®ie ILaS 
les 
Lora 
I <uitl Pietorioi Some i-iomjranuui. 
sure to piuch the top out; when six or eight inches 
higher you will see a straight stem and few blossoms, 
but if pruned right and cared for well they are constant 
and free bloomers. Those are Cuphea Platycentra and 
Libonia floribunda, both valuable. The first blooms 
almost all the time, and from a fancied resemblance of 
its blending of scarlet, black and white, to the lightest 
end of a cigar, is sometimes called cigar plant. Its 
treatment is similar to the Fuchsia. The Libonia is a 
winter bloomer, and the blossoms resemble those of 
Honeysuckle, in shades of orange. Like the Bouvardia, 
it should be grown in the same pot all summer in 
which it is intended to bloom. I found some dark 
gray lice on mine last summer, and as it stood some¬ 
what hidden by others, they were cpiite numerous 
before I knew it, and I think they injured it. 
u Those odd-looking scarlet and yellow flowers are 
Asclepias Curassavicas. I grew them from seed last 
spring; I know nothing about them but what T have 
learned from those. But they have bloomed constantly 
for several months, and from the number of buds on 
them I think will continue for a while yet; one thing, 
they will stand a good deal of had treatment. I grew 
those Lantanas from seed also last spring. Are they 
not lovely, that pure white, that huff with orange 
centre, and this that opens just like the buff one, but 
turns to rosy purple, so the cluster when fully open 
shows all the intervening shades. They need only 
common care and amply repay me for what they get. 
This Carnation will soon reward me with a wealth of 
fragrant, crimson bloom. They must have sun and 
rich earth and not he allowed to suffer for water.’’ 
“ What ails these plants ?” “ They are Pelargoniums, 
first cousins to the French Geranium. They are not 
of the'every day value of their uncle’s family. They 
bloom only in spring and early summer, hut the 
flowers are so beautiful; and they seem like some 
member of the human family to live so perfectly in the 
memory of that one grand achievement, that they can 
only he brought to a sense of duty by lopping off their 
branches, thus compelling them to replace their lost 
proportions; this should be done when they are done 
blooming, and then repotted, shaking off nearly all 
the old soil; then started and grown as fast as they 
wish until about three months before you want them 
to bloom ; then give just water enough to keep them 
from turning yellow or wilting for six or eight weeks; 
then give more and let them grow, and when buds 
appear you may give them manure-water.” 
“I heard you kept your Cal la pot out of doors, and 
lying on (he side, during the summer ? ’’ ‘‘ I do ; after 
it is done blooming in the spring, 1 put it on the side 
somewhere in the shade, and leave it there about two 
months, then carefully wash the dirt from the roots; 
wash the pot clean, too, (by the way, never put a 
plant in a dirty pot, box, or can), then re-pot, in one- 
half rotten manure, the other half two-thirds dirt, the 
rest clean sand, with a handful of sand around and un¬ 
der the bulb, water well and set somewhere in the 
shade. After they get started again, put in the sun 
and fill the saucer at least once a day with boiling 
water, and keep water in the saucers all the time. 
This boiling water plan is a good one for all winter- 
bloomers. They will need no other watering, but 
empty the saucers again. Those are Vincas, wander- 
inn their own sweet way among the pictures. I had 
them in a basket, but that was too dry for them, so I 
put them in that good-sized pot on the bracket, and 
see how they grow. That English Ivy has grown 
over seven feet since I took it a little over a year ago 
and gave it plenty of root-room and warm manure- 
water, weak. That basket is Senecio Scandens, some¬ 
times improperly called German Ivy. It makes a 
flue basket in the shady corner there. I keep the 
ends pinched off, and you can’t tell that the root fills 
an old tomato can. That other basket in the other 
shady corner is Linaria Cymballaria, or Kenilworth 
Ivy. It likes a loose, light soil, good drainage, plenty 
of water, and no sun. What is it in ? A cocoa-nut 
shell opened near the 'end. This Othonno is in one, 
too, and so is this Fragaria, hut I must put it in 
something larger. This Oxalis has something more 
aristocratic—an old wash howl painted green. These 
last three need sun, and there is, I think, one of the 
prettiest, that Dewplant, it needs sun, too, hut can do 
with very little water. When you get your plants, I 
will come and help you pot them.” 
She did help me and gave me a good many slips, 
and some day I will tell all she told me about those 
two things. This was a year ago, and now I have 
some fine specimens, thanks to Mrs. B. and The 
Floral Cabinet, which she first showed me a copy 
of. Moses thinks our home is much prettier than it 
was. So do I. 
Bella Donna. 
Bleaching Wax—Hair Flowers.— Will some one 
be kind enough to inform me, through the medium of 
your columns, how to bleaeli wax, and how to harden 
it and prepare it for making wax flowers, and also how to 
make wax grapes? Will some one also tell me howto 
make hair flowers ? Emma Carson. 
Painting. —Perhaps the lady who paints with oils on 
Bristol board will find the following preparation for ready 
use, convenient: To any quantity of glue use common 
whiskey instead of water. Put both together in a bottle, 
cork it tightly, and let it stand for three or four days, 
when it will be fit for use without the application of heat. 
Glue thus prepared will keep for years, and is at all times 
tit for use, except in very cold weather, when it should be 
set in warm water before using. To obviate the difficulty 
of the stopper getting tight by the glue drying in the mouth 
of the vessel, use a tin vessel with the cover fitting tightly 
on the outside to prevent the escape of the spirit by 
evaporation. Avis. 
