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51 beneath; you can tell this by lifting one 
Some of the seeds may not be entirely 
Growing from Seeds.—I noticed in the March 
number a little girl’s inquiry as to growing seeds. I 
will give her my plan, which never fails me. I take 
a box some two or three inches deep, and as large in 
other dimensions as I want. I fill this in the fall, 
before freezing weather, with about equal proportions 
of garden soil, sand, and well-rotted manure well 
baked in a hot oven; (this to kill any insects or 
seeds of weeds. I put this box away in the cellar 
until about the middle of March—(early enough in 
our latitude.) I then bring it up into the sitting 
room, or any room which is kept warm all the time; 
I thoroughly warm and pulverize the soil, leaving no 
lumps in it whatever; I take out a part of the soil 
for covering the seeds, I then smooth the surface per¬ 
fectly smooth. When it is ready for the seeds, if I 
have a new variety of seeds and would not know how 
the plants would look, I make dimensions in the box 
giving the names. Having the soil prepared, I scatter 
the seeds on the surface in their respective places. I 
then sprinkle them very lightly with the soil I reserved 
for this. Don’t put on too much; better not put 
enough on than too much. After putting the soil on, 
I take a piece of flannel large enough, when folded 
two or three times, to cover the box; I put this on 
the soil smoothly, covering it entirely : I then take 
water just as hot as I can hear my hand in and 
thoroughly saturate the cloth and sufficiently dampen 
the sol 
corner. 
covered, hut it don’t matter. This cloth must be kept 
on until the tiny flowers begin to hurst the ground, 
then they must he taken to the sunny window and 
given all the sun they can have. I keep my box 
covered with glass after removing the cloth. After I 
plant my seeds, in this way, I keep them behind the 
stove in the wannest place I can find, wetting the 
cloth if the soil begins to look dry. The ends will 
generally he coining through the ground within a 
week. I have several kinds of plants growing now 
from seeds started in that way. 
Mervin, Ind. Maggie. 
Justicia.—Can you give me any information in 
regard to the Justicia, what kind of soil, temperature 
and treatment is most favorable ? Also, the Farfugium 
Grande. Should the leaves he large, does it hear a 
blossom, and require a high or low temperature ? 
Mine shows up one leaf after another, hut they are 
small and delicate and die off, or wilt away gradually, 
perhaps, like the Geranium, it flourishes host in con¬ 
fined quarters. I have been trying the hot water 
treatment on several different kinds of plants. I find 
that the Fuchsia likes it (I frequently give them tea) 
and thrives well on it. The Geraniums can hardly 
make up their minds whether they like it or not, and 
the Begonias disapprove of it decidedly. A mulch of 
tea leaves seems to keep the Fuchsia feeling moist and 
comfortable, hut all of them turn up their noses at a 
little hone dust which I ventured to dig into the soil of 
the pots. The Begonias have all dropped their leaves 
(except the white one with large, thick leaves, of 
which I do not know the name,) and look woe-begone 
and discouraged. The room in which they are kept 
is warmed by a heater on the floor below, and in all 
hut the most extreme cold weather is warm enough 
to sit in comfortably, and the window upon which 
some of them stand, faces the southwest. The leaves of 
Tradescantia and German Ivy are very much smaller 
than they should he, though the plants themselves 
look healthy enough. Vittata repens I have had 
several months, and though it seems bright and 
healthy, does not increase a particle in size, never 
having had more leaves on it, I believe, than the 
original ones. Is it of slower growth than the 
Zebrina, or does it require more elbow-room than a 
somewhat crowded wire basket affords ? Can you 
tell me of a pink or red Bose that is a profuse 
bloomer and is certain to ho hardy in this latitude a 
little north of Philadelphia ? I have purchased 
various kinds, at different times, ofDreer, hat though 
two have managed always to survive the winter, they 
bloom so scantily that I have ceased to care for them. 
By what name is the old-fashioned Cabbage Bose 
known now, or has it been, like many other good old- 
fashioned plants, entirely crowded out by newer hut 
less deserving rivals? Will the Prairie Queen he 
hardy in this latitude, and what exposure is most 
favorable to it? I should very often like to ask ques¬ 
tions and beg advice in times of perplexity, hut as 
you must, of course, act upon the principle of first 
come first served, in your replies, and my turn always 
seems so far off in the distance, I cannot always have 
the heart to wait, though I fully appreciate the kind¬ 
ness and patience with which you answer the many 
questions asked, some of which are so trivial and so 
oft-repeated that they must certainly annoy you. 
Upper Dublin, Pa. Mrs. W. J. Taylor. 
Answer. —The Justicia will grow in any good soil. 
It requires a warm house in winter. Farfugium 
grande does best in a cool, shady place in summer, 
and a cold house in winter; the flower is not hand¬ 
some. Bone of the Tea or China Boses would ho 
quite hardy, hut the hybrid perpetuals such as Jules 
Margotten are good and hardy. We expect the 
Cabbage Bose is not in the trade, hut buyers will 
have their roses to flower all the year, and this 
blooms hut once. Prairie Queen will grow in any 
aspect; it is perfectly hardy. 
