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HOUSE PLANTS—USEFUL HINTS. 
Time is necessary for all plants in order that 
they may establish themselves and form wood before 
they will bloom. For Geraniums, and for nearly 
all soft-wooded plants, my preference is very de¬ 
cidedly to root them by Henderson's method of 
serial layers, which 1 give below whenever possi¬ 
ble, as it always is when the plants are one’s 
own. With Geraniums 1 consider liis method 
almost infallible. Select thrifty, symmetrical shoots, 
cut them half way through, leave them on the plant 
for a few days till they form a callus; as soon as the 
callus is formed, remove from the plant, and pot the 
cuttings at once in small pots, watering moderately. 
No greater care need be given them than is given 
other plants, and I seldom find a cutting that fails to 
root treated as above. They rarely droop, and begin 
to put forth new leaves in a time surprisingly short to 
one who has tried propagating them only by the old 
methods of water, sand or earth. Care is needed to 
remove the cuttings from the parent plant as soon as 
the callus is formed, else the straightest shoot, but 
partially supported, will grow warped and crooked, as 
I have found to my cost. Now I am more watchful. 
Carnations have heretofore been very difficult for me 
to propagate, but by the above way 1 have good suc¬ 
cess. Last summer, ou going to remove some cuttings 
of them, I found not only calluses formed, but tiny 
rootlets projecting from the callus. They began to 
grow, with but a single exception, at once; thus, not 
only saving time, but much anxiety, also, as to whether 
they would live at all, as they often look green long 
after they are dead. All plants require to have the 
soil placed closely around their roots, but Carnations 
in special require to be very firmly potted. A rich 
soil also suits them. Hard-wooded plants being of 
slow growth, must necessarily be lifted. Many of 
them do best if they are simply plunged in the ground, 
and for those that have been thus treated, to repot 
them is all that is needful; but for those that have 
been planted out great caution is needful, lest they 
sustain so severe a shock as to take weeks to recover 
from it, and perhaps cost them their lives. 
With all plants I find it much better to cut them in 
more or less closely, shading them for a week or more 
as they show signs of drooping, and give very little 
water till they get well established. For the past two 
years I have prepared mine for the change by digging 
about one side of them, then carefully lifting them par¬ 
tially out of the ground, passing the trowel beneath 
the roots on the side I have dug about till I am sure 
most of the roots and fibres are detached, then press 
them firmly back into the ground as if I were setting 
them out, water freely and leave till they have time to 
recover; afterwards I repeat the process on the other 
side, and again leave them for two or three weeks, 
and then, when I repot them, I find the shock is very 
much less, hardy plants scarcely drooping at all. It 
is a little more work, but the plants amply repay one 
for it. In this way the roots have time to form callus 
and send out healthy working fibres before going into 
their winter quarters. Roses, for me, do much better 
to be put in the cellar and given a complete rest fin a 
couple of months, then bring up, give them a good 
bath and plenty of sunlight, and they will soon be 
covered with foliage and buds. In repotting plants 
one point I often see deemed of no consequence, which 
I think important. Old pots will be used without first 
being cleansed in the inside. This is a mistake, as 
the old soil left hardened and adhering to the sides 
becomes sour and, besides, hinders the free transmis¬ 
sion of moisture and air through the sides, thus help¬ 
ing induce a s yellow, sickly growth of the plants. 
Another advantage in having them clean and dry 
when you use them is that you can at any time readily 
transfer the plant from one pot to another without 
detriment, even when it is in bloom, the ball of earth, 
if pushed a little from the bottom, coming out as easily 
as a mould of jelly leaves its shape. The unglaaed 
pots of common earthenware all intelligent observers 
of flowers will readily concede are the best for the 
plants, their greater porosity allowing the freer trans¬ 
mission of superfluous moisture. Many object to them 
as being unsightly in a well-kept parlor; but that 
objection may readily be obviated by using some of 
the many pretty pot covers now in vogue, by placing 
them in fancy ones of a larger size, or, if you please, 
by letting some pretty trailing plants grow about their 
edges, thus economizing space, and gaining a lovely 
screen at the same time, care being taken to select 
those of delicate growth for the smaller pots, and the 
stronger growing varieties for the larger ones. Last 
winter I had one of those lovely, profuse flowering Pink 
Oxalis in a hanging pot, edged with Tradescantia 
repens vittata. Both grew in lovely harmony, the 
vines drooping below the window sill, so as to-compel 
me to loop them up. Another pot was draped with i 
a variety of Sedurn, whose lovely, variegated rosettes of 
leaves were admired by my visitors. I had some 
magnificent Callas, three bulbs placed equi-distant 
about the edge of a large pot; in the centre I put a 
tiny one filled with Lobelia. The partial shade given 
it by the bioad leaves of the Callas, with the abundant 
moisture, caused it to grow luxuriantly, almost con¬ 
cealing, with its rich dark green sprays, the tall sides 
of the Calla pot, and the contrast between the pure 
white of the golden-hearted Lilies, with the multi¬ 
tudinous bright blue blossoms of the Lobelia, w : as very 
fine, forming, to my fancy, a more lovely screen than 
one ordinarily sees, and without any trouble on my 
part—an item of some importance to a busy house¬ 
keeper. I have seen much said recently about the 
different varieties of soil needed for different plants, of 
chemicals to be used to enhance their color and add 
rigor to their growth, of drainage with potsherds, etc., 
enough to dishearten any one of limited resources unac¬ 
quainted with plants and their wants. I had raised 
plants successfully for years before I read so much was 
needed, and so was not frightened. Let any one give 
them good soil; I find three-fourths soil from 
the kitchen garden, incorporated with one-fourth 
thoroughly decomposed manure (cow' I prefer,) a good 
mixture for all plants, to which, for bulbs and delicate 
fibrous rooted plants, is added just enough sand to 
permit the easy passage of the roots, plenty of sun¬ 
light, a weekly shower bath and a well ventilated 
room, and I think, till towards spring, when they 
have exhausted themselves by blooming, they will 
find no need of other stimulants, and will have many 
blossoms. Then weak liquid manure is beneficial. I 
have but a small space to give to flowers, yet I do not 
think there is a day in the year but I have buds and 
blossoms—often am able to cut a little bouquet. 
