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The Thistle. —This plant was referred to in the Octo¬ 
ber number by the offer of Mrs. Calvert to send a few 
seeds in the fall. She writes us : “I had no idea when 
I timidly made my offer that I was negotiating for an ele¬ 
phant. I received so many applications that I could only 
respond to each by sending two seeds, and I have now 
very few left. Will you permit me to say a few words as 
to their treatment? The Thistle is a native of a cold, 
moist climate, and Southern growers must govern their 
treatment accordingly. Plant reasonably early in rather 
rich, sandy soil, the same depth as seeds of similar size, 
and give at least two feet round the plant for growth. It 
grows most luxuriant in the shade, but the sun develops 
better flowers. Water well.” 
[Note by Editor .—In mercy to many correspondents who 
have no idea of our circulation we rarely ever insert any 
of the offers of exchange or gratuitous seeds, which are 
sent in. In every case we have done so, the avalanche of 
responses has been so great the lady has regretted her offer 
and written to stop it, but always too late. We remember 
one person who received 13,000 responses to a similar offer 
in one of our New York weeklies.] 
Spanish. Moss. —With regard to exchange of Spauish 
Moss for plants, I wish to state to the many who have fa¬ 
vored me: First. I have received up to this date one 
hundred and thirteen letters, half as many packages, and 
no sign of cessation; and owing to my manifold household 
duties, it is impossible for me to dispatch the Moss as fast 
as they are received. Second. Many of the packages have 
had no clue but the similarity of writing to connect them 
with the letter, and in some cases I have totally failed to 
identify them. Some have been so dry as to be entirely 
worthless, while others are fresh and crisp. Third. Owing 
to the great number of proposals, I am anxious to see the 
end of exchauge for the present, and request that no one 
else will respond to my proposal. Fourth. For these rea¬ 
sons my letter on Cacti and other plants will be indefinitely 
postponed, and if any other flower sister wishes to step in 
and fill the vacancy she has my permission. I hope my 
numerous correspondents will be charitable toward my 
shortcomings, and believe that the fear that some will be 
dissatisfied has almost destroyed my enjoyment of the 
many choice plants I have received. 
Mary C. McCurdy. 
The Passiflora. —I observed in your August number 
that one of -your contributors, A. Walsh, desired informa¬ 
tion in regard to her Passiflora. The only treatment I 
know of, so used, was to plant them in good light soil in 
May, and they would soon cover one end of a veranda 
and bloom profusely all summer. The single variety 
grows in abundance spontaneously in my yard, and is 
quite as pretty as the double, and perfectly hardy. The 
double requires some protection through the winter. I 
will send the Passiflora to any of your contributors in ex¬ 
change for other plants or dried flowers and mosses. I 
have another beautiful climber that is perfectly hardy. I 
call it the Wild Rose because of its resemblance to a rose 
The bloom is beautiful; it is large and double, a beautiful 
pink color. I would like to exchange Geraniums, Helio¬ 
tropes, &c. Of the latter I have three varieties, and quite 
,a number of Geraniums. I will send either of the varie¬ 
ties for other plants. I have a great many other plants I 
will exchange with my floral friends. I have had remark¬ 
ably good luck in growing plants this fall. They are the 
prettiest I have seen, most of them budding and some 
blooming. I have a new, large, roomy pit opening from 
my dining-room, and if it proves a success I will tell you 
how it is arranged. I am particularly anxious to get a few 
of those beautiful dried flowers and mosses the Cabinet so 
often speaks of. We have no pretty mosses here. What 
an indispensable little friend the Cabinet is. It is my most 
welcome visitor. It always has a happy greeting at our 
threshold. Every countenance beams with, delight around 
the fireside when it is being read. I wish it was a weekly 
visitor instead of a monthly, the months seem so long. 
Any desiring to make the exchanges I speak of, address 
Carlisle, Kentucky. ’ Mrs. C. W. Munger. 
Soil for Plants. —Knowing that nearly everv lady in 
the city finds it hard to get manure of the right quality for 
her plants, I thought this suggestion might lie of some use 
to them. Gather up the falling leaves and put them in an 
old box, or in some obscure corner where they will not have 
to be removed. After getting all you. want, pile them in as 
close quarters as possible, then throw on them all of your 
dish water, wash water, or any water that will help to 
make them rot. Every week or two take a stick and turn 
the leaves over, and keep on doing this until they are all 
rotten, which they will be in a short time, and you will 
have as good a manure as any florist could want. If you 
could get the droppings from a cow and put them in-an old 
dish and-poiir water on them, let it stand for a day or two, 
then take the liquid and pour it around the roots of the 
plant, it will give it a dark green color and make it grow 
very fast; but in putting the last named on the roots do 
not let any get on the leaves. As nearly every lady has 
some plant which they cannot pot, from its large size, they 
would be verj' glad to know of some way in which they 
can enrich the soil without going to the trouble of taking 
the plant out of the pot. By putting the liquid on every 
month it will make the soil nearly as rich awd do the plant 
as much good as if they had put it in rich soil. 
