THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
319 
brandies to eacli other. The prehensible tree in ques¬ 
tion similarly tlirows out from its branches, long, flexi¬ 
ble tendrils, which, touching the ground, do not take 
root there, but twiue around any article that may lie 
within their reach. After a time these quasi branches 
contract, so that they fail to reach the ground; but the 
finger-like processes continue to closely grip the article 
round which they have twined themselves, and which 
are consequently suspended in mid-air. In this way, 
articles of considerable weight may be literally picked 
up from the grouud and held in suspension. 
» * 
• X- 
To DIO in the mellow soil—to dig moderately, for all 
pleasure should be taken sparingly—is a great tiling. 
One gets strength out of the ground as often as one 
really touches it with a hoe. There is life in it; it goes 
into the seeds, and it also, when it is stirred up. goes 
into the man who stirs it. 
* * 
*• 
Thomas Meehan says double Dahlias are not double in 
the sense that a double Rose or other flower are double. 
The florets of the disk have simply been enlarged so as 
to be somewhat strap-shaped as the ray flowers are, in¬ 
stead of tubular as they are nominally. But it is said 
there is now a real double Dahlia—that the central- 
florets have each another or others inside of them. 
» * 
* 
A garden well kept is easily kept. 
* * 
* 
The quickness of vegetation in Lapland is astonishing. 
The following is a calendar of the Lapland year. June 
23—Snow melts. July 1—Snow gone. 9—Fields quite 
green. 17—Plants at full growth. 25—Plants in flower. 
August 2—Fruits ripe. 10—Plants shed their seed. 18 
—Snow. 19 to June 23—Snow and ice. Thus it appears 
that from their first emerging to the ripening of their 
seeds, the plants take but a month, and spring, summer 
and autumn, are crowded into the space of about fifty- 
six days. 
* * 
* 
There is a wide-spread belief, says the Pall Mall 
Gazette, that Holland is the only country which pro¬ 
duces first-rate bulbs. So far as Hyacinths and Tulips 
are concerned, this is true. There seems to be some¬ 
thing in the Dutch soil or climate eminently favorable 
to their development. But the popular belief is, that 
not only Hyacinths and Tulips, but all the commoner 
bulbs, such as Crocus, Narcissus, Snowdrop, and the 
like, ought also to come from Holland. This belief is so 
deeply rooted that our gardeners are forced to humor it, 
and, as a consequence, millions of the commoner bulbs 
are annually grown in the neighborhood of London, 
and exported to Holland to be reimported as Dutch 
bulbs at an increased price. We have it from one of 
the most important nurserymen near London, that he 
thus annually exports half a million bulbs to Holland 
for naturalization, and to be returned at once. At this 
time of year, by the way, the pruderitwindow-gardener 
lays in his stock of Hyacinths. The old London idea 
that they should be planted in their glasses on Lord