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THE DANDELION. 
Gay little “Golden Head 11 lived within a town 
Full of busy bobolinks flitting up and down, 
Pretty neighbor buttercups, cosy auntie clovers, 
And shy groups of daisies whispering like lovers. 
A town that was builded on the borders of a stream 
By the loving hand of Nature when she woke from winter’s 
dream: 
Sunbeams for the workingmen, taking turns with showers, 
Bearing fairy houses of nodding grass and flowers. 
Crowds of talking bumble-bees, rushing up and down, 
Wily little brokers of this busy little town— 
Bearing bags of gold-dust—always in a hurry, 
Fussy bits of gentlemen full of fret and flurry. 
Gay little “Golden Head” fair and fairer grew, 
Fed with flecks of sunshine and sips of balmy dew, 
Swinging on her slender foot all the happy day, 
Chattering with bobolinks, gossips of the May. 
Underneath her lattice on starry summer eves 
By and by a lover came with a harp of leaves, 
Wooed and won the maiden there—tender, sweet 
and shy— 
For a little cloud-home he was building in the sky. 
And one breezy morning on a steed of might 
He bore his little “Golden Head” out of mortal sight, 
But still her gentle spirit, a puff of airy down, 
Wanders through the mazes of that busy little town. 
Amber Holden. 
[This Article received Second Prize for Floral Topics.] 
FLORAL ITEMS. 
In Floriculture, as in most other pursuits, success 
depends greatly upon attention in little matters. Plants 
cannot bo neglected and thrive. Many who keep their 
plants in almost sunless windows, wonder why they do 
not have more blossoms, not realizing that they must 
have plenty of sunshine to perfect them. A window 
with southern exposure is best suited to plant-growth; 
if a bay-window, so much the better. But many fine 
plants may be grown in ordinary windows, if facing 
east, south, southeast or southwest; and even in a 
western window we have seen some excellent plants; 
while Ivies, hardy Ferns, Tradeseantias, and similar 
plants, will thrive in a north window. 
In the cultivation of house plants, much of our sue 
cess depends upon our choice of plants. Most any of 
those known as green house plants will flourish in 
our sitting-rooms, also some called hothouse plants, 
though not a great many, unless our rooms are kept 
far too warm for human health or comfort. 
One winter I had a beautiful Croton—it barely 
lived; but barely living did not please me,and though 
I paid a high price for it, I did not care to try it an¬ 
other year. So, too, with the Torrenia—it was pretty, 
but I found in order to thrive that it wanted to live 
a-top of the stove-urn, or over the tea-kettle, and that 
followed the Croton. So, too, with Bouvardias. I 
had blooms, to be sure, but not in any such quan¬ 
tities as to render them desirable. In my choice, I 
wish to select only such plants as are well-adapted to 
room-culture, doing well in an atmosphere from 60 to 
68 or 70 degrees by day, often ranging as low as 40 or 
45 degrees at night. 
From observation and experience, I find the follow¬ 
ing plants well-suited to grow in such a temperature; 
The Calla, Genista, Smilax, winter-blooming Fuch¬ 
sias, Cupheas, Daphnes, Feverfews, all the different 
sorts of Geraniums, Jessamines, Pelargoniums, Stevias, 
Eupatoriums, Primroses, Centaureas, Ivies, Achyran- 
thus, Dracoenas, greenhouse Ferns, Cacti, some sorts 
of Begonia, Veronica Variegata, Petunias, Mahernias, 
Oleanders, Maurandias, Ageratums, Roses, Carnations, 
Abutilons, Camelias, Azalias, Sedums, Lobelias, Lan- 
tanas, Cyclamen, Mesembryanthemum, Violets, Musk- 
plant, besides many others. The Heliotrope, too, 
we all admire for its delightful fragrance; although 
classed with hothouse plants, we find that by giving 
it the highest shelf in the sunniest window, we are re¬ 
warded by its sweet blossoms. Then there are the 
different bulbs, such as Oxalis, Ixias, Hyacinths, Poly¬ 
anthus, Narcissus, etc., so that any lady can find suffi¬ 
cient variety from which to choose, and be confident of 
success, if proper care be given them. Make ready 
for the winter by starting cuttings of the various 
plants desired, during the summer and autumn. It is 
best to commence early in the fall, potting and cutting 
such as we wish to preserve, not leaving too many 
till there is danger of hard frosts, for then we are apt 
to work too hurriedly, and may lose some of our 
treasures after all. Never bring them at once into a 
warm room, but place in some sheltered spot or cool 
chamber, where they can have plenty of light and air. 
John says I have “ posies on the brain,” and thinks 
his “ pathway actually strewn with flowers,” for they 
are growing “ upstairs, and down stairs, and in my 
lady’s chamber.” He thinks the cellar may need en¬ 
larging to accommodate all my Oleanders, Chrysan¬ 
themums, Roses, etc., that go there to rest; (but I have 
agreed not to crowd the potatoes and cabbages.) 
Having many plants to care for, I wish, of course, 
to make their washing easy, and to save as many steps 
as possible. I spread down a piece of old carpet in 
front of the bay-window, set thereon a small table to 
hold my pail or basin of water. The small and me¬ 
dium-sized plants can be immersed and receive a good 
washing here, while the larger ones must go to the 
kitchen sink for their bath. After setting on the table 
to drip, the pots can be wiped, and the plants restored 
to their places, while we proceed with others. One 
lady said in The Cabinet, that she thought washing 
did more harm than good, because it “ stuck the dirt 
down.” I really cannot see how there can be much 
“dirt” to “stick down,” if they are washed weekly. 