Newark, N. J. J. H. Casterline. 
Maryland Biscuit. —Your correspondent, Mrs. K., 
of Oregon, asks for a recipe for making Maryland biscuits, 
and as I consider mine the true article I willingly furnish 
it, as follows: Three pounds Patapsco family flour sifted, 
six ounces lard, a heaping teaspoon of salt, mix well 
together, then add about a pint of water or milk; beat 
until the dough blisters; bake iu a quick heat. 
Mrs. Susan 0. Grape. 
Agapanthus Lily.— I have an Agapanthus Lily 
1 several years of age; the first year it did well and bloomed; 
shortly after this I divided it, cutting the root in two; 
since that time each part grows thriftily but neither blos¬ 
soms nor buds. I wish to know first, does the old stock 
ever bloom but once ? second, was it wrong to separate it? 
and third, what kind of soil, treatment, etc., should they 
receive ? A Subscriber. 
Answer —1. The old flower stem blooms but once, but 
new stems come from same stock. 2. Not if you wished 
more plants. 3. Any good rich soil, with abundance of 
water. 
Questions about Lilies. —My Lilium Chalcedonicum 
grew about three inches high, then began to die. I went 
down to the bulb, found some little white worms, and then 
transplanted. Is there any hope of its coming up again ? 
I have a L. Longiflorum in a pot by itself; it has been in 
good soil since May 6th; the bulb seems sound, but it has 
never come up. Can you tell me what is the cause of it, 
and will it come up yet ? 
Stockwell, Ind. Mrs. Carrie L. Stallard. 
Answer — 1 . Probably the large bulbs have decayed, you 
had better take them up and replant in a fresh place, your 
position may be too wet or too dry. 2. The worm explains 
the decay of the bulbs, treat as above; do not use any 
fresh manure in planting. 3. Longiflorum will probably 
grow in its proper season; May was six months too late to 
pot it; this species commences to grow in October. 
Melon Cactus. —Will you be kind enough to tell me 
what kind of treatment is best for a Melon Cactus ? 
Answer —Give good drainage and little water at any time 
and, if a large plant, none in the winter. 
Fuchsias. —1. I would like to ask, through the columns 
of the more than welcome Cabinet, if old or wooded 
Fuchsias, that have bloomed all summer, will winter well 
in the cellar ? 2. What time should roses be repotted 
and trimmed, before or after resting ? 3. Will India ink 
wash out of white cotton goods ? I made some phantom 
tidies and spattered with India ink, bought at Ann Arbor, 
Mich., I used Fern leaves, and they received much praise. 
I gave one to a friend, and in a few weeks she returned 
the musiin, but the beautiful designs had all washed out. 
If any of your readers wish to arrange leaves, be sure and 
not overlap them, let them be distinct. 
Cass County, Mich. 0. E. Chapman. 
Answer— 1. Yes. 2. After. 3. Will some of our lady 
correspondents oblige by replying to this ? 
Ferns. —1. What is best for winter greenhouse Ferns, 
soil for pots, etc., also treatment? 2. Also, what to do 
for Jasmine, and must’I keep them in the house? 3. 
Name a few good winter-blooming parlor plants, etc. 
E. J. T. 
Answer —1. Eew Ferns will grow well in a room, unless 
in a glass ease, but any good open soil with good drainage, 
as the plants, when in full growth, require abundance of 
water. 2. Both Jasmine and Musk are best cut of doors 
in summer, and should have rich soil; the Musk requires 
plenty of moisture, and the Jasmine pruning well in after 
flowering. 3. The following are good parlor plants: Oa- 
melias. Azaleas, Bouvardias, Carnations, Poinsettias, Fuch¬ 
sias, Crab Cactus, Echeverias, Crassula, Daphne. Begonias, 
and Geraniums. 
Calla Lily.— 1. Will some of your readers be so kind as 
to give their mode of treatment for the Calla Lily ? I have 
three fine large ones, just a year old, and am anxious, to 
know how old they will have to be before blooming. 2: 
Also, of the Jerusalem Cherry? Mine blooms finely but 
bears no cherries. L. T. M. 
Answer — 1 . Give rich soil and abundance of water when 
in full growth, and keep dry from June to September, then 
shake all the soil away and pot as above; our plants 
flower from young shoots the first year. 
