THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
57 
Charles Downing, however, devoted himself chiefly to 
fruits, while his brother was the first man to give a real 
impulse to landscape art in this country. Charles Down 
ing gave up the nursery business in 1867, but he continued 
to exercise an active interest in pomology until ill-health 
forced him to give up nearly all work. He was genial, 
loving and kind. The fruits he dearly loved, and taught 
others to love and cultivate, are true blessings to every 
home, but no less so than the ripe fruit of his noble man¬ 
hood. 
Misnomers. —We try to be patient with all men and 
keep good-natured at all times. But there are provoca¬ 
tions that make us boil over; such an one is before us, in 
the catalogue issued by a nursery firm supposed to be 
responsible and intelligent. In order that our readers 
may not be deceived, we give the firm’s description and 
name of a “ New Climber.” 
“ Wistaria tuberosa. —A vine having foliage resembling 
that of the common purple Wistaria, but smaller, and clus¬ 
ters of chocolate-colored blossoms of the same general 
style of those of the old sort, only smaller, and often with 
compound clusters of three bunches growing together. It 
has the odor of Violets, and has this great advantage over 
the other Wistarias, that it will flourish in the poorest soils 
and always blooms the same year planted—as its top 
is mostly annual, the tubers supply it with the needed 
strength. It can be planted in pots in the house in the 
autumn and will flower in a sunny window and climb with 
great rapidity. It is sold in the form of a bulb resembling 
a very small Sweet-potato.” 
This plant is simply the Apios tuberosa, commonly 
known as Ground-nut or Wild Bean, common in wet 
places throughout the Northern and Eastern States. Any 
firm that will send this out as a “ New Climber,” must be 
either ignorant or dishonest. 
* * * 
Edward Gillett, Esq., Southwick, Mass., sends us 
flowers of Hepatica triloba, and Houstonia caerulea, 
found in the open border January 1. This is something 
extraordinary. With them were some very fine blooms of 
Pansies, also in flower in the open ground. These are 
not strangers in winter, although flowers of such beauty 
are rarieties, and show what a specialist can accomplish 
when his energies are well directed. 
* 
* * 
Hyssop-leaved Calatella, G. hyssopifolia. —This, in 
general appearance, resembles an Aster. It is of dwarf 
habit, about eighteen inches in height, and has purplish 
white ray-florets with a yellow disk. It thrives in ordinary 
soil, and is a fine plant for the mixed border or rougher 
parts of the garden. Native of North America. 
* 
* * 
Rose-Growing.—Something like a year ago a lady (we 
should judge from thirty-five to forty years of age) called 
upon one of our largest growers of cut-flowers and plants, 
to get his opinion as to whether she could make Rose¬ 
growing a profitable industry. She stated her wishes in a 
business-like way, as she was a lady of more than ordinary 
intelligence and business capacity. During the conversa¬ 
tion she said she “ had money enough to maintain her, by 
living economically, but she wanted employment, not wish¬ 
ing to lead a life of idleness, and she could not think of 
any occupation more congenial to her taste than that of a 
florist.” Our professional florist was equally frank in 
expressing his views. He estimated the cost for her very 
carefully. Although the outlay was large, it did not seem 
objectionable. At last she was informed of the difficulty 
of procuring a manager, both capable and honest, and at 
the same time willing to work for the price she would be 
willing or able to pay. Her reply was, “ that she did not 
propose to hire a manager, or a man accustomed to green¬ 
house work. She intended to be her own manager, as she 
always had been in all business matters.” This was a 
surprise to our florist, and he told her as plainly as he knew 
how, that it would be impossible for her to succeed, as 
Rose-growing was an art that could only be obtained by 
long practice and close application. In short, it was a 
trade that could only be learned in the regular method, 
apprenticeship. All the discouragements that a fertile 
imagination could invent were presented to her, and that 
with a conscientious regard for her pecuniary interests. 
All the obstacles that were thrown in her way she replied 
to with a determination that knew no failure. She built 
her Rose-houses on the most approved plan, and stocked 
them with the most desirable varieties ; she hired men to 
work according to her instructions, and she did her own 
thinking. And what is the result ? We cannot say further 
than that there are no better Roses sent to this city than 
hers, and we have not seen any others in the market that 
were as good. In fact, we saw several hundreds of Cath¬ 
erine Mermets that she sent in, that, as a whole, were bet¬ 
ter than the average seen on the Horticultural Society’s 
exhibition tables. And what is true of this Rose was 
equally true of all the other Roses she produced, and she 
now gets the highest prices the market affords, simply for 
the reason that she is entitled to them, because of the 
superiority of the flowers. If Rose-growing is profitable 
to anyone, it will be to her, and upon this point she ex¬ 
presses herself as perfectly satisfied, besides having the 
intense satisfaction of accomplishing what was said to be 
an utter impossibility. Is not this a beautiful field of labor 
for ladies. 
* 
* * 
Platycerium Alcicorne (Stag’s-horn Fern.)—Speaking 
of this curious Fern, an English writer has this to say 
about its adaptability for window culture, and certainly, if 
so curious a plant can be as readily grown, it is worth while 
to try it: “I flatter myself that, in finding out the value of 
this Fern for window culture, I have made something of a 
discovery, for I have never, in any gardening periodical, 
seen it recommended for that purpose. For several years 
I grew a plant of it in a living room where a duplex lamp 
is burned and a fire constantly maintained through the 
winter, and where the air is, of course, very dry. It did 
remarkably well, not only living, but growing so freely that 
it got too large for the place. This is the quaintest and 
most distinct of all Ferns, the fronds being of great sub¬ 
stance, of a rich, dark green, and divided at the top into 
two unequal parts. From the top where the fronds spring 
a curious shield-like growth issues, which, spreading 
