manlius, 111. Mrs. F. E.' D. 
Double Calla Lilly .—In answer to numerous in¬ 
quiries how we treated our Calla, I answer as follows : 
The bulb was a common Calla, potted in the usual 
way, at the usual time. During the season it was 
watered about Tree times a week, with water from 
charcoal dust and soot; at other times it was watered 
with very warm clear water. We are also experi¬ 
menting with our Amaryllis, to see what effect the 
charcoal will have on that. 
Irvington, N. J. Geo. 0. Z. Taylor. 
Wintering Pansies.—I cover mine in autumn with 
dry leaves, putting on brush to keep them from blow- 
They always winter nicely. Mattie. 
ing off. 
Temperature for Keeping Plants. — I requested 
some time since to be informed through the Floral 
Cabinet the proper temperature to be maintained in 
a room containing a collection of plants, the most ten¬ 
der being Callas and Begonias. The room is heated 
by a wood-stove. I have since ascertained that 55° 
through the day and 50° at night is about the right 
temperature. 
Note by Editor .—We would recommend 65° during 
receive a good sized pan, which, filled with boiling 1 the day as better than 55°, but under no circumstances 
water, is thrust in underneath the box proper; this | should plants be placed where the temperature is less 
opening is then closed by a close-fitting door. Thus, 
you see, I have bottom heat through the agency of the 
steam arising from the hot water. Inside the upper 
box, which contains my plants, I also placed another 
vessel of hot water, giving off a moist warmth, which 
cause my plants to thrive as though they were growing 
in a summer climate. Lastly, the inside of this little 
plant-house is painted white, to afford light by reflee- 
1 tion. The top is a close-fitting sash, with an inclina¬ 
tion of 6 inches. The whole affair I have sitting in a 
j spare room with a south window. Against the win¬ 
dow it sits, receiving all the bright sunlight, which has 
painted the foliage of my caged beauties, oh, so richly 
green. In there are Salvias blooming, and seven 
varieties of Roses budding for bloom; also, Camelia 
Japonica, Abutilon varieties, Fuchsias, Daphne, Ole¬ 
ander, Lantana, Geranium, Begonia Rex, Cyclamen 
(these of my own raising, except Daphne and Be¬ 
gonia). I procured green-house seed from Washburn 
last spring. Then there are Ivies, Ferns, Violets, 
Anemones, Hyacinths, Dicentra, and Tree Pink of my 
own hybridizing; also, a multitude of wild darlings, 
from our own hilly forests, and from among the rocks 
of our cliffs. Wild Lady of the Wood. 
Food for Mocking- Birds. —If Mrs. E. R. Owen 
will give her mocking bird a piece of raw beef steak, 
free from fat, once or twice a week, he will need no 
other animal food during the winter. In the south, 
the colored people, who catch and raise young mock¬ 
ing birds, feed them on corn meal moistened with 
water. Rough or unhulled rice is a favorite food with 
mocking birds. We feed our bird with boiled pota- 
than 50° at night. 
Good Which the Cabinet has Done. —In calling 
upon my last year’s subscribers I found them anxious 
to renew for 1874. I found also that they had profited 
by the information in its pages. One young lady, 
Miss Lou Sehlbrech, has decorated her sitting room 
beautifully. She is naturally handy, and with a few 
suggestions from the Cabinet, has made a beautiful 
rustic hanging basket, and filled it with immortelles, 
dried grasses and autumn leaves, skilfully arranged. 
There are other rustic designs in the room which are 
interesting. Another lady informs me that the in¬ 
formation obtained in regard to one single plant, a 
favorite of hers, is alone worth four times the price of 
your paper. Although the Cabinet has been visiting 
us but a year, I notice a marked change, our farmers 
are becoming interested in flowers, and are arranging 
their yards beautifully. M. A. Lines. 
Geraniums. —In some back number of the Cabinet 
the question is asked, “What causes the leaves of 
Variegated or Silver Leaf Geranium to turn brown ?” 
My experience is that too much moisture will produce 
this effect, and my practice is to give but little water 
to that class of plants. ' C. A. 0. 
P. S.—The Diadem Pink and Gladiolus which you 
sent, produced flowers really fine. 
Abutilons.— Some one asked how long it took 
have one that 
X. 
Abutilons to blossom from seed. I 
blossomed when fourteen months old. 
Wire-Worms in House Plants. —The following- 
toes finely mashed, to which is added the hard-boiled 1 recipe I have tried and know to be good, if continued 
yolk of an egg. Red peppers are very much lilted by j long enough. Take fine-cut tobacco, spread a thin 
mocking birds, as well as by canaries, and they seem layer on top of the earth around the plant when the 
to be necessary to keep the birds in good condition. 
M. C. M. 
earth is dry, then water freely; repeat if needed, and 
first application is not thorough. A. M. Iv. 
