V|3> 
R 
“el!' 
A 
i / 
files’ floral sKaJinet an3 factorial Home 6jam|iuaion. 
Ipura! 
WINDOW GARDENING IN THE WILDS 
OE IOWA. 
Last year I made a new beginning with in-door as 
well as out-door gardening. I kept nothing through 
the winter except one Carnation, but towards spring I 
prepared to entertain some new-comers. I used rich 
surface soil from the woods, with some sand and 
pounded charcoal and calcined bones, sifting the finer 
parts into the soil, and usiug the coarser for drainage. 
First came a lot of plants from a greenhouse, just 
at the time of the great April snowstorm, and they 
had been uearly two weeks somewhere on the way. 
I sprinkled them and made'a shelter with two chairs 
and a blanket, next day set carefully, and kept them 
in the dark a few days, admitting light gradually, but 
lot* nearly all. 
Nothing can look more forlorn than a lot of plants 
under such circumstances, trying to hold up their 
heads in a new and uncongenial atmosphere, and. only 
succeeding in dropping their leaves in the attempt. 
But the true flower-lover sees, not what they are but 
what they will be, and lovingly awaits that time. 
Some one, Mrs. Stowe, I think, says that “ next to 
good wholesome care, nothing is so beneficial to chil¬ 
dren as a little wholesome neglect.’’ I think this will 
also apply to plants, but I find it the hardest lesson of 
all to learn. 
Other plants came from time to time, and slips from 
various sources. A friend sent an Agapantlms Lily. 
It seemed at home at once, and grew well for a time. 
It was a stranger to me, and as I like to know the 
relationships of my plants, I watched it carefully. As 
I pulled away the old leaves I noticed that the thick 
viscid juice spun into threads like a spider’s web. 
This, with its general appearance, color vf flowers, 
and reputed love of water, convinced me that it be¬ 
longed to the family of Spiderworts. I do not know 
yet whether my theories were correct, but if they 
were, one little item of practical knowledge would 
have been worth them all. The plant likes shallow 
culture, the roots seeking the surface. Ignorant of 
this, I set it rather deeply at first, and as the earth 
settled, added more. I soon noticed that something 
was wrong, hut too late to repair my error. 1 have 
another now, and promise that this little “ Aggie ” 
shall not he smothered. 
I think ray little Calla had been reading the author¬ 
ities concerning its rights and duties. As it had never 
flowered nor grown any to speak of, I thought it 
needed no rest, hut it just showed a little point of 
green above the surface, and there it stayed till the 
prescribed month for growth, September, then it start¬ 
ed up wide awake. 
I am not so clear in my mind as to what was the 
matter with my Amaryllis family, of which the same 
friend sent me four kinds. A. Atamasco being a 
native, grew without any trouble, multiplied well, 
and flowered till October. A. Regina attempted to 
grow without forming roots, exhausted her Strength 
and died. A. ,Jacuhoa, and A. Valletta, just did 
nothing at all. In vain I set them alternately in the 
dark loft over the kitchen stove to coax them to root, 
and in the sun to coax them to grow. I was absent 
nearly all of September, and found no chansre on my 
return, but within a week each put forth a leaf, 
whether touched at last by rny devotion, or having in 
my absence secured that little portion of neglect, I am 
unable to say. 
Geraniums were my greatest comfort. Whatever 
else fails, if I cau hut get a slip of Geranium in good 
order I feel sure of success. I put them in a little can 
of good but not extremely rich earth, press it well 
around the base, water it sparingly until growth com¬ 
mences, and keep in a dark cool corner a few days, 
gradually giving light. The foolish little tilings 
nearly all wanted to bloom as soon as rooted, hut of 
course I nipped that in the hud. For cleaning the 
leaves ol Geraniums, and some other rousjli-leaved 
plants, I find nothing equal to a tooth-brush. I use 
it dry first, laying each leaf .on the palm of the left 
lightly. Those who have never 
hand and brushing 
tried it will he surprised to see liow the dust M ill fly 
from pretty clean looking plants. Then repeat with 
tepid water. It is rather slow work, hut I think any 
one who tries it once will find time to repeat occa¬ 
sionally. The brush must he very fine and soft, and 
carefully used of course. 
When cold u-eather set in I had about, forty plants, 
more in number and variety than 1 had ever wintered 
before. Oleander, Hydrangea, and some others, were 
dried off and placed in the cellar. After the extreme 
cold weather set in I covered everything at night, 
chiefly with newspapers. 1 lost none by freezing after 
I adopted this plan, and only two or three before. 1 
prepared a mixture of charcoal, calcined hones, lieu 
manure, and soot ; about two parts of charcoal to one 
of each of the other ingredients, pounded and sifted 
it, and applied according to size and condition of 
plants, lightly mixing with the surface soil. I thought 
] that this M'ould he distasteful to insects in some 
degree; and also, that anything that promoted the 
health of the plants would help to prevent their 
appearance. 1 kept water constantly on the stove to 
supply moisture, was as careful as possible about dust, 
and watered and sprinkled as I judged necessary. 
