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Coleus. —Please inform me the names of the enclosed 
Coleus leaf and slip. The slip was given to me by a 
friend, but did not know the name. What treatment 
should it have ? Is it a dwarl, or does it grow to any 
height ? The Coleus we purchased of a florist, who 
did not know the name. It grew three feet high, and 
a leaf about seven inches long and four in width, it 
then began to wither and die; I cut a slip off and 
sprouted it, and it grows fast and looks well. Can 
you tell me the cause of it dying"? Is that the nature 
of the plant ? Mrs. II. S. L. 
Kansas. 
Answer .—The plants enclosed for name are Coleus 
Saundersonsii and Alternanthera versicolor. The 
Coleus will grow well in a light, rich soil; probably 
yours died either from too much moisture or cold; 
they are tropical plants, requiring hot temperature. 
The Alternanthera is of a dwarf habit, grows finely 
if fully exposed to the sun. 
Geraniums.—Last summer I had quite a number 
of Geraniums, among other varieties, a beautiful 
Shrubland pet. It had been very vigorous and 
grew finely until September, when* all at once, it 
wilted as if it had been scalded, and dark spots ap¬ 
peared on the limbs. On examining the earth in the 
pot I found it was full of small white worms. Some 
persons think they do not injure the plants ; I differ 
with them, and immediately repotted my pet; I also 
cut it back and kept in the shade for several days, 
then gave it plenty of sun and water, but it was use¬ 
less. The dark spots continued to increase until all 
“ Florist’s flowers,” and grow the plants after ? I’m 
not situated so that I can obtain the silver sand and 
rotted manure, which is recommended for them. Do 
you think Page’s Pump and Sprinkler could be used 
to answer the purpose of a green-house syringe and a 
spray producer? Mrs. Hattie N. Burr. 
Answer .—The depth to which bulbs should be 
planted in pots varies with their size and variety. Hy¬ 
acinths should be put only just below the soil; Tulips 
should be covered about an inch. The soil from under 
pine trees is admirably adapted to starting all kinds of 
seeds, and for potting plants; for Boses, Fuchsias, etc., 
a little well-decayed manure could be added, and often 
the roadside would furnish it for you. Page’s Pump 
and Sprinkler would prove serviceable for watering a 
greenhouse. 
Jessamine. —What treatment does the fragrant 
white Jessamine require ? Is it hardy or tender, and 
at what age does it bloom ? I have had one for a year, 
and kept it in the house, it is large and thrifty but 
does not bloom. How old must the Valletta Lily be 
before we may look for flowers ? I have been told 
that the Oleander should bo always in the shade, and 
it will be always in bloom. Is there any truth in the 
report, and at what ago will it bloom ? 
A. E. Hayward. 
Answer .-—The fragrant white Jessamine is a tender 
plant, and must be housed in northern latitudes during 
the winter; water it with liquid manure, and it will 
blossom freely for many weeks in summer and autumn. 
The Vallotta bulbs must be three years old before they 
bloom. The Oleander flowers only once in the year, 
but it keeps in bloom for several months; it delights 
in the sun; it can be kept dry in a frost-proof cellar 
all winter, and in April can be brought to the light and 
of the limbs were soft and perfectly wet, and, of 
,, i „ , , 1 watered freely, when the flower buds will start forth in 
course, the plant was dead. Can you tell what was : ’ 
the matter with it, and suggest a remedy if others 
a few weeks. 
should be similarly affected? Bue. i Tobacco Smoke. — Is tobacco smoke injurious to 
Answer .—The small white worms in the soil doubt- 1 Begonias, Pileas, Fuchsias, Coleus, &c. ? If so, how 
less killed your Shrubland pet. We have known of 
sweet-scented Geraniums dying from that cause. If 
you put the plants into saucers filled with boiling hot 
water, the heat will cause the tiny mites to ascend to 
the surface; then pour warm water upon the soil, 
washing off every worm you can see, by holding the 
pot so as to let them run off. Now scatter red pepper 
thickly over the surface, and the worms will not trouble j 
can a small greenhouse accommodate such plants, 
where a miscellaneous collection is kept, and smoke 
has to be used ? What is the best remedy for worms 
in flower pots ? What is the best kind of earth for 
plants in pots, say if the one preparation has to be 
used for the whole miscellaneous collection, Geranium, 
Fuchsias, Coleus, Begonias, Boses, &c. ? K. 
Answer .—Tobacco smoke is not injurious to the 
you much. It is a good way to turn out the ball of j plants named. See answer to “Bue.” The best 
soil, wash it from the roots, and repot in freshly baked j compost for pot flowers is one part sandy loam, one 
potting compost, 
plant culture. 
We bake all the soil we use for 
Ferns, &c.—1. What time ought Ferns to be gath¬ 
ered for bleaching ? 2. What shall I do for my He¬ 
liotrope ; it grows thriftily, but the old leaves turn 
black and fall off? 3. Will a Calceolaria blossom 
more than one season ? Mine began blossoming last 
spring and continued to until fall, then it died down. 
Will it ever blossom again ? 4. Can you root a 
double Michigan Bose from a slip ? A. E. M. 