Plants to grow in water. —1. Will you kindly tell 
me, through the Cabinet, which plants will grow best in 
water ? I have some broken goblets and preserve dishes 
I wish to use as hanging baskets. Do you think any 
plants would grow without drainage ? 2. Does the Hy¬ 
drangea require much water? 3. What treatment do you 
advise for Oallas? 
Answer —1. Water Lilies, Calla Lilies, Arrowheads, Pon- 
tederia, Water Lettuce, and other plants, according to space; 
nothing but water plants will grow without drainage. 2. 
Yes, when growing? 3. For winter blooming we keep 
dry in the summer. 
Plants for Borders. — 1. I wish to know the names 
of some flowers that would do well in the border, during 
the hot summer months. I have tried now for several 
years to have a good flower yard, and I can say the yard 
is there but only a few flowers. The thermometer shows, 
during mid-day, sometimes 130°, and rain is scarce. 2. I 
wish to know if it is possible to raise a Victoria Regia in 
the open air ? 3. How large a tank would it take to hold 
one ? 4. Where could I procure the roots or seed ? In 
winter, the temperature with us is never below 20° during 
the night, and hardly ever below 32°, in day-time, in the 
shade. A Man that Loves Flowers. 
Answer —1. Lantanas, Heliotrope, Geraniums, Cannas, 
Caladiums, Gardenias, Jasmines, Yuccas, Arums, and 
many others, which the local florists could name. 2. Yes, 
if started early in a hot-house*. 3. Not less than thirty 
feet in diameter. 4. In Europe, through any of the large 
seedsmen there, they would probably charge a dollar a seed. 
Gas-light. —Is gas-light injurious to plants more than 
astral oil, or ought the room to be lighted at all at night ? 
A Constant Reader. 
Answer —Gas is always injurious to planls, but not very 
much so, if burned only two or three hours a day, and 
plants well ventilated; oil lamps will not injure plants. 
Plants need pure atmosphere; common sense says, give it 
to them, and not keep your rooms too close. 
A Wardian Case. —I have had very poor success in 
keeping a window garden, on account, I suppose, of gas in 
the room, both burning and from the coal stove. One 
winter I thought surely we would succeed, if it were pos¬ 
sible; so we had a large glass case made, to stand on the 
flower table; it was about six feet long, two feet wide, and 
two feet high. In the bottom of the ease we spread sand 
to the depth of two or three inches, we then placed our 
flower-pots in it and kept them well sprinkled. The case 
had a very good southern exposure, and the top could be 
easily lifted off, to allow fresh air to circulate freely. This 
seemed, however, to be of no avail, for the plants seemed 
to wilt and die, just as they had been doing before without 
it. We gave up, finally, in despair, and put the case in the 
garret, out of sight. Now, if you can tell me the cause of 
our poor success, I would be exceedingly obliged to you 
for the information. Do you think it would succeed in a 
room without either fire or gas ? 
Answer —Take your plants out of the pots; if you have 
not got space, build a deep basin at bottom of the case, 
four inches deep, fill with good earth, put your plants in, 
then water twice or three times a week; keep top closed, 
and do not open unless there is a surplus moisture inside; 
put broken charcoal and pottery below the earth; see 
that the water drains off and does not stand, and your 
plants will grow successfully. 
Questions. —If it is not too much trouble, will you 
please answer a few questions through your columns: 1. 
How can I keep the worms away from my Roses ? 2. 
Which is right, Wistaria or Wisteria ? 3. Is the Easter 
Lily the same thing as the Calla? If not, what is the 
difference ? 4. Do people now think flowers are bad in a 
sleeping-room at night ? Allie. 
Answer —1 If you mean Rose slugs, throw dust over 
them, or tobacco ‘soap, or carbolic soap, diluted iu water. 
2. Wistaria is right. 3. The Calla Lily is the only Lily in 
bloom at time of Easier, although the Lilium Longiflorum 
is being forced for Easter purposes. 4. Flowers are not 
injurious in sleeping rooms, not half so much so as the 
bad breath of occupants who do not ventilate at all. 
Answering Questions. —The editor would gladly 
answer all questions, personally, by letter, or in The 
Floral Cabinet, but the task is so great, and we receive 
so many thousand letters, we must beg pardon for our 
deficiency of time and space. Our spirit is willing and 
glad to oblige, but we can only select such as are most 
important. We are glad to have our readers contribute 
their experience, how they succeeded. Such items as these 
are the best answers to questions. “Offers to exchange” 
plants, we cannot find space for, except occasionally. 
Inquiries desiring an immediate reply, if accompanied with 
twenty-five cents, will be sent to a competent florist, with 
directions to send full information by private letter. These 
statements are necessary, so the reader must not feel neg¬ 
lected or disappointed. We do the best we can with such 
an army of admirers. 
