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EDITOR’S CHAT WITH HIS READERS. 
This summer, travelling’ among the grand scenes of Cal¬ 
ifornia the Editor of the Floral Cabinet visited some of 
the pretty little gardens of the " Colden State.” In the 
lovely little village of Santa Cruz, embowered in vines, 
and sheltered from storms, were hundreds of charming 
cottages, pictures of contentment and floral beauty. What 
a world of bloom! what an ocean ot flowers! and how 
balmy the air! 
Santa Cruz is on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, and is 
often called the Long Branch of the Pacific. It is a pretty 
village of about live thousand inhabitants, whose white 
cottages are almost invariably surrounded with gardens. 
It was intensely delightful to wander, hour after, hour, up 
and down the streets, looking over into the yards, and 
viewing the varied specimens of luxuriant growth. In 
one garden the Fuchsia had never been removed since it 
was originally planted, years ago, and it lias grown to be 
a tree twelve feet high, with branches spreading out nearly 
four feet, from which the pretty drops hung so sweetly, 
while the trunk was over two inches thick. In the same 
garden was an Abutilou over twenty-five feet high. Roses 
bloomed in millions, and Geraniums were as common as 
weeds. 
The most brilliant display of Geraniums we ever wit¬ 
nessed was as we passed near Menlo Park. A long 
avenue of five hundred feet, with a width of fifty feet, 
has upon its outer edge a hedge of tall Arbor Vitre. Up 
and down the path were ribbon beds of Coleus, Achyran- 
thus, etc . while immediately next to the dark green of the 
hedge was a fiery line of Geraniums. Gloriously bright 
seemed the bed, like a line of fire, a meteor, or a shooting 
star, as the train swiftly passed by. Hear the station, and 
running along the 'rack, was another hedge, and up and 
down its branches many Geranium vines were growing, 
whose bright red blossoms shone in grandeur against the 
dirk green background. 
In San Francisco we saw a fence, fifteen feet high and 
sixty-five feet long, covered' with an immense mass of 
Geranium vines that had clambered up one side and then 
dropped down the other, filling both sides with a double 
blanket of scarlet blossoms of vivid hue. The Geranium 
is the favorite garden flower of California. It grows as 
fast as weeds, needs no care, and is ever in bloom. Once 
planted, it never stops growing. 
In Los Angeles, as we wandered among the gardens, we 
saw a sight of a most wonderful nature. In the Wash¬ 
ington Garden was a veritable Rose tree, the diameter of 
its trunk being five inches. This grew up about three and 
a half feet; then the top branched out perfectly straight, 
and almost flat, over sixteen feet across, and completely 
covered with Solfaterre Roses. In this garden was a 
Grapevine arbor, arranged in a semi-circular form, which 
covered over half an acre. 
In one of the little gardens we saw the Oleander, which 
our ladies at home grow so carefully in-doors. One speci¬ 
men was twenty feet high, and the stalk was four inches 
in thickness. In the same garden was a Geranium bush 
ten feet high, with stock two inches in diameter. In an¬ 
other garden was a large specimen of Pampas Grass, with 
a diameter of eighteen feet, and over fifty heads or tufts 
rising from it. 
Tn one garden we saw a Fuchsia, planted out this year, 
clambering up the pillars of a porch; it was only six feet 
high, but bore over three thousand blossoms upon it. In 
the same garden was a mound of Pelargoniums, of colors 
more beautiful than we have ever seen in any greenhouse, 
while up and down the fence was a huge hedge of Gera¬ 
niums. 
In many of the gardens the Mignionette grew as large 
as the tomato vine we see at home, and had to be hooped 
up from the ground. 
In still another garden was a monster Geranium bush, 
which was only a little slip last spring. Now it has one 
hundred and fifty branches; its stalk at its base was four 
inches thick, and it had over a thousand blossoms. Think 
of what a fiery red ball this would make! 
In a nursery we stood, and within a few feet of us, 
growing in the open air. and bearing fruit, were the Fig 
and Chestnut, a long avenue of each, with trunks one and 
a half feet in diameter, heads eighty feet high, branches 
seventy feet diameter; also the Peach, Pear, Plum, Apri¬ 
cot. Orange, Lemon, Lime, Olive, Guava, Pomegranate, 
hot-house Grapes, India Rubber iree, Cactus, Palm, and 
Banana Think of all these in one garden 1 
In all the streets 1 saw not a single shade-tree which 
we usually grow in the North. Not a single Maple, Elm. 
or Beech. Instead, every garden or lawn has the deep- 
green Orange tree for its shade, and in the streets were 
the gentle, willowy Acacia. 
This is the home of the Orange tree. In one grove 1 saw 
there were gathered last winter 1.250.000 oranges, which 
sold (or $11,000, all owned by a Spanish lady who asks 
the modest sum of $10,000 for the grove. In one little 
garden we saw no shade-trees but the Palm, over seventy 
feet high, and next to it was the little hut of Hop Lo, the 
Chinese washerman, whose porch was covered with a mass 
of Wandering Jew, so thick we could not see the door. 
