Some October Flowers 
kind, if grown as an ordinary pot plant. The wire 
supports sold for carnations are admirable for this 
purpose. But if you would prefer it as a hanging 
plant, let it droop to suit itself, and you will be 
delighted with it. Young plants, grown from seed 
by the florists, are sold for ten and fifteen cents. If 
you want something quite unlike the plants you 
have been growing, try a Browallia. 
Some years ago, a comparatively new plant was 
put on the market under the name of Streptosolen 
Jamesonii. It was really a Browallia—a near rela¬ 
tive of the plant I have just described. But its 
flowers were of a dull, rich cinnabar red—a color 
so peculiar that it never failed to attract attention. 
This plant was of slenderer habit than the Bro¬ 
wallia, and was most effective when grown on a 
bracket, and allowed to droop. It was very florif- 
erous, and made an excellent winter-bloomer. I 
notice that some of our leading florists are offering 
it again this season. I can most heartily recom¬ 
mend it to the attention of any lover of flowers who 
would like something a little out of the common. 
The decorative dahlia is going to 
carry off the honors of the family, I 
predict. What a lovely flower it is! 
Large enough, and full enough to have 
plenty of substance, without being so 
heavy that its stalks cannot support it, 
like the “fancy,” or very double dahlias 
which were so popular, years ago. For 
cutting, it is one of our most useful 
flowers, as it lasts indefinitely, if the 
water in which it is placed is changed 
frequently. It adapts itself to large, tall 
vases, or to bowls, and doesn’t have to 
be “arranged.” Simply cut the blos¬ 
soms with stems of whatever length 
seems advisable, drop them into what¬ 
ever receptacle you have for them, 
and lo! when you have gathered as 
many as you want, they have “arranged” 
themselves more effectively than you 
could do it, if you were to experiment 
for an hour. 
In the decorative class we have all 
the rich colors which made the old, very 
double, sorts so attractive — scarlets, 
crimsons, yellows, pinks of all shades, 
purple, and pure white, and many 
intermediate tints, and most unique 
combinations of various colors or shades 
in the same flower. All tastes can be 
suited. More and more the merit of 
the dahlia as a fall flower is being rec¬ 
ognized. The cool weather of Septem¬ 
ber and October brings out its beauty 
far more effectively than the warmer 
days of early autumn. The trouble of 
protecting it from early frosts is slight, compared with 
the pleasure it affords after it has been tided over 
the critical period. This season I planted my dah¬ 
lias where I could easily give them a protection from 
frost. I set posts at the corners of the beds, and 
nailed strips about them, at the top, with cross¬ 
pieces, to sustain the weight of the cloth I used as 
covering. I got common unbleached cotton, of ordi¬ 
nary thickness, sewed the breadths together, and 
fastened them to the strips, at the top of the posts, 
in such a manner that on frosty nights it was easy 
and quick work to draw them over the plants below, 
and tie them firmly to prevent their being blown out 
of position by winds that might come up during the 
night. Such a protection will keep out a hard frost. 
I expect to enjoy my dahlias until November. 
I have a great admiration for the Madame Salleroi 
geranium. Its pale green foliage, bordered with 
creamy white, is almost as attractive as flowers. 
Use a few plants of it in the greenhouse, or the 
window-garden, when the plants you depend on for 
flowers are not yet ready for the season’s work, and 
DAHLIAS 
189 