Some persons never smoke their plants, thinking it 
more agreeable to pick off all intruders by hand every 
morning. I have no patience with that method, but 
prefer smoking them. It is very disagreeable, to be 
sure, but is the only preventative or cure for the aphis 
and green fly. I recollect telling my manner of smok¬ 
ing in the pages of The Cabinet some years since; 
but knowing the paper has hosts of new readers since 
then, I will repeat it for their benefit: 
Beyond the kitchen, in a back room, we have a 
large old-fashioned sink, beneath which is a capacious 
closet; into this I set my plants as closely as con¬ 
venient, leaving a large unoccupied space in the cen¬ 
tre. Here I place a large brick, and upon this a piece 
of iron, several inches square, previously heated red- 
hot in the stove among t he coals; then lay upon it 
some tobacco cut fine, and rather damp, so as not 
to blaze, and close the door as quickly as possible. In 
about half an hour I remove the plants, wash both 
plants and pots, and carry to their places in the win¬ 
dows. I thus proceed with them all before putting in 
their winter quarters. Those too tall to stand in the 
closet, I lay upon their sides. The plants should not 
remain too long after smoking, before being washed, 
or the insects (should there be any) might revive. A 
writer, in The Cabinet, once said that the aphis or 
green fly appeared only on the most healthy plants. 
Now, I always thought there was something wrong 
about mine when I chanced to see any of those insects 
upon them ; that they had been kept too wet, so that 
the roots had suffered, and become sodden and rotten. 
I repot such plants, cuttiug off the rotten roots, and 
if the pot is too hard baked to allow of sufficient evap¬ 
oration through its sides, change it for a new one, not 
forgetting to place in the bottom a handful of broken 
charcoal. If placed in moderate sunshine after repot¬ 
ting, and kept there, its health will be restored, and 
the aphis not likely to appear again, especially if 
washed every week with carbolic soap suds. Perhaps 
some of our readers do not know that tobacco smoke, 
though called destructive to the aphis, will not kill 
their incipient offspring. To do this, it will be found 
necessary to smoke again on the second or third day, 
that is, all such plants as we know to have been in¬ 
fected. This will generally suffice, if the weekly 
washings are attended to, to keep them free from in¬ 
sects. 
When plants seem subject to attacks from the red 
spider, they should be washed, or dipped in water 
twice a week or more. Common flower-pots are far 
more healthy than glazed or ornamental ones, and 
plants grown in the latter should be more sparingly 
watered. The temperature of the room should be 
kept as even as possible, and air given on mild days. 
Plants at rest, or lately cut back, require little water. 
In winter use warm water, and remember to give your 
Callas water much too warm for the hand. Also turn 
hot water in their saucers. I commence this treat¬ 
ment soon after potting in September, and the last- 
two years buds have appeared in October. Hot 
water may also be turned in the saucers beneath 
Fuchsias, Genistas, Geraniums, etc., when blooming 
freely or coming into bloom. All new pots should be 
well soaked in water, and old ones thoroughly cleansed 
before using. In potting, have your soil slightly moist. 
Plants, when first brought in, need no stimulants; 
but later in the season, or when blooming freely, they 
may be given it once a week. That from stable 
manure is much safer, especially for the inexperienced. 
To prepare it, get your “John” or “ Isaac,” to fit a 
cheap lead faucet (cost about a quarter) into one side 
of a tight butter firkin, as near the bottom as con¬ 
venient. Have a circular piece of board well per¬ 
forated with large holes for a strainer; nail upon it 
three small blocks of wood three inches long for legs; 
but do not have it fit too tightly the sides of the firkin, 
so as to be easily removed and replaced. This strainer 
when dropped upon its legs into the firkin, will, of 
course, leave a space between the bottom and the 
strainer, the height of these legs. Place upon the 
strainer a large handful of straw, and upon this several 
sliovelstul of stable manure; then turn on sufficient 
boiling water to nearly fill the firkin; place on the 
cover tightly, and when cool it is ready for use. Keep 
it where it will not freeze, and have it placed upon 
blocks, so as to draw off' easily. Add warm water to 
make it the color of weak tea. I find this much neater 
and more convenient than the usual method. One 
writer in The Cabinet thinks angle-worms are bene¬ 
ficial to her Callas, while I carefully avoid all insects 
and worms by baking my earth. Another says, “don’t 
doit, for it takes the life all out of it.” Now, it has 
sometimes happened that in baking my earth, it has 
really been burnt a little, and I observed that my 
plants never did better; the Petunias and Pelargo¬ 
niums that had been re-potted in it, were splendid in 
growth and perfectly gorgeous in color. Once, owing 
to an unexpected change in the weather, I had some 
fine Verbenas, Pelargoniums, and Petunias (kept in a 
chamber) badly frozen. I plunged them at once into 
cold (not freezing) water, and had them removed to a 
dark closet in the cellar, where they remained for two 
or three days. They were then returned to their 
places, looking as fresh and well as though the frost 
had never touched them. This is the only way to re¬ 
store frozen plants. 
Mrs. Polyanthus Periwinkle. 