Such are some of the wonders of travel. Happy will 
our readers be who can ever find it their fortune to visit 
this sunny land for health or pleasure. 
But other topics demand our space, and other correspon¬ 
dents claim an interest in our “Notes of Gossip.” 
* 
Broken. Goblets Utilized. —Mrs. M. A. B. says that 
in the July number of the Cabinet she saw an article on 
the use of broken goblets, and would like to tell us how 
she has made very elegant mantel ornaments of them. 
She says: When the stems aro broken, I take them and 
transfer decalcomauie pictures on the outside, such as oval 
or round heads, and oval bouquets or landscapes. For the 
outside rim of the glass I take a strip of gilt paper half 
an inch wide, and cut the lower edge in sharp points, and 
paste to the glass with the same varnish I use for the pic¬ 
tures, using a wet sponge to press it in place. When all 
is thoroughly dry, I carefully paint the inside of the glass 
with Chinese vermillion, which comes in tubes, and can be 
obtained of any chemist for twenty-fivo cents, which will 
be enough to paint half a dozen glasses. I then make a 
stand similar to a table castor, by sawing out an ornamen¬ 
tal piece, of black walnut, a wreath of leaves, in two cir¬ 
cles, on one piece of board, twelve inches long and nine 
inches wide. In the centre of each circle I saw out an¬ 
other circle, just large enough to insert the stem of the 
goblet, and firmly glue them into place. The rims of the 
glasses should be about an inch apart to allow space for 
the upright standard or handle, which I fasten after the 
table castor, and insert in the stand by sawing out a place 
in the centre between the two glasses, and gluing firmly 
in its place. Then saw out three or four ornamental 
feet, and glue on underneath ; then varnish the stand with 
shellac, or furniture varnish, and j-ou will have a very 
handsome stand for cigars, autumn leaves, cut flowers, or 
table and mantel ornament, and when you have once made 
such a stand, I think you will never sigh over broken 
goblets. I have made a match-stand after the same pat¬ 
tern, by taking the lower part of broken lamp-cliimnies of 
the student lamp, and turning them bottom side up, trans¬ 
ferring pictures, painting them, and gluing them to stands 
sawed out with a fret saw, and they have been very much 
admired. 
Barrel Chair. —Mary M. Morris answers an inquiry 
in June number of Cabinet. Lucinda R. IIowc requests 
me to tell tier how to make an easy chair out of a barrel. 
The head is knocked out and fastened half way down; the 
shape of the back and arms chalked out first, and then 
carefully sawed. After that some coarse canvas or other 
old stuff is tacked loosely on, and stuffed with liorse-liair 
or wool, a cushion made for the seat, and the whole cov¬ 
ered with bright chintz. 
Converted by a Flower. —There is a beautiful inci¬ 
dent told of a Texas gentleman who was an unbeliever in 
the Christian religion. One day he was walking in the 
woods, reading the writings of Plato. He came to where 
the great writer uses the phrase, “ God geometrizes.” He 
thought to himself: “ 1 f I could only see plan and order 
in God’s works, I could be a believer.” Just then he saw 
a little Texas Star at his feel. He picked it up, and then 
thoughtlessly began to count its petals. He found there 
were five, fie counted the stamens, and there were five 
of them. He counted the divisions at the base of the 
flower, there were five of them. He then set about mul¬ 
tiplying these three lives to see how many chances there 
were of a flower being brought into existence without the 
aid of mind, and having in it these three fives. The 
chances against it were one hundred and twenty-five to 
one. He thought that was very strange. He examined 
another flower, and found it the same. He multiplied one 
hundred and twenty-five by itself to see how many chances 
there were against their being two flowers, each having 
these exact relations of numbers He found the chances 
against it were thirteen thousand six hundred and twenty- 
five to one. But all around him there were multitudes of 
these little flowers; they had been growing and blooming 
there for j-ears. He thought this showed the order of in¬ 
telligence. and that the mind that ordained it was God. 
And so he shut up his book, picked up the little flower, 
kissed it, and exclaimed, “ Bloom on, little flowers; sing on, 
little birds: you have a God. and 1 have a God; the God 
that made these little flowers made me." 
He does not Care for Flowers.— A lady writes us 
that she heard a remark made by an intelligent young- 
man. to the effect that if he had a home of his own, he 
would not care enough for flowers to ctiltivate them. He is a 
believer in the Bible, and considered a Christian. Is it 
possible a child of God loveth not the things his Father 
hath given him for his pleasure and happiness ? What he 
despises, the unibeliever in the above incident learned to 
love. Did he never think of the “Rose of Sharon,” the 
“Lily of the Valley,” pure emblems of his Saviour’s life? 
