TALKS ABOUT FLOWERS. 
To the novice, it may seem a little premature to begin 
in early summer time to make preparation for winter. 
But, if you want same Geraniums and Fuchsias that 
you can depend upon to produce a good supply of flow¬ 
ers at mid-winter, June and July is none too early to 
put down slips. I am aware, however, as I make the 
statement, that other pens will tell you September is 
the best time to start slips for winter-blooming. But 
that is not my experience; and it is mine, not theirs, I 
am giving. 
If slips are not put down until September, unless 
your facilities for forwarding them are better than is 
usually found in dwelling-houses, they will not bloom 
before March; and the same may be said of the old 
roots that have done duty in the border all summer, 
and are cut back, and repotted in autumn, and set at 
the window to blossom in winter. With perhaps a few 
exceptional cases, such plants will not get ready to 
flower again before spring. But if the slips are rooted 
as early as June, or July, we have ample time to train 
them into strong-growing, bushy, compact plants, that 
will give us delight by blooming at midwinter when 
everything outside wears a dismal aspect and flowers 
are indeed a luxury. 
I have had such good success with early-rooted slips 
I want to tell you just how I manage them : My Gera¬ 
niums are bedded out in summer, and when I take off 
slips, they are planted beneath the foliage of the parent 
bush making the earth firm about the part inserted in 
the soil, and then, I let them alone. The slips are wa¬ 
tered only when the old plants need it; and iu this way 
I dare to warrant you that I can root twelve, from 
every dozen, if the cuttings are sufficiently hardened. 
As soon as they are strongly rooted, I pot those designed 
for winter flowering, but keep them out-doors until we 
begin to have frosty nights in autumn. I pot them 
in fresh soil in October, and up to this time pinch 
out all buds as fast as they appear. After this 
potting, they are set at the window, where they 
have never failed to give me a succession of flowers all 
winter. 
Does it not look reasonable to you that these healthy, 
vigorous plants, with all their vital functions in good 
working order, must necessarily give us better satisfac¬ 
tion than weaker growing slips, that lack the strength 
to give a succession of flowers, should they show a dis¬ 
position to do so, or old plants that have bloomed con¬ 
tinuously for nine months out of the year? But, as all 
Geraniums are not alike floriferous with precisely the 
same culture, it will be well to consider this point when 
potting our slips, and choose only those recommended 
for winter blooming, or that we have found by experi¬ 
ence best adapted to that purpose. As Geraniums are 
one of my specialties, I will name a few varieties that I 
have found particularly fine for winter window-cultuie. 
White Vesuvius and I’ve Got It, are single varieties; 
both are good, but the latter is perfection. I can see no 
chance for improvement. New Life, Jean Sisley, and 
William Cullen Bryant are single scarlet. Christine 
Neilson, Master Christine, single pink; Mrs. Moore, 
white, with a bright-salmon ring around a small white 
eye. Orange Boven, salmon and white, single. 
The following are doubles and semi-doubles: Madam 
Thibaut, Mrs. Charles Pease are beautiful shades of 
pink; the former is washed with violet carmine. Jewell 
is a dark, rich scarlet; the Gem is violet crimson, reverse 
of petals, white; it is a beautiful variety. L'Avenir 
and Bishop Wood are dark-colored, very fine varieties. 
Lamoines Cannell is a rich amaranthine red, the under 
petals strongly marked with purple; the flowers have 
the appearance of rich velvet; it is a charming variety. 
For double salmon, I will mention Asa Gray and Victor 
Hugo; for double white, Candidissima. This is the best 
variety for all purposes I have as yet found among the 
double whites. There are two more single varieties that 
should be added to this list, Mrs. Ind, bright pink, and 
a very free bloomer; leaf and flower-stalk, white; Mrs. 
Windsor, a very distinct variety, with enormous trusses 
of blush white, with a vermilion-scarlet eye covering 
almost one-half the petals; florets of good substance, a 
fine plant every way. 
My Fuchsias are also planted in half-shady places, 
and new plants started for winter flowering; for the old 
roots get so large I cannot accommodate them at the 
windows, so they are taken up and stored in the cellar 
until another spring. The slips root readily in moist 
sand in a sunny window; the winter bloomers are potted 
as soon as strong enough, and set out where the foliage 
of other plants wili shield them from the hot sun and 
strong winds until they get hardened a little. 
If they do not show a disposition to branch when six 
or eight inches high, I pinch off the top; this will force 
them to put out side-shoots, which in turn are pinched off 
until we have well-branched specimens; but do not 
allow them to bloom, for this will retard their growth. 
I take off all buds until after their potting in fresh soil 
in October, and give them a generous supply of earth, a 
little more than moderately rich ; for the Fuchsia is a 
gross feeder, and when growing rapidly, will soon ex¬ 
haust the soil, should we give them no more than we 
do our Geraniums. But Fuchsias, like Geraniums, are 
not all adapted for winter-blooming ; the following va¬ 
rieties I have found best for the purpose : 
Carl Halt, white and red-striped. Mrs. Marshall, 
tube and sepals pure white, corolla crimson. Lustre, 
tube and sepals waxy white, corolla vivid crimson, 
tinted with pale orange. Lord Byron, tube and sepals 
crimson, large, open, bell-shaped, almost black corolla. 
Earl of Beaconsfield, tube and sepals light rosy-carmine; 
corolla, deep carmine. 
These are all fine varieties and plants of good habits ; 
or perhaps I should except Carl Halt; this is inclined 
to grow awkward, unless pruned early, but the flowers 
are beautiful—no two alike. 
There are other plants besides Geraniums and Fuch¬ 
sias, that may, with equal advantage be especially 
trained for winter-flowering. And I like to have a 
goodly number of fresh recruits to begin winter with, 
and let the old veterans rest after the summer cam¬ 
paign. If you want your Carnations to bloom next 
