^ 164 
te t^Sies’ floral imi 3 SHcioriral Home 
amjmniufi 
Ipmu^tr 
In summer, bed them all out, and y'our garden will 
be a mass of bloom until heavy frost. I hear through 
the Cabinet that United Italy and many others lose 
their markings when bedded out; such has not been 
my experience; my United Italy and all my Zonales 
are bedded out, and are as distinct and beautiful as 
though in a greenhouse, and in size and texture of the 
leaves much superior. 
In the grounds of the United States Treasury, they 
I have also had some experience in the culture of 
Begonias, and for the benefit of Mrs. Stewart, and 
any others who may be troubled in keeping them 
through the winter, I will tell my experience. Last 
summer I bought three, one—a leaf variety—Madame 
Alweldt, one pink Weltoniensis, and a white Passi- 
flora. They did very well all summer, and bloomed, 
and in the fall I brought them in the house and placed 
them in a south window. The leaf variety was in my 
basket and it was too wet for it, and it soon 
dropped all its leaves and did not appear 
again all winter, while the -..nite one grew 
more and more feeble and finally died; so I 
brought my poor little one into my room 
where it was warmer, but with only a north 
window, and gave it very little water; it 
commenced to grow very nicely, when one 
day I broke off one of the two slender stalks. 
I was in despair; however, I planted the 
slip in the same pot and was soon delighted 
to know that it had rooted. The parent 
plant grew quite slowly, but finally put out 
two new shoots from the roots, and then it 
began to grow faster, and is now a large 
flowering plant. 
The leaf Begonia showed itself this 
spring, and I took it out of the basket and 
planted it in a pot by itself, and it has now 
two large handsome leaves and another 
coming very rapidly. A slip of white Be¬ 
gonia was sent me in the winter from In¬ 
diana, and although it came in such cold 
weather it grew and flourished and threatens 
to rival my Weltoniensis in size and beauty. 
The leaves are large and smooth, a very 
light green that sparkles when the sun 
shines on it. If any rule can be laid down 
for the culture of Begonias, I think the fol¬ 
lowing directions learned from dearly bought 
experience will come as near being correct 
as any : 
A rich garden soil with a little leaf mold 
and enough sand to make it quite light, and 
common flower-pots without glazing or 
paint, and bits of charcoal for drainage, will 
be almost certain to grow Begonias. 
In potting them put about two inches of 
broken charcoal and fill the pot to within 
one-half an inch of the top to allow for 
watering; be sure to place the plants in the 
centre of the pot, for they are a perfect eye¬ 
sore to me if at all one sided. Use only 
common pots, as they are porous and ab¬ 
sorb all surplus moisture, and only water 
when dry, and you will have no trouble in 
raising large, constant and flourishing 
plants. A. F. Peterson. 
Washington, D. C. 
Passielora. Passion Flower Vine. 
have circular beds twenty feet in diameter, filled with 
brilliant scarlet Geraniums, and they are one mass of 
bloom all summer long, and perfectly dazzling to look 
upon ; and then there are innumerable beds of Petunias 
that are all blossom, and Roses, Tropseolums, Perennial 
Phlox, Gladiolus, Carnations, and all beds edged or out¬ 
lined by deep red Coleus ; the walks are five feet wide, 
of grass, shaven so close that it looks like velvet. 
Red Spider, Etc —It is said that the 
plant pest called “ the red spider,” which 
often ruins the choicest house plants, may 
be removed by frequently syringing the 
afflicted plant with carbolic soap-suds. 
Many people dose the “Aphis” with 
tobacco smoke. But this troublesome creature usually 
attacks only plants which are in some way diseased, 
and therefore the surest method of getting rid of them 
is to doctor the sick plant by sunshine, charcoal and 
good drainage. A white spot is often made on a 
painted window-seat by allowing flower-pots to set 
long thereon. To remedy this, take fine wood ashes, 
rub the spot, then wash off with clean water. 
PELARGONIUMS, Etc. 
I have frequently seen communications in the Cab¬ 
inet in regard to the culture of Pelargoniums; and 
as I have had some experience in raising them, I 
thought perhaps it would help some despondent sister 
to successfully grow them and have as hand¬ 
some plants as mine. 
Three summers ago a friend gave me a 
large and healthy slip of a fine Pelargonium; 
for want of better knowledge I planted it 
in quite a large pot. I kept it all winter in 
this pot and it did not grow at all, but when 
spring came it began to grow ; its branches 
spread far and wide, and it blossomed pro¬ 
fusely the last of May. 
Following the directions given me by 
some one, I then cut it back, and the conse¬ 
quence was I had no more blossoms that 
season, and very little growth. I concluded 
that I’d “ kill or cure,” so I cut it back to 
the main stalk that was about five inches 
high; the top had three main branches, and 
I cut it just below where they met, so that 
all three were joined together; this top I 
planted in a three-inch pot, it rooted imme¬ 
diately, commenced to grow and made a 
lovely bushy plant, and is now full of large 
promising bunches of buds. The stalk 
remained in the large pot and put out a few 
leaves and then stopped. Completely exas¬ 
perated with it I took it out of the pot and 
shook all the earth from the roots, potted it 
in a three-inch pot with street dirt and 
garden soil, half and half. Did it grow ? 
Yes, it grew, and is now a great bush about 
a yard in circumference, and just as full of 
buds as it can be. 
Shown from above, I think, that a small 
pot, rich soil, not too much sun, and avoid 
cutting back, will generally produce plants 
that will be a delight to behold. They do 
very well bedded out in the summer. 
Geraniums are very easy to cultivate if 
properly managed. To begin with, about 
midsummer obtain young healthy slips that 
break easily; root them in tiny pots or 
saucers of sand, and as soon as they begin 
to grow, pinch back to make them throw 
out branches; for if they grow after their 
“ own sweet will” you will have plants very 
awkward in appearance. Pot them now in 
two-inch pots in good soil, two-thirds gar¬ 
den soil and one-third leaf mold, and a little 
sand (I prefer the coarse river sand, but fine 
silver sand does very nicely) is about right 
for all Geraniums. 
In the' autumn re-pot them in three or 
four-inch pots and place them in their win¬ 
ter quarters before a fire is started, and thus 
accustom them to the change y they will go 
straight to growing, and always, provided 
you wash their leaves and keep them clean, you 
will have plants that will be sure to attract atten¬ 
tion by their rich green leaves and distinct markings, 
even though you have no blossoms. Geraniums 
treated in this way will bloom about the middle of 
January (if they have a sunny situation) and continue 
in bloom all through the remainder of the winter and 
spring. 
