THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
167 
J. L. Dillon, Bloomsburg, Pa.—Descriptive Cata¬ 
logue of .choice Roses, Flowering Plants, Seeds and 
small Fruits. 
A Few Flowers worthy of General Cultiva¬ 
tion — Benj. A. Elliot & Co., Pittsburg, Pa.—A very- 
pleasing departure from the regulation pattern of the 
seedsman’s catalogue. Beautiful in appearance, and 
complete in information as to the requisites of a first- 
class flower garden. 
Chas. F. Gardener, Osage, Iowa.—Thirteenth An¬ 
nual Catalogue of the Osage Nursery, Evergreens, Small- 
fruit Plants and Forest Trees. 
Matthew Crawford, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.—A neat 
and useful Catalogue of Strawberries, with complete 
descriptions, and cultural instructions. 
Geo. L. Miller, Stocton, Ohio.—Ridgewood Fruit 
Farm and Nurseries, Catalogue of all Small-fruit 
Plants, Greenhouse and Bedding Plants, etc. 
F. E. Bassett & Bro., Ashtabula, Ohio.—Illustrated 
Catalogue of all new and useful plants for the Flower 
Garden, Small-fruit Plants, Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 
Bartlett & Dow, Lowell, Mass.—Annual Catalogue 
of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Agricultural Imple¬ 
ments, etc., etc. From the numerous testimonials 
quoted their reputation is an enviable one. 
A. E. Spalding, Ainsworth, Iowa.—Annual Cata¬ 
logue of Seeds, Plants, Bulbs and Tools. 
Our Country Home is the title of a new monthly 
paper published at 50 cents per year, by Henry D. 
Watson, Greenfield, Mass. Its object is to elevate the 
character of the farmers of our country, in whose in¬ 
terest it is published. If it fails it will be the farmers’ 
fault, for it is high-toned, neat, and truly instruc¬ 
tive. 
Proceedings of the New Jersey State Horticul¬ 
tural Society, at its Ninth Annual Meeting, held at 
• Camden, January 22d and 23d, 1884. We are greatly 
indebted to E. Williams, Esq., of Montclair, N. J., for 
this valuable publication—one that we can refer to with 
pleasure and profit. 
F. L. Wright, Plainfield, Michigan.—Trade Price 
List of Grape Vines and Small-fruit Plants. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Azalea.— Number One, Tenn.—It is impossible for us 
to tell the cause of failure in your plant. Plants of all 
denominations sicken and die, in all cases from some 
unnatural condition of growth. With the Azalea this 
is a very common cause—too much water when the 
plant does not use it, which soddens the earth, making 
it sour and unwholesome; too much heat during rest; 
too much stimulating manure. Your better plan would 
be to repot your plants at once, shake off all the old 
soil, and reduce the size of the ball onerthird. The 
best soil is well-rotted sods, rather coarse, and a liberal 
supply of thoroughly-rotted manure from the cow- 
stable. Use a pot an inch larger than the ball, and pack 
the soil as firmly as possible. As soon as the plant shows 
signs of growth, water liberally. During summer 
plunge the pot in a shaded situation, and let it take its 
chances until there is danger of hard frost; then take 
into the house or put into a cold frame, watering only 
sufficient to keep the soil from becoming dusty. Keep 
in as cool a situation as possible, above freezing, until 
the flower buds begin to swell, then give more heat and 
water, and the plant will rapidly develop into bloom. 
When the plant is re-potted, unless in a very compact 
form it will be better to cut it well back, in order that it 
may not become straggling. 
Calacanthus.— Same —Take up in autumn when at rest, 
or in early spring. There is no danger of injury in 
removing them if taken up with a large ball of earth, 
and if they are well cut back. 
Yellow Calla.— Mrs. C. S. R. —There is probably but 
very little if anything the matter with your Calla, 
Richardia Hastata; the year previous to your getting 
it, it may have been neglected, and did not make suffi¬ 
cient growth to insure flowering after you got it. It is 
natural for it to dry up m the fall; when it does shed its 
leaves, take up and dry carefully in a shaded place, and 
keep through the winter like a Gladiolus bulb. It wants 
to rest about two-thirds of the. year, and to grow rapidly 
the other third. 
Editor Floral Cabinet: —Last fall we built a small 
conservatory with a southern and western exposure. My 
plants have all the facilities for a strong, healthy growth, 
are well lighted and heated. We have left nothing un¬ 
done to insure success. The result has more than 
equaled our expectations, but in spite of all our care, 
insects have infested many of my plants. Scale and 
mealy bugs I have succeeded in keeping under control, 
but aphides are steadily increasing in numbers. Tobacco 
smoke, which florists generally consider an extermina¬ 
tor, has little effect upon them. During the past two 
or three months, a small black insect has made its ap¬ 
pearance, thus far upon an Easter Lily and an Oxali?, 
also upon the tender shoots of the Hibiscus Cooperii 
only. I have used no stimulants of any kind upon my 
plants; I shower at least once a week, and water when 
they require it. Wherein have I been remiss that I 
cannot rid them of the aphides ? I have carefully ob¬ 
served all the requirements laid down by florists gener¬ 
ally, cleanliness, light, heat and moisture, but without 
success. Mrs. Annie E. B., Newark, Ohio. 
The black insect that troubles your plant is the tlirip. 
Your only remedy lies in smoking and syringing. The 
probability is, you are not thorough enough in this work. 
Your conservatory should be filled withsmokeso thickly 
that you cannot distinguish a plant as far as you can 
reach. Fumigate at night, and thoroughly syringe the 
plants in the morning; follow this up until the thrip 
disappear. It is a good plan to smoke your house once 
in two weeks, even though there be no appearance of 
the enemy. 
