24 
tonal ilalkiiei un3 Pictorial 3BE 
onsie *3»oni|mmon. 
overlook Mignonette in selecting other more showy 
plants. It is very easily grown, requiring only a 
sandy soil and little water ; the fragrance of one blos¬ 
som will fill a room, and a pot of it should always be 
found in the smallest collection of plants. In Barbary, 
this little plant is quite a shrub, instead of a tender 
annual as with us. It may be grown, however, as a 
tree, if kept in a pot and pruned to the requisite shape; 
in this case the buds must be nipped for two summers, 
after which the stem will have bark like a real tree. 
Perhaps, every one does not know how much can be 
made of “ the Passion-breathing Heliotrope,” it may 
be successfully bloomed as a window plant if the air 
be not too dry. When placed out of doors it must not 
be exposed to the full blaze of the sun, but set in a 
damp and partially shaded situation. The writer has 
seen a plant, treated in this manner, grown, with the 
aid of a wooden trellis, to the height of five feet during 
a single summer; it was a most beautiful sight, being 
covered with large clusters of fragrance. The Lily of 
the Valley, Lilium candid um and longiflorum, may 
be treated as the Calla; plenty of warm water must 
be given as soon as they commence growing. If one 
wishes a specialty, nothing is lovelier than some of the 
many varieties of roses, with less care than almost any 
other flower, they will charm the possessor with a 
profusion of blossoms all winter long. Among the 
freest bloomers are Louis Philippe, velvety maroon ; 
Agrippina, scarlet; Lucullus, large and full, with the 
color and fragrance of the first roses in J une; then 
some of the more delicate sorts, Madame Damazine, a 
most exquisite blending of fawn and salmon, shaded 
with amaranth at the heart of it; Aristides, pale flesh 
color, streaked with carmine; Celine Forrester, Count 
le Barthe, and countless others, all equally beautiful. 
white one, as they lose their waxen fairness by con¬ 
trast. Masses of color should always he avoided, and 
high colored bouquets can be relieved by the introduc¬ 
tion of plenty of green. A charming effect is pro¬ 
duced by a few flame-colored Nasturtiums in a dish of 
pure white Verbenas. Miss M. G. F. 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE MONTH. 
We introduce this month several charming illustra¬ 
tions of flower gardens and floral elegancies. On the 
first page is a curious scene of a Chinese garden, 
in the grounds of the Villa Pallaviciui, Genoa, Italy. 
The curious swing, bridge, and Chinese temple are per¬ 
fect imitations of the Chinese style of architecture. 
Page 20 introduces a scene of rare heauty in the flower 
gardens of an English rural estate at Stoke Rochford, 
near Grantham, England. Observe the elegant lawn 
and flower beds on the terrace, with grassy borders, 
box edges, and lovely evergreens. Life amid such 
treasures of rural taste must indeed be charming. On 
page 21 are two pretty sketches of parlor and window 
ferneries. The smaller one is now made in the United 
States, and costs from $8 to $12; the larger one is 
copied from an English design and would bo quite ex¬ 
pensive. On this page is a pretty design of an aquaria 
and flower-stand. This is an American design, now 
manufactured and sold for about $15 to $20, is very 
strong, made of beautifully bronzed metal, and 
altogether a splendid ornament for any window. Page 
25 introduces us to a capital picture of an old-fashioned 
“Tea-Party.” How the old gossips are enjoying 
themselves. Such a time in picking other people 
to pieces. How natural they look. Page 29 carica¬ 
tures one of the weaknesses of human nature— 
troubled with an imaginary malady, trying everything, 
nothing curing, cared for only hy servants, laughed at 
by all. 
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY, 1875. 
FLOWERS FOR THE WINDOW. 
One of our most noted men of the present day affirms 
that he finds among his friends, the love of house 
plants to be an unfailing test of neatness, order, and 
various other virtues. However this may be, every 
one will allow the enlivening and cheering influence of 
flowers in a home. 
Leigh Hunt, whose taste was considered 
unquestionable, once said, that if one could * 
have but a single plant, let it be a Scarlet 
Geranium. Let us have a few plants, well 
kept, rather than a dozen sickly, neglected 
specimens. 
The first requisite with plants, as with 
persons, is pure air; one of the commonest 
errors of those who attempt the culture 
of house plants, is over crowding ; the 
PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
Bound Volumes, 1874. —Wo now have for sale 
“volumes of Tiie Cabinet for 1874, bound in handsome 
W cloth, with side stamp in gilt, for $2.00, sent postage 
w paid. To those who wish to bind their volumes, covers 
^ for this purpose will be sent for 75 cults. Volumes 
previous to 1874are too large for binding and mailing. 
To Club Agents. —Keep good look out for strag- 
glers. Don’t stop working. Many who did not have 
their money ready in January will sometime in Feb- 
j ruary or March. Do not lose sight of them. If they 
/ really want to take the paper, help them to get it by 
i waiting till their money is ready. That is"the way 
/ big clubs are made up, a iittle at a time. We like to 
/ pay a club agent a good premium for all he can get. 
f Every one who works for Tiie Cabinet we are bound 
II to treat as liberally as we can'afford. 
Silk Book Marks. —Our readers can form no 
idea of the beauty of the Silk Book Marks we offer in 
_ our paper. They are simply superb. Every one who 
has purchased one has been the means of selling 
MMfy another. Agents can do well with them. In lots of 
E m] a dozen to any one we will sell at a discount. As 
I Mil birthday presents they are especially appropriate. 
IIIIISL They are specially imported from England. 
Back Volumes. —The demand for back volumes 
^ from our new subscribers has been very great. Noth¬ 
ing is nicer and more entertaining than these back 
numbers So cheap. So interesting. 
We still can supply them as follows : $1,00 for vol¬ 
ume 1S73, postage paid; $1,25 for volume 1S74 postage 
paid; 50 cents for July to December, 1872, postage 
paid. These prices are for volumes unbound. 
The whole set, from July, 1872 to December, 1874, 
make a grand Floral and Pictorial Encyclopaedia. 
To New Subscribers—Back Volumes.— 
Many new subscribers will desire all back volumes to 
be obtained. We will send them as follows if pur¬ 
chased singly: for $2,00 back volumes 1873 and 1874; 
for 50 cents from July to December, 1872. 
No numbers can be obtained prior to July, 1872. 
The above offer does not include chromos. 
To Subscribers in Clubs. —All subscribers in a club should 
receive their papers in one bundle at the same time. Enough papers 
are sent from our office to supply every club. Sometimes the label 
may slip off—yet the papers arrive at the post office. Before writing 
to the publisher always ask the postmaster, and claim any copy not 
labelled, as it properly belongs to any subscriber who has failed to 
receive his own with the rest of the club. 
Missing Numbers. -Should any subscriber fail to receive all 
his numbers properly, a postal card directed to us will be sufficient to 
remedy and supply the deficiency. We are anxious that every one 
should get just what is paid for, although we suffer greatly from 
failure of the United States Mails. 
Aquaria and Flower Stand. 
Very showy hanging baskets may he had hy rooting 
cuttings of Tropaeolum major and minus, and setting 
them out with the White Maurandia. Cuttings are 
very easily rooted in coarse sand. 
In arranging flowers regard should he paid to the 
contrast; white flowers, Tuberoses for instance, should 
he placed in a vase of contrasting color, never in a 