Answer. —1. Ferns are bleached by the first frosts of 
autumn, and should be gathered directly after they 
come. 2. Bepot the Heliotrope in fresh soil; the large 
leaves frequently wither up if the roots are pot-bound. 
3. A Calceolaria will bloom season after season, if it 
is kept in a healthy condition by cutting back the old 
■growth. 4. Double Michigan Boses can be rooted 
either from layers or cuttings. 
Bulbs in Pots. —How deep ought bulbs to be 
planted in pots ? Will the soil from under pine trees 
answer to start all kinds of seeds of what are called 
part thoroughly decayed manure, one part leaf mold. 
Clianthus. —Will you, through the columns of your 
paper, tell me how to make the Clianthus bloom ? I 
have one nearly three feet high, and although there is 
an abundance of buds none come to maturity. They 
have not been chilled. A Subscriber. 
Answer .—The Clianthus requires an almost tropical 
heat to blossom freely. In California it blooms in per¬ 
fection. It needs a very sandy soil. 
Periwinkle. —Is there anything I can do to keep 
the leaves from falling off the Silver-leaf Periwinkle ? 
Have tried them three seasons, and in a few weeks 
after taking it in the house all the leaves would fall 
off, leaving long unsightly stems. This is the first 
winter I have had Azaleas, they are now in blossom, 
and are very beautiful. Do they need to be put in 
the cellar, for a rest, after they are done blossoming ? 
Malden, Mass. Mrs. Chas. Watts. 
Answer .—Perhaps the Silver-leaved Periwinkle is 
kept too dry, and that makes its leaves fall. After 
Azaleas have done blossoming in the spring they can 
be placed in a cooler room, but not in the cellar, and 
in the summer, sink the pots in the ground where it is 
a little shaded from the noonday sun. 
Jonquil.—I have a Jonquil that I planted in the 
fall, in a pot, and it threw up a few leaves something 
like grass, but did not blossom. If I plant it out, or 
repot it, will it blossom now, or must I wait until fall 
to do it? How long does it take Parlor Ivy and 
Tradescantia to blossom ? We have had ever so 
many of both, but we have never had one to blossom. 
We have a Parlor Ivy which is ten feet, but it has 
never blossomed. Does Wax plant grow from a slip, 
and how long does it take to root and blossom? 
What kind of a plant is the Hoya? We have had a 
Lily for six years, and it never blossomed until last 
summer; the leaves are wide, with deep veins, some¬ 
thing like a Plantain leaf. Is it a Day Lily, and 
must it bo in a wet or dry place ? Ought flower pots 
to stand in saucers, or not ? Madeleine Taylor. 
Answer. —The Jonquil bulbs should be two or three 
years old to bloom ; probably yours will blossom in a 
pot next winter. Parlor Ivies do not usually bloom ; 
the German Ivy will sometimes throw out small clus¬ 
ters of yellow flowers, but it requires a warm place 
and much sun and water' to make it flower. Tra- 
descantias are “ stove plants,” i. e., plants which 
require the greatest heat to force them to flower 
well; the Vittata Eepens and Maranta have lovely 
white flowers with yellow stamens, but they require 
a very hot temperature; they will grow finely in a 
commonly heated room, but rarely blossom; the 
Tradescantia zebrina flowers more easily than the 
others. The Wax Plant grows from a slip, but if you 
mean Hoya carnosa, it takes three or four years be¬ 
fore it blooms. The Lily you describe is a Day Lily, 
Funkia alba, and it will bloom in common soil. 
Saucers are as needful for flower pots as for coffee cups. 
Water Lily. —Where can I obtain Nympliea odo- 
rata, spoken of in January Cabinet, and at what price? 
Bucyrus, Ohio. Mrs. Maggie Bexroth. 
Answer. —The Water Lily (Nymphea odorata), can 
be obtained of D. Wing, South Yarmouth, Barnstable 
Co., Mass., or J. E. S. Crandall, (see adv. in October 
Cabinet.) 
White Worms.—I see many of your contributors 
are troubled with white worms in the earth. I can 
sympathize with them, as I have suffered severely by 
them, having lost one fine double Fuchsia, an English 
Ivy, several Hyacinths, and other plants ; but I think 
I gave the plants too much water, it soured the earth. 
I sprinkled wood-ashes over the top of the crocks and 
watered with weak lime-water, and have not seen a 
worm for months (I dug up and killed all the worms 
I could find). I have a beautiful small Oleander 
which budded for the first time last July; I picked off 
the buds, wishing the strength to go to the plant, and 
it sent up three shoots; now, am I to let them all 
grow? I want a nice shaped tree. Shall I let it 
bloom next summer? Will it do best in the pot, or in 
the ground, next summer? My Petunia buds all 
blast; why is that ? About a month ago I thought 
I would have lovely blossoms, but all have failed. 
What can I do to make my German Ivy bloom ? 
Muskegan, Mich. Mrs. Wm. Haight. 
Answer .—Let the three shoots from the Oleander 
stalk grow up well, then pinch their topmost leaves 
out, and you will have nice stalks and a fine shaped 
tree; let it blossom the next summer, and keep it in a 
large bucket or pail painted green. The Petunia buds 
blasted because the roots were pot-bound, or the soil 
too dry and poor. See answer to Madeleine Taylor. 