Lily of "Hie Valley.—I have had a Lily of the 
Valley for six years, and have never had a bloom. 
Can you tell me how to make it bloom, or what is the 
matter? Mrs. A. J. Hoy. 
Millbrook, Ark. 
Answer. —Plant the Lily of the Valley in rich, cool, 
shady soil, and it will most probably flower; it is 
quite hardy. 
Heliotrope. —Why do the leaves of my Helio¬ 
trope turn black and fall off? Why do the leaves 
and blossoms on my scarlet Begonia drop off before 
they are half grown ? Mrs. H. C. Duffee. 
Answer. —Both the plants named drop their leave g 
from cold, and perhaps too much water. 
Questions. — 1 . please inform me if Water Lilies can 
he grown in the house—in Aquarium ? 2. Can they he 
grown in a small pool in the yard, say 4 or 5 feet in 
diameter ? 3. How deep should the water he in which 
they are to grow ? 4. And where can roots ho 
obtained? Mrs. M. F. Hester. 
Answer. —1st. Bo. 2d. Yes. 3d. Bot less than 
two feet. 4th. From Mr. George Such, South 
Amboy, BY J. 
Smilax. —When may I look for blossoms on my 
Smilax ? and does it ever grow from cuttings ? I have 
a very nice plant of this variety, obtained from a root 
last spring, and would like to know in regard to these. 
Bandolph, Ohio. Miss Celia Hutson. 
Answer .—The Smilax might be in flower now if 
large enough, the flowers are small so that they are 
very inconspicuous. It does not grow from cuttings. 
Rose.—I would like to ask the readers of the 
Cabinet if they can tell me why a Bose will not bloom, 
or in other words, why the buds blight ? I have one 
that was given me three years ago; the first year it 
had forty blossoms at one time, it was the most beauti¬ 
ful Bose I ever saw, such large flowers and so fragrant, 
a very bright pink, hut since that time it has seldom 
bloomed, the buds start out hut seem so compact 
they cannot open. 
Ellsworth, Maine. Mrs. C. B. Grant. 
Answer. —Plant out the Bose in good rich soil and 
it will probably flower all right. 
Dutch Bulb.—1. Will you please tell in the Cabinet 
if Dutch Bulbs and Hyacinths can he successfully 
grown in the garden until.they multiply, and then 
grown successfully in the house, either in glasses or 
pots? 2. Also, if it would do to plant them early 
in the spring ? 3. Also, how to grow fine French 
Gladiolus in the best manner ? 
Beamsville, Ont., Can. J. C. 
Answer. —1. Yes, for private use. 2. Plant in the 
fall. 3. Dig the ground deep and add some manure in 
• the fall, and plant the Bulbs in April, from four to 
six inches deep. 
Cyclamens.—I wrote before something in regard to 
Cyclamens, as a lady had quite "a piece about them, 
I’ve had some, both pink and white, for some years 
and they do well with very little care. In II. FI’s 
“Bits of Travel,” she says: they are called in Italy 
where they grow wild, Mad Violets, and she herself 
thinks them a good representative of a vicious horse 
with his ears thrown hack, and I believe I agree with 
her. The white ones I think are the prettiest, hut 
Mrs. F. B. B. of W. Hights, Ill. can get seed of pink 
if she wants. Some one else spoke of slugs troubling 
her rosebushes, I’ve used white hellebore, sprinkling 
it over my hushes when the leaves first come out, 
either when the dew is on them or first using a solution 
of the powder, syringing them, and then using the dry 
powder. I’ve not seen a slug for three years on any 
of the bushes, The rose-bugs are a nuisance, and as 
they pay no attention to washes or powders or any¬ 
thing hut my fingers, I pick them off and hum them. 
In my little greenhouse I’ve not the books by me 
just now to refer to. I have a Saffrano rosebush 5% 
feet high, spreading out in a space of about two yards, 
and I’ve had roses all winter. Madeira Vines, I can’t 
boast of big leaves, for I let my vine run in length, 
not to leaves. The root is in the greenhouse, starts 
its multitudinous branches, and as soon as warm I put 
the vines through a little door in a large window and 
let the vines run up the eaves spout to the top of 
the house. They just revel iu the sunshine and spread 
out over the roof, (house two stories) and in the fall 
the spout is just one mass of blossoms from the top to 
the bottom. I believe I like the flowers better than 
large leaves. 
Lemon. Tree—-Please tell me how to treat my 
Lemon Trees ? I have one a year old and another two 
years old, both look well. How shall I get them to 
hear, by budding or grafting ? What time of the year 
is best ? We have no florist nearer than fifteen miles 
from here, hut if you think best, can send to them. 
Are Lemon Trees deciduous? 
Beville, 0. Mary C. Galbkeath. 
Answer. —Bud or graft them at any season. Lemon 
Trees are evergreen. 
Amaryllis.—Where can I get an Amaryllis bulb, 
and what is the price ? 
Beily, Butler Co., 0. C. E. D. 
Answer.— From Mr. Geo. Such, South Amboy, 
N. J., from 50 cents to $3. 