Pomegranates. —M. A. Line says she must tell our 
readers about some of her flowers, especially the monthly 
Pomegranate. “Gus Vick” has a light, warm sitting- 
room. To her I intrusted this plant. It is now covered 
with bright scarlet flowers and buds, and will bloom all 
winter. I have never seen a handsomer window plant. 
A white Lantana was placed in the silting-room, and is 
now about eight feet high; it has no less than one hundred 
clusters ol flowers. This is certainly an unusually fine 
specimen. 
What to do with the Fireplace. —Mary E. Wal¬ 
ters writes us a nice little article on fireplaces. It is real 
sensible : “The articles which have been appearing in one 
of our leading monthlies, under the quaint title of -‘Beds, 
Stools, and Candlesticks,” have excited a very wholesome 
reform among its readers, and put many an idea of artistic 
adornmeut into the heads of people whose opportunities 
have not been great, as well as among the cognoscente in 
such matters. The author of these remarkable papers has 
given several very successful treatments of those unsightly 
objects, fireplaces. I have just completed, and I believe 
originally conceived, a far different course from his, which 
is equally novel, certainly less expensive, and as thoroughly 
beautiful as that designed by the writer above spoken of. 
“What to do with the fireplace in summer, is a question 
which puzzles many a good housekeeper, and out of an 
ugly hiatus in the wall to bring- forth the " sweetness and 
light” so much desired by Ruskin, oris it Matthew Arnold 
who is always demanding these articles? The usual way 
is to place a paper or muslin-covered frame over the “hole 
in the wall.” Almost every house in the country, and 
many in the city, have the fireplace to conceal in warm 
weather, and the polished andirons affected by some peo¬ 
ple present a barrenness objectionable to all. I undertook 
to manage the fireplaces in the parlor and music room, and 
ever since their completion have been thronged with visit¬ 
ors whose avowed object in calling was to criticise them. 
All, or nearly all, of them have resolved to make one or 
more in their own homes. With these prefatory remarks 
let me at once proceed to give the necessary explanations, 
so that every reader can make one of these beauty-spots 
for their own home. 
“ After I removed the stoves, [ had the walls of the fire¬ 
place coated with two or three layers of the whitest lime. 
I then gathered two or three wheelbarrow loads of large 
stone, the roughest I cguld find, and among them some 
large bits of cinder from the furnace, with some petrifac¬ 
tions and stalactites from the many caves in this vicinity. 
I arranged these in as ragged a manner as possible, making 
an irregular wall about two feet high, and semi-circular in 
form. It extended in front out from the lice of the chim¬ 
ney. Between this wall and the back of the firepiace I 
placed a layer of charcoal and hall-rotted leaves, three 
inches in depth. In the centre of this I placed a lagged 
old stump, which I caused to be hauled from the banks of 
our beautiful blue Juniata, where it had been deposited by 
the last freshet. In one room the stump had an even top, 
while that in the other room extended its gnarled and 
knotted limbs in snake like convolutions some distance up 
the chimney, affording a convenient place for pots contain¬ 
ing hanging vines. I then put in a layer of good soil, 
sand and leaf-mold, well mixed, some few pebbles, and 
covered the walls of the rock fortress with sheet-moss ob¬ 
tained from the woods, and here and there planted Parlor 
Ivy, Wandering Jew, a great many Ferns, Morning-glories, 
Allegheny and Madeira vines. With regular watering 
every morning they flourished remarkably well, and ten 
days after planting all the surrounding objects were cov¬ 
ered with abundant hangings. The graceful Ferns nodded 
in profusion, while luxuriant festoons of the Parlor Ivy 
and Morning-glory scrambled in and out among the limbs 
of the gnarled old stump. You can have but a faint idea 
of what a beautiful picture it made, and how lovely the 
once desolate old chimney looked. I placed here and there 
a few sea-shells, and suspended from the front of the fire¬ 
place a small globe with gold-fish. This must never be 
hung under the flue, else the cold and soot will soon kill 
the bright, lively little fellows. On the branches of the 
largest stump I placed brightly-plumed stuffed birds, which 
furnished just the bit of color necessary to add a finish to 
the picture, like the red buoy in one of Turner’s sea views. 
A vase or shell to hold cut flowers, on the 'other stump, 
answers the same purpose. 
“ I would like to convey a just impression of its beauty 
to the readers of the Cabinet, but it is quite impossible; 
nothing short of seeing it will give them a fair idea. I 
have endeavored to convey, as fully as possible, my direc¬ 
tions for making it, and I cannot help adding- that I think 
it a most admirable way to utilize the old fireplace, and 
the more old-fashioned your fireplace is, the better for the 
purpose.” 
The First Ivy Vine. —A slip of Ivy was transplanted 
several years ago from Norwich, Conn., to Honolulu, in 
the Sandwich Islands. Last year it had reached a height 
of thirty feet, and won the admiration of the people, as it 
was the only vine ever known upon the island. 
