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THE GERANIUM. 
Among the many plants for garden or house deco¬ 
ration, nothing will surpass the Geranium in brilliancy 
and abundance of bloom. Many err in starting their 
slips, giving them too much water, thereby causing 
them to damp off and die, especially it they are not 
well ripened, but seem succulent. For the past two 
or three years, I have tried the following plan and 
have never lost a cutting. About the middle of 
August I look over my Geranium plants, and after se¬ 
lecting suitable branches, I take a sharp knife and cut 
slanting upward about half through the stalk just 
below a.leaf, being careful to make the cut about two 
or three inches from the end of the branch, as they 
will root more readily at that point and make better 
shaped plants than if the slips are taller. I let them 
remain on the plants about a week after being cut, as 
by that time a callous is formed, and the slips can then 
be wholly severed from the plant, and placed in sau¬ 
cers of sand or small pots to root. For soil, I use one 
part sand, two parts good loam, and two parts leaf- 
mould. The latter is two years old, well rotted, upon 
which had been turned the first year washing suds and 
other slops. I find this excellent for plants, and do 
not use manure in the soil, as this leaf-mould is suffi¬ 
ciently rich without it. Sometimes I start my slips in 
saucers of sand, keeping them very wet; sometimes in 
the soil in which they are to grow, in small pots. In 
either case they root readily and make fine plants. If 
rooted in sand they must be removed as soon as roots 
are formed, which can be readily ascertained, and 
placed in two or three-inch pots. Young plants of the 
Geranium will soon blossom after their pots are filled 
with roots. Last winter I had clusters of blossoms 
the largest I ever saw, and I kept my plants (those 
started in August and September) in these three-inch 
pots all winter, taking them out when I thought it 
necessary; shaking off an inch or more of soil at the 
bottom, putting in fresh, being careful to disturb the 
roots as little as possible. After the pots were well 
cleaned and the plant replaced with fresh earth at the 
bottom, it is well to scrape away a little of the old soil 
at the top and put on new, which will soon cause them 
to start with fresh vigor and reward you with 
many buds and blossoms. 
Last year I had given me a plant of the ever- 
blooming variety, and thus far it has been true to 
its name, blooming continually, whether in a little 
three-inch pot in winter, or in the garden border in 
summer. It has immense clusters of bright cherry- 
colored blossoms, and I find the cuttings taken from it 
show buds almost as soon as they get rooted. It gives 
me much pleasure, and pays “ better rent ” than any 
other variety I have, and seems naturally to run to 
blossoms rather than growth of loaves. I removed 
my old plant carefully from the garden several weeks 
since, while full of buds and blossoms, and it still goes 
on as if nothing had happened, with the exception of 
dropping a few of the lower leaves. I did not have much 
faith in the name, or the Geranium, when it was given 
me (thinking they all must have a rest), but this has 
proved so free and generous with its blossoms, that I 
prize it above all the Zonales varieties. The varie¬ 
gated sorts, Madam Pollock, Sophia Cusack, Beauty 
of Oulton, Black Prince, &c., are extremely beautiful, 
but should have a place close to the glass, in order to 
reveal their manifold beauties. While my plants of 
double Geraniums, started in August, bloomed very 
freely in small pots, my old plants did nothing of the 
sort ’till nearly spring, as they must rest from their 
labors, being exhausted with their summer blooming 
in the garden. I find it better to keep them in the 
cellar for another season than out-of-doors, as it does 
not pay to keep them in the winter occupying space 
which had better be filled with other plants. My Ger¬ 
aniums of the sweet scented and fancy leaved varieties, 
good to mix with the soil, and helps to keep it sweet, 
also gives brilliancy to the blossoms. Geraniums are 
said to be of the easiest culture, but how few are the 
really good shaped, free blooming plants one sees in 
cultivation. Some persons give them such large pots 
that they never get much except leaves from them. 
Others let them grow in awkward ungainly forms, in¬ 
stead of trimming them into symmetry and beauty. 
A few, well cared for, are better than a regiment of 
skeletons, and I wish those who have never tried small 
pots, would experiment, a little in that direction. 
Lady Cullum. 
A Window Fernery. 
I allow more pot room, as a good growth of foliage is 
desirable in their case. 
When my plants show buds, I water them with 
liquid manure, once or twice a week. Geraniums 
are not much subject to insects, but frequent sprink¬ 
lings, with an occasional smoking with tobacco, will 
keep them free from these pests. It is best to water 
Plant Case. 
them early in the morning, using warm water; do not 
give too much through midwinter, but gradually in¬ 
crease as the season advances; neither should they be 
kept too warm through the day—should be cool at 
night. Give air on pleasant days, and stir the soil oc¬ 
casionally but not too deep. Powdered charcoal is 
MY FLOWER-ROOM. 
It is on the east side of our living-room. Size, 4 x 
9 feet inside.' You say too narrow, but every inch in 
width would detract from the warmth. As it is, in a 
cold sunny day, it gives a good temperature for ordi¬ 
nary plants, without artificial heat. The window 
which belonged to our room (2)4 x 4j^ feet) was left 
unchanged for warming in very cold weather, but we 
never open it. The small sized door on the same 
side is seldom shut, except when we steam or fumigate 
the plants. What do I mean by steaming I I have 
a water-tight box, 2% feet long, 1 foot wide, and 4 
inches deep. Twice a week, on a sunny day, I have 
ready a tea kettle of boiling water, and putting 3 or 4 
pretty good sized red hot stones in this trough, pour 
the water on them, rush out and shut the door. Of 
course, after such a foggy hour or two, the watering 
for that day is done, and of course the red spider is no - 
where. 
The room is made as nearly as possible frost-proof 
by partitions of tarred paper, and the old man who 
built it did good honest work; hence, when shut up it 
is almost air-proof. It has two east windows of the 
size above mentioned, and one south window 2)4 x 8 
feet, reaching to the floor. Each casement is furnished 
with patent springs (or whatever you call them), so 
that they can be used easily and handily for ventila¬ 
tion. 
The other windows have common outside blinds; 
this one, close shutters. On account of limited room, 
we decided against double windows, and for two win¬ 
ters we have had no occasion to move pots away from 
the window day or night. The floor is of 2 inch 
plank, 5 inches wide, laid down rather open without 
nailing, to allow slops from sprinkling to drain off; 
under the floor is my place for stray pots, &c., and 
for sand and compost for winter use. It is easier 
to take care of this room full of plants than to tend 
a common plant-stand full in a living-room. My 
plants flourish splendidly; at this writing, there is 
not a bug, fly or worm on any of them. In short, 
my flower-room is a complete success. It costs, 
all painted inside and outside (by the way, it is ceiled 
up inside,) fitted out with shelves, brackets, &c., only 
between 27 and 28 dollars. Don’t you believe it pays? 
M. J. Golder. 
Ferneries.—I would be thankful to learn how you 
treat Ferneries—if you beep them perfectly air-tight 
or give them air ? Mrs. L. C. U. 
Eaton, Ohio. 
Answer .—Ferneries should have air when the 
interior appears to be too damp. 
Onion Lilies. —In Yol. III., No. 36, Isabel Bethel 
asks where an Onion Lily can be got. I have one to 
spare, and should be pleased to change for some other 
plant. I don’t think much of Onion Lilies. 
43 Gold street, N. Y. B. GrimshAw. 
