THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET 
305 
suits, and doubly so to those, who make the orchard and 
farm a study, as well as an industry. The paper on vege¬ 
table physiology, by Prof. J. W. Robsen of Kansas, and 
the discussion it brought out, is alone worth more than 
the cost of an annual membership to the society. And no 
less practical is the paper on small fruits for the family, 
and how to have them, by Sylvester Johnson, Esq., of 
Indiana. In fact, the volume of 300 pages is filled 
with valuable information. It contains a complete list of 
members, also a list of the officers of all the National, 
State, and local Horticultural Societies for 1884 ; also a 
horticultural directory of leading nursery firms, im¬ 
plement makers, &c., &c. This volume shows us 
plainly that for intelligent and well-directed enterprise 
this society is second to none in this country. Member¬ 
ship, $2.00 per year, which entitles the member to these 
annual reports. 
Geo. S. Josselyn, Fredonia, N. Y. Wholesale cata¬ 
logue of American Grape-vines, Small Fruit Plants, etc., 
etc. 
Woolson & Co., Passaic, N. J.—Annual descriptive 
Catalogue of Bulbs for autumn planting. A very neat 
and useful catalogue, 
John B. Moore & Son, Concord, Mass.— Circular 
and price list of the new White Grape, Francis B. 
Hayes. 
John Saul, Washington, D. C.—Illustrated price 
list of Orchids. 
C. E. Allen, Brattleboro, Yt. —Catalogue of pot- 
grown Strawberry plants for the summer and fall 
of 1884. 
James Vick, Rochester, N. Y.—Annual Catalogue 
of Hyacinths, Tulip, Crocus and other bulbs for fall 
planting. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Acacias.— Helen , Ont.—There will be no difficulty 
in growing greenhouse Acacias in your conservatory. 
The only question will be, can you afford them room ? 
They are not particular as to soil, but prefer a rich 
loam, the same as you give your Geraniums. Then let 
them grow as they please, and they will surely make 
ornamental plants, and when in flower, there are but few 
more beautiful. They are propagated by cuttings. 
Young shoots taken off with a heel, strike readily if 
given bottom heat. The better way, however, for most 
of the species is to take pieces of large roots, soon 
after flowering, and pot them in light rich soil, cover¬ 
ing about half an inch, and they will soon make nice 
plants. You should be careful that the pots are not 
too large; a six-inch pot is sufficiently large for a plant 
four feet high. The temperature in winter should not 
fall much, if any, below 40°. The most useful kinds 
are to be obtained at all the leading florists. 
Roses.— S. Murray. —The rapid growth of new wood 
is the best evidence that you will some day get good 
Roses in abundance. Encourage the growth as much 
as possible. If yours are Tea Roses, they will soon, if 
not already be in bloom; if hybrid perpetuals, do not 
trouble them uutill next spring, say the first week in 
April cut them back to within a foot of the ground, 
top-dress the soil with well-rotted manure, and await 
the results, which will sure to be satisfactory. 
Dielytra Eximium.— R. M. S.— This hardy herbaceous 
perennial is a very graceful plant and succeeds well in 
almost any situation, and is by far the best of the genus. 
It makes a charming border plant, its foilage being as 
bright as the more delicate ferns, all through the sum¬ 
mer, besides it is a constant bloomer, although its 
flowers are not as showy as the well-known D. Specta- 
bilis. It is propagated by division, the smallest piece 
of the crown planted in the early spring will make a 
large clump by autumn. 
Vallota Purpurea.— Amateur .—Yes, this is an Ama¬ 
ryllis, a native of the Cape of Good Hope, where it is 
found in boggy places. It is an evergreen bulb pro¬ 
ducing its splendid spikes of scarlet blossoms (not pur¬ 
ple as its specific name would imply) in August, and 
occasionally at other periods. It is one of the most 
showy of the interesting family of plants to which it 
belongs, and the little care required to grow it makes it 
particularly desirable. It does best with ordinary pot- 
culture, requiring liberal waterings, except a few 
months in winter. The bulbs should not often be sep¬ 
arated, but occasionally shifted into larger pots when 
they become thoroughly root-bound. Too frequent 
shiftings are injurious to the bulb; in fact they do 
much better when pinched. It is not an uncommon 
occurence to see as many as twenty spikes of bloom, 
with from five to eight flowers each, at one time, from 
a ten-inch pot of these bulbs. They increase rapidly 
from offsets, which may be picked off the top of the pot 
without disturbing tjie main bulbs. 
Wax Plant {Hoya Carnosa). — Subsaiber. —Syring¬ 
ing will do no harm, but on the contrary, much good 
provided that it is done either early enough in the 
morning for the foilage to become dry before the 
sun can act powerfully upon it, or in the afternoon 
after the sun has ceased to shine upon the house. The 
“ white spots ” are probably colonies of mealy bug or 
white scale. 
Petunias.— E. A. Suydam. —You can propagate your 
choice varieties by cuttings without difficulty. Cut them 
well back at once, and they will make a new growth 
sufficiently large before frost for cuttings. If your 
plants are, as you say, really choice, it is better to repro¬ 
duce them by cuttings than to trust to the seeds, as the 
best seeds you save or procure will not all produce 
first-class sorts. So that much “thinning out” has to 
be done which is apt to make an unsightly bed. 
Lily Bulbs.— A sufferer. —The cause of the decay of 
your Lily bulbs comes from the same condition of the 
soil unfavorable to them, what it is we cannot say.. 
Try a raised bed. 