Not a single insect made its appearance. A few 
1 boxes were infested with little white worms, hut a 
I ' 
little mingled soot and ashes made an end of them. 
My plants all made constant, though not very rapid, 
growth through the winter; a few bloomed, and 
others are blooming. 
When I add that my house is small and partly 
unfinished, and that I have no help with my work ox- 
in the care of niy plants, I think I may say that if I 
have succeeded in some degree no one need to fail 
entirely. Mrs. Fannie E. Briggs. 
dirt, and cover about six inches. Let them stand out 
doors until freezing weather, when they should he put 
i ^to the cellar for winter with water added at intervals 
to keep them from getting dry. 
In the spring set your tubs in some convenient 
place in the yard or lawn, fill with -water and keep 
full by adding a little once or twice a week as it 
evaporates, and your work is done. 
truly, there is no flower that requires so little care, 
and yet is so beautiful and fragrant as the water lily. 
I have a number of these tubs sitting around my 
home, and from July to September, while they are in 
bloom, they are admired by all who see them. 
these roots are hardy and will grow in any kind of 
loam or mud’, hut in sand or gravel never. A few 
roots put into a small muddy bottom pond would 
completely cover it in a few years. 
J. E. S. Crandali.. 
WHITE WATER LILY. 
If the readers of the Floral Cabinet knew how 
easily this Lily (Nymphma odorata) could he culti¬ 
vated, we believe that many of them would he as 
proud of their lily gardens as of any other part of their 
premises. 
Tbe roots should he procured in the fall at the rate 
of four for a tub, which may he made by sawing any 
kind of a barrel (except oil and tar barrels) through 
the centre. Then put in from six to eight inches of 
fine black loam, mixed with well-rotted manure. If 
your roots have been procured from a distance, and 
packed in moss, they should he put into a pail of 
water and allowed to remain until the little fibrous 
roots can he spread out evenly (this might he hastened 
by taking them by the lop, or crown end, and dipping 
them in the water). When your roots are ready for 
planting, take out two inches of dirt from the tub, 
put in your roots at equal distances around the tub, 
with the crown ends towards the centre, and the 
fibrous roots spread out straight with the fingers ; then 
put hack the dirt, leaving the crown ends of the roots 
just above the soil. 
Now put in water gently, so as not to disturb the 
NAMES OF PLANTS, ONION LILY, &c. 
No doubt every flowex- lover regrets the confusion 
that exists concerning the names of plants. We have 
all groaned in spirit to hear Pasony pronounced 
“ Piney,” and Asters called “China Oysters;” and 
this summer I found an old lady who had her porch 
draped with the beautiful Calistegia and a group of 
Gladioli in her garden, and she called the latter 
“ Olluses” and the former “ Cast Ages,” and I think 
enjoyed them even with those harhax-ous names. On 
the Other hand, I think wo all enjoy a pretty and 
appropriate English name. When a very little girl I 
saw some yellow Xoranthemmns, and heard them 
called “ Golden Eternal Flowex-,” and the name im¬ 
pressed me then, and thrills me now like a strain of 
.sweet music. 
1 have been looking over hack numbers of the 
Cabinet and trying to settle (for my own satisfaction) 
the “Onion Lily” question. I wish B. Grimshaw 
(Feh. No.), who has the plant, had desci-ihed it. 
I have in my garden a Star of Bethlehem (Ornith- 
ogaluin umbellatum). It lias white and rather small 
bulbs, grass-like leaves, marked with a white stripe, 
and clusters of white flowers witfi a*hright green stripe 
on each petal and sepal. I have also a house-plant, 
sent me with the name “ Squills, or Sea Onion.” It 
lias a large green bulb growing entirely above ground, 
very long leaves, and is said to hear clusters of white 
fiowei-s. It corresponds with Webster’s description of 
the Officinal Squill (Ornithogalum Squilla, or Scilla 
maiitima). As both these plants belong to the order 
Liliac’ae, and tribe Scillese, the name Onion Lily 
would not he absurd for either. Perhaps the Alliums 
are the true Onion Lilies, for they belong not only to 
the same order and tribe, but to the same genus with 
the onion, leek, garlic, etc. Mrs. F. E. Briggs. 
Plants in Bay Window. —Is it possible to keep 
plants in the winter in a bay window in a room where 
no fire is kept, though there is a fire in room adjoin¬ 
ing ? We do not keep tire all night, as we burn wood ■ 
here. Would a lamp kept burning he sufficient, to 
keep out frost ? Could I keep an aquarium in this 
room without danger of breaking, through frost f 
The room I speak of is u-ell plastered and has an 
eastern exposure, and is somewhat protected by a 
room north of it. My house is a frame one, not brick. 
Your kind attention to this Mull much oblige, as I am 
very anxious to have flowers and ferns in winter. 
R. Payne. 
Answer .—If frost is excluded (which can only be 
tested on the spot by a thermometer or shallow dish 
of water), or thermometer keeps over 50°, you can 
keep them. 
