lie ^floral lijuffuiet cm3 3^iciori«l 
;ome 
Snssijt tutfij 
Oxalis.—How long does it take Oxalis to bloom 
from seed ? 
Sadoga. Mrs. S. A. McDaniel. 
Answer .—Prom two to five years, owing to the 
variety. The most satisfactory way to increase this 
plant is by the bnlb—they increase very rapidly. 
Oleander.—Please let me know if it will hurt my 
Oleander to cut off some of the roots, as they fill a 
large washtub f It did not bloom well this summer. 
Mrs. Mary G-. Douglas. 
Answer. —No. On the 
beneficial. 
Pomegranate. —When can I let my Dwarf Pome¬ 
granate have a rest? .It is blooming and growing 
nicely now. I keep it in my sitting-room. Also, 
will you please tell me the name of the lovely little 
vine that I send you the flower and leaf of? It came 
up spontaneously in the Convolvulus bed last spring. 
In October I brought one in the house; it is growing 
and blooming nicely now. Mrs. J. A. Lemmon. 
Answer .—The Dwarf Pomegranate requires but 
the thought of Calla lying a heap of ruins in the 
yard. So I filled the measure with rich earth, a whole 
half-bushel full of it, and planted my poor bruised 
and broken lily, and soon it began to grow; and such 
growth I never witnessed. In a short time it had 
twelve immense leaves from fifteen to eighteen inches 
long, on stems nearly three feet high. It bloomed 
from February to June, two and three enormous 
flowers at once (at one time there would have been 
oontrary, it will be highly 
Musa.—I have among my window plants a beau¬ 
tiful sub-tropical plant, the Musa Cavendishii, but 
it has lost its lovely brown markings. Will some one 
tell mo what treatment it requires to regain, also to 
retain, its variegations ? 
Burlington, Iowa. Mrs. L. F. Donan. 
Answer. —Your Musa Cavendishii (Banana) re¬ 
quires more heat and a moist atmosphere. It is not a 
success as a window plant; its place is a warm 
greenhouse or stove. 
Fassioft Flower. —Please tell me how to treat the 
Passion Flower. I have one which has grown very 
rapidly this summer, though it seems to have boen a 
favorite article of diet with insects; and in spite of 
watchful care it has lost all the lower leaves. The 
top is thrifty—a crown of verdure on the bald head of 
winter. Will it leaf out again, or should it be cut 
down? Is it a hardy plant? How often does it 
blossom, and does it require much sunshine ? » 
Crawfords ville, Ind. A Subsciber. 
Answer. —There are so many varieties of the Passi- 
flora, each requiring different treatment, that we can¬ 
not answer without first knowing which yours is. 
Some varieties would he perfectly hardy with you; 
others would not thrive outside the greenhouse. 
Snails.—Please answer through Cabinet the fol¬ 
lowing: 1st. Do snails injure plants in the open 
ground ? If so, what will kill or drive them ? 2d. Is 
street dirt good for flower beds ? I dug out my beds 
about fifteen inches deep, threw away the soil, and 
filled the place with street dirt. It is now one year 
old, everything grows splendid, hut there are most too 
many snails to make very pleasant. 
Answer .—Snails are pests wherever found. A little 
The flower sent is Manrandya Barclayana, a beauti¬ 
ful perennial, though generally treated as an annual. 
Winter Blooming Plants. —What plants will 
bloom well through the winter? 
Massachusetts. Mrs. Joseph Kelly. 
Answer .—Plants that bloom well through the win- 
little rest—that should he given it soon after flowering, four, hut I injured one hud so it did not expand), home 
on stalks four feet high. I would not advise all the 
ladies to appropriate half-bushels for their Callas, 
especially if they are farmers’ -wives, for they can all 
imagine the consequence when it is wanted for another 
use, and found filled with their “weeds”; hut let those 
who cannot make their Callas bloom, try them in 
larger pots. Mrs. M. 
ter are exceedingly rare for conservatory or drawing¬ 
room. We should recommend Cyclamen, Oxalis, Green Aphis—Hot Water.— At the suggestion of 
Chorizema, Azaleas, Primulas, Cinerarias, Begonia some one in the Cabinet, I tried hot water for the 
Weltoniensis, Callas, Hyacinths, Lachanelius, and a Green Aphis; I think it killed most of them; lam 
few of the early Tulip. Most of the above will grow sure A did the Cineraria, for it never held up its head 
for any one that loves them sufficient to water and a A er ; though I often dipped it twice in the hot water 
keep them clean. Many other plants might he listed a moment at a time. I have used very warm 
for those who have had some little green-house experi¬ 
ence, hut if added to this list would be likely to mis¬ 
lead. 
water for watering my plants all whiter, and my con¬ 
servatory has been a blaze of beauty. * 
Meal-Worms to Breed. —In December number 
Club Moss.— I saw in the June nuber of them | 0 f Floral Cabinet, on page 91, I see an inquiry by 
Cabinet an article headed a “Pretty Parlor Orna- Mrs. James A. Morgan as to how to breed Meal- 
ment.” The Club Moss was spoken of. Can you Worms. I take the following from a small work 
give me any information with regard to the Club J published by Eontledge & Sons, of London, upon 
Moss; where they can he procured, etc.; also, the “Cage and Singing Birds,” which, if of any use to 
Mrs. J. S. Beid. 
he had at any of our 
where 
New Zealand Flax Seed? 
