a 
les 
loral £juf>imd wwi3 Pidoriat 
nine 
with u perfumes heavily delectable,” hut rather steals 
upon you with a gentle sense of something pleasurably 
delightful. I like to have Mignonette in abundance, 
and have never succeeded in obtaining as much as I 
wanted until this season. The difficulty in trans¬ 
planting it has always been a drawback with me. It 
is so apt to wilt, and not so apt to revive again as 
some of the less delicate seedlings. This year I sowed 
the seed near the last of February in a shallow earthen 
basin, covered it with a piece of glass, and kept it in 
a warm room until the seed germinated. After they 
were fairly started I removed them to the east window 
of the attic, and by the middle of April they were fine 
NEW YORK, AUGUST, 1874. 
SWEET PEAS AND MIGNONETTE. 
I have often wondered why flower-lovers did not 
make more account of Sweet Peas ; they will plant all 
kinds of trailing vines about their homes, but it is 
very rarely that your eyes are gladdened by the sight 
of a Sweet Pea. It is rarely too that the poets have 
sung its praises, and yet it seems the flower above all 
others in which a poet would delight, so exquisitely 
delicate is it in form and color, and with an odor so 
ethereal that it seems the very Ariel of flowers. But 
one, at least, of the singers has not passed it by un¬ 
noticed. Beauty-loving Keats has rescued it from its 
obscurity and painted it with the hand of a lover. He 
sings: 
“ Here are Sweet Peas on tip-toe for a flight, 
With wings of gentle flush o’er delicate white; 
And taper fingers catching at all things, 
To bind them all about with tiny rings.” 
I have heard several of my friends, after ex¬ 
pressing their admiration of the vine, complain that 
they were never able to make it hloom. It would 
grow fast enough, hut there were nothing hut 
leaves. I have never had any trouble on that 
score, hut sometimes after planting the seed in the 
same spot for three years in succession it did not seem 
to do so well, and I had to seek a different place. The 
same kind of soil that suits the garden pea is well 
adapted to its more aspiring sister; hut as the Sweet 
Pea is a great bloomer, and seeds rapidly, some rich 
loam, mixed with a little sand, ought to be added 
from time to time, if you wish it to thrive. It is 
better, too, to plant the seed at different periods, in 
order to have fresh vines coming to perfection as the 
old ones give out. Plenty of sunshine is indispensable 
to its well-being, and it may he the want of sufficient 
sunlight which causes it so often to prove a failure. 
Mignonette seems to go naturally with Sweet Peas. 
Their colors and odors harmonize well together, and 
these two, with the leaves of the Rose Geranium 
added, make a perfect nosegay—an exquisite and 
delicate combination of sweet odors, which does not, 
like the Magnolia or the Tuberose, overpower one 
Flower Stand. 
thrifty plants large enough to set out in two-inch pots. 
As I had quite a number of them I placed the pots in 
shallow boxes, having the bottoms covered with wet 
sand. A few damped off, but the rest did well, and 
iomiicLiiion. 
THE WITHERED DAISIES. 
You ask me why I love them so, 
These little simple flowers, 
That in every pasture blow 
In April’s sunny showers; 
And why a daisy wreath I twine 
Instead of dewy roses, 
To hang about the holy shrine 
Where our lost child reposes. 
’Twas in the spring time that she came, 
And all the forest mazes 
Were bright with flowers without name, 
The fields -were white with daisies; 
You knowhow beautiful she grew 
How fair and sweet and lovely, 
But the violet wet with morning dew 
Is not more pure and holy. 
She flitted like sunbeam bright 
Around our cottage door, 
Her footsteps as a fairy’s light 
Made music on the floor; 
On every flower, of wood or glade, 
She lavished childish praises, 
She loved all things that God had made. 
But most she loved the daisies. 
How many things beyond her years 
That then were all unheeded, 
We think of now with blinding tears, 
Sweet teachings that we needed. 
Three happy years we led her feet 
Along life’s thorny mazes, 
The fourth we laid her down to sleep 
Beneath the April daisies. 
’Tis well, and we are satisfied, 
For He who gave the blossom, 
Who lent to us our angel child, 
Recalled her to His bosom; 
And waiting till He calls for me 
To sing with her His praises, 
I’ll keep her blessed memory 
Embalmed In April daisies. 
[Selected. 
PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
Double space will be given for a few months to “ Gossip with 
Correspondents,” one page being devoted to “Answers,” and one 
page to “Letters from our Correspondents.” Our basket is so over¬ 
flowing with matter which deserves publication, we must enlarge 
the department so as to accommodate and publish more promptly. 
Specimen Copies. —Hitherto we have given specimen copies 
free. Some have enclosed a stamp for postage, others not. The past 
winter we gave away 30,000 to applicants, and we find, after an ex¬ 
pense of $1,500, the experiment is not satisfactory; many send for 
mere curiosity, and never subscribe. Hereafter, all specimen copies 
will be 5 cents; but for the purpose of encouragingsubscriptions, we 
will send specimen to any one recommended by any subscriber on 
receipt of a P. O. stamp. The Cabinet is worth something, at least 
a P. 0. stamp. 
A Trial Trip. —As an experiment, we will offer this fall atrial 
trip of 3 Months for 10 cents. Trial subscription may begin with 
September or October. Will our friends please recommend tbis to 
their acquaintances ? This sum does not pay expenses of publication, 
but we make the offer as a trial. 
We have hitherto spent $3,000 annually for advertising, and $1,500 
more in giving away specimen copies. By offering a trial of 3 
Months for 10 cents, the offer will be so cheap our friends can procure 
us as many new subscribers as by our own advertisements. 
Thirty-five cents pays for Trial Trip 3 Months and chromo Gems 
of the Flower Garden. 
A New Paper. —In September we will begin the publication 
of a new Young Folks Paper, entitled “ The Little Gem, and Young 
Folks Favorite,” intended specially for young people of 6 to 15 years, 
helping them in pure and pleasant ways of amusement, improve¬ 
ment and instruction. It is intended specially as a help to School 
studies, and has departments devoted to the School Boom, Self 
Improvement. Home Pictures, Amusements, Stories, Puzzles, etc. 
Price, 50 cents per year. It will be made as handsome in its way 
as the Floral Cabinet. Parents will find it worthy of notice, 
and children will be delighted. Specimen copies, 3 cents. 
Flower Stand. 
when I set them out in May I lost scarcely a plant. 
With sunshine without stint, and a light sandy soil, 
they have bloomed in the greatest profusion, and hid 
fair to repay me in full measure all the little extra care 
I have given them. Thyme. 
CASH PRIZES FOR ARTICLES .—To encourage 
flower lovers, and also all who are interested in household topics, 
to communicate their bits of knowledge, and also to reward them 
for special efforts, the publisher of the Floral Cabinet offers the 
following prizes for best articles submitted to us for special competi¬ 
tion. Contributors will note the following 
REQUIREMENTS. 
1. Each article must not be over six note pages long, nor less than 
three. 
2. All articles must be labelled “For competition.” Communica¬ 
tions not so labelled are supposed to be for gratuitous publica¬ 
tion, as we see fit. 
3. All articles must be sent to tbis office before Nov. 1, and prizes 
will be announced in December No. 
4. Articles may be on any topic interesting to ladies—Flower Garden¬ 
ing, Window Gardening, Housekeeping, Fancy Work, Elegancies, 4 
Home Pets, Household Art, &c. 
CASH PRIZES. 
1. For best article on Flowers, or Window Gardening $10 
2. “ “ “ “ Household Topics. 10 
3. “ second best article on Flowers . 6 
4 . « “ “ “ “ Household Topics. 6 
5. “ each of next five best, Flowers. 3 
6. “ “ “ “ “ “ Household Topics.. . 3 
7. “ each of next five best of each class—Best Win¬ 
dow Gardening.A Handsome Chromo. 
Address all articles, prepaid letter postage, to 
HENRY T. WILLIAMS, 
Box No. 2445, New York City. 
Office, No. 46 Beekman street. 