Hettie L’Innconnue. 
to bloom; Candytuft and Heartsease are all over the 
beds. February. —This month we have but few; the 
Narcissus buds will soon reward us for all care. The 
dear little blue Violets are laughing up at us from 
shady nooks, and their delightful fragrance meets us 
as w r e bend over them. I wish I had time to tell you 
of our work this month. If you desire it I will give 
you the work of each month. March. —The garden 
is now gay, Hyacinths, Narcissus, Crocus, Jonquils 
and Snowdrops seem to vie with each other. The 
Tulip bed is now dazzling; they must be “seen to be 
appreciated.” April. —Azalea Indices are now doing 
their best; also, the Spiraeas are almost like pyra¬ 
mids of snow. The Roses are coming into bloom— 
also the Magnolia and many others. May. —This is 
the mouth for flowers. Would I had descriptive 
powers to tell you all you would see; Clematis, a 
pink family, and too many others to mention. June. 
■—The sw'eet Mignonette is now charming us with 
their delightful fragrance; with many others, this is 
the time for the Rose family to do their best. July .— 
Japan Lilies, Auratum, Lilimn Lancifolium, Tiger 
Lily—what a treasure are the entire Lily family to the 
garden! The Gladiolus are now in bloom. August 
is the time for putting out cuttings of plants to be 
bedded. We have also many flowers. The Zinnias, 
Dahlias, Altheas, gorgeous Sunflowers must not be 
forgot. If you w r ant a thing of beauty bud several 
colors of Roses (you see I cling to the Rose) upon the 
same root. With Running Rose this mingling of color is 
charming. I think the large Cloth of Gold, Champ- 
ney’s Pink Cluster, Fortune’s Yellow'Lamarque, Ac.,are 
beautiful for the summer-house. September. —This is 
also a work time preparing for next year. Plant out 
the winter-blooming bulbs; it is not too soon; they 
will produce the finest heads. The Thrift, or Sea- 
pink, makes a nice bordering for beds; Chrysanthe¬ 
mums are in budding. October will find them in all 
their glory. Don’t think wrn have no others. I have 
mentioned only a very few, such as any one that 
loves flow'ers, with but little time for cultivating, can 
have. All the good qualities are not to be found in 
my favorite, the Rose, so you must have a variety. I 
can better explain by quoting the words of a German 
in the Agriculturist: “I have so much drouble wid 
de ladies when dey comes to buy mine Rose; dey 
wants him mondly, dey w'ants him fragrand, they 
w'ants him nice gouler, dey wants him ebery ding in 
one Rose. I have to say to dat ladies, ‘ Madam, I 
never often sees dat ladies dat was beautiful, dat wavs 
rich, dat wms good tember dat was youngest, dat was 
clever, dat w T as berfeetion in one ladies. I sees her 
much not.’” So, wishing you much success, I remain, 
Georgia. Lover of Roses. 
GARDEN RAMBLINGS. 
I wall take you to w r alk through the garden of my 
sunny home, a peep at it in each month, for we have 
flowers all the while. In January the Hyacinth beds 
are green and they are beginning to bud. The spring 
annuals, which w r ere sowm last fall, are now beginning 
To Mrs. S. G. King — Answer. —We carefully ex¬ 
amined the carnation leaves sent, but found no insects 
upon them except the genuine “ Red Spider” ( Tetrany - 
chus telarius, Linn). Several of these little mites 
were alive, and moved about quite briskly. Besides, 
their minute webs were quite abundant over nearly 
the entire surface of the leaves. The atmosphere of 
your conservatory is too dry, else these little pests 
could not thrive. Moisture is death to the red spider 
and health to the green aphis; but the latter can 
readily be destroyed by tobacco smoke. Scatter the 
sulphur freely about the infected plants, and then 
water overhead every night. Fill the air in your 
house with moisture for a few' days, and these pests 
will disappear, for they cannot long survive in a 
humid atmosphere. 