Mississippi. 
Answer .—Club Moss can 
florists, and seed of New Zealand Flax from most 
seedsmen. 
Violets. —I wish some one would tell how to treat 
tho Neapolitan, or Sweet Scented Violet, to make it 
bloom. I have several plants which hud, hut have 
never had a perfect blossom. I have tried them in sun 
and shade, have bought them of different florists, and 
although the plants grow nicely, they are perfectly 
obstinate about bloomihg. Is there any remedy for 
worms in flower-pots ? I have been fighting all the 
spring with small, white worms, angle worms, and 
various other insects. Will it do to put salt in the 
soil? I have tried ammonia, lime, etc. How shall I 
treat my Cyclamen through the summer? 
Iowa. Mrs. S. I. Smith. 
Answer .—'Take cuttings from your Violet in spring; 
in 
air-slacked lime sown on the places they infest is the ? ot off . P lant them oat in a 6’ ood situatiou 1 
the garden; by the first of October, or before frost, 
take them up; put in a 6-inch pot filled with a strong, 
rich loam; keep in a cool, light situation; it requires 
best preventive against their ravages. Your answer 
to the second query is more satisfactory than any we 
can give. 
Gladiolus—Have any of your subscribers kept the 
Gladiolus through the winter in the ground ? I am 
trying tho experiment, and wifi report. C. W. I. 
Answer. —Frequently; and if the frost reaches 
them a fresh, supply will bo needed the coming season. 
Pelargoniums.—Do Pelargoniums come true from 
seed, and how long does it take them to bloom ? 
Wilkes Barre. E. C. Maxwell. 
Answer.- —Barely; time, two to three years. 
jilenty of sun, but little heat. 
Violets, we know of no plan that will. 
when and how Apple Geranium seed me to he planted, 
and the easiest mode of cultivation. S. J. J. 
Answer .—Whenever the seed can he obtained fresh, 
it should be sown in small pots and grown like other 
Geraniums. A light, moderately rich soil suits it beet. 
If this will not produce 
We have 
already treated of worms in this paper. 
Calla Lilies.—I have noticed that a number of 
ladies complain that they cannot make their Callas 
bloom. I think they do not give them room enough. 
But let me tell of my experience with a Calla. I have 
kept one for several years, and thought it did pretty 
well. It bloomed two or three times during the 
season, hut never more than one flower at a time. 
But last fall, in moving the pot I let it fall, and 
Apple Geranium. I wish some one to tell me smashed the thing all to pieces. What was I to do ? 
Not an empty pot on the place; hut something must 
he found. Up garret and down cellar, and out to the 
barn I go in my frantic search. Ah, yes! here it is, 
the half-bushel measure. If a doubt of its suitable¬ 
ness orossed my mind, it was quickly put to flight by 
her and others, it may he well to put in your paper: 
“ Into an old jar or box put some pieces of old leather 
—part of a worn-out shoe will answer the purpose— 
or some pieces of thick brown paper; fill up the re¬ 
ceptacle with a mixture of barley meal and bran, or, 
indeed, farinaceous meal of any kind will do. The 
miller or baker from whom you procure this will he 
able to supply you with a handful of meal-worms, 
which throw into the mixture; tie down with a cloth, 
and put the whole by for five or six months. If the 
covering is moistened occasionally, the live stock will 
increase all the faster. Stale ship biscuit, moistened, 
and put into a covered vessel in a warm place for a 
few weeks, will also afford a supjily of these worms.” 
W. S. 
Oxalis.—Mr. Vick speaks of an Oxalis with which 
he was greatly impressed during his visit to England. 
“ It grew a foot or so in height, and about the same in 
breadth. The leaves were in nine divisions, the flower 
stems standing well above the foliage, of a bright 
purplish pink. The flowers opened well only in 
sunny weather, and closed in the afternoon.” We 
have in this neighborhood (on the line of the Hanni¬ 
bal & St. Joseph B. B., above Hannibal) an Oxalis 
answering exactly to this description, growing along 
the roadsides and on the edge of the prairies. It is 
very beautiful, and makes a very satisfactory border 
plant. There is also a yellow variety growing in the 
same localities, and similar in shape and habit. 
C. S. J. 
Ground [Ivy. —In parts of the West where there is 
little water, especially upon the prairies, the Ground 
Ivy (so called) is cultivated as a basket and vase 
plant, and is highly esteemed for its trailing habit, 
and, indeed, a basket of it, when in vigorous growth, 
is very beautiful. In Pennsylvania and Delaware, 
however, I recollect it as a great pest, hut I think it 
may he entirely killed out by sprinkling salt thickly on 
the ground where it grows. Hot ashes also will finally 
dry it out, if used perseveringly. C. 8. J. 