Fringed Gentian. —Another lady wishes to know 
something of the habits of the Fringed Gentian. Here in 
the west it is found in roadside ditches, or in moist unfre¬ 
quented places, where it will bloom year after year if un¬ 
disturbed. Its habits are- similar to those of the closed 
Gentian, which abounds in the sloughs of our prairies. 
We have also the Creeping Gentian, which loves a dry, 
somewhat clayey soil, but it is rare, and its rich, expanded 
blossoms are never seen until after the first frosts of 
October. Avis. 
White Worms. —In what way, without injuring the 
plants, can we destroy the little white worms that seem to 
breed in the jars containing old plants ? We have some 
old Fuchsias that we keep in the cellar during the winter; 
and about two months since we brought them up, and now 
there are hundreds.of buds and blossoms on them, but the 
earth is full of those little worms. We have tried tobacco 
tea and diluted ammonia, but they do not seem to have the 
effect of killing them An answer through the Cabinet 
would very much oblige F. D. Perkins. 
Rome, N. Y. 
Answer. — Bake the earth in an oven and it will kill all 
animal or insect life—after baking put the plants in. 
Japan Lily. —My Japan Lily failed to bloom this sea¬ 
son : it is now six years old, and never failed before. Shall 
I divide the roots ? Mrs. II. Swan. 
Answer. —The original bulb is probably decayed; the 
offshoot will most likely flower next year. 
Stove TJrn. —One of the Cabinet correspondents tells 
how to make old stove urns useful (I had already found it. 
out), and perhaps it may be interesting to some of your 
numerous readers to know how they can easily utilize the 
cover. First give the outside two coats of brown or drab 
paint, then take a round wooden box which will just fit 
into the bottom of the cover (a strawberry box will 
answer), and treat in the same way; now invert the cover, 
attach three cords of suitable length, place the box in 
this,and you will have a very respectable lianging-pot, and 
something much prettier than a tin basin. Do not omit to 
make a hole in the bottom of the box for drainage, and 
place under it, in what is now the bottom of the cover, a 
piece of sponge or some moss, to absorb any water that 
may pass through. Will correspondents give their methods 
of treating Smilax ? I have had one for several years, hut 
have never succeeded in making it grow well, and not at 
all except in the shade; and can any one give me the true 
name of what is sometimes called “Abutillon Fuchsia”? 
also the name of the plant commonly known as “ Babj'-’s 
Breath”? W. 
House Vines. —What vine can I have in the house 
this winter that is a. rapid grower ar.d has bright flowers ? 
Also tell me the price of the plant and mode of culture. 
Louie. 
Answer. —Coboea Scandens. 
Liquid Fertilizer. —The following works like magic 
on vegetable life. You can recommend it without fear of 
failure. Its inexpensiveness and convenience will recom¬ 
mend it to all. Take of ammonium sulphate, 4 oz.; salt¬ 
petre, 2 oz.; white sugar. 1 oz. Powder, mix, and dissolve 
in one quart ot water. One tablespoonful of this mixture 
added to one gallon of water and sprinkled on the plants 
once or twice a week enriches the soil and imparts health 
and vigor to the plants. I do not know who is the origina¬ 
tor. I have been using a tablespoonful to about one and 
a half pints of water on an almost hopeless window basket 
and it has done wonders. Elbe Schereffler. 
Splendid Salve Receipt. —You will confer a kind¬ 
ness by publishing the following for the good it may do. 
It was sent to my mother to relieve her agony while suf¬ 
fering with a carbuncle on the back of the neck, and af¬ 
forded her wonderful relief. For boils and sores of almost 
every kind it will be found of great service : Tallow, 1 lb.; 
linseed oil, lib.; beeswax,lb.; Burgundy pitch, 4 oz.; 
Venice turpentine, 4oz.; rosin, ^ lb.; oil of lavender, 2 oz. 
Mix all together and simmer over the fire for about twenty 
minutes. As this makes a large quantity, one half of the 
above ingredients may be taken I consider this receipt 
alone worth many times the price of the Cabinet. 
Annie 0. Sollers. 
Maryland Biscuit. —One of your correspondents asks 
for a receipt for making these biscuit, and as Maryland is 
my native State I can give her very explicit directions how 
to make them, but whether she will be successful is the 
question, as the whole secret is in the proper handling of 
the dough. The fact is that few can make them in per¬ 
fection except the old colored women who have been 
brought up as family servants, and who are fast passing 
away. This is the receipt: Rub in two quarts of flour, 
one small teacup of lard, and the usual quantity of salt. 
Mix it up with just enough water to make a stiff dough- 
Now comes the tug of war. The dough must be worked 
and beaten from half an hour to an hour. It should be 
worked until the blisters are constantly snapping and 
breaking and the dough is waxy. After the dough is once 
mixed there should be no more flour worked in. When it 
is all right, if you break off a piece quickly, it snaps off 
short, and in cutting a piece off with a sharp knife the 
holes or pores where you have cut it are small and of an 
even size. Now break off the dough in small pieces, and 
work each piece into a nice biscuit shape, and press it with 
the lower part of the thumb where it joins the hand to 
make the indentation; prick, and bake quickly in a very hot 
oven. The biscuit should be a light brown in the centre of 
the top and on the bottom, but not all over, and not hard. 
I should like to hear if your correspondent is successful in 
making them. Mrs. M. W. 
Waterbury, Md. 
H 
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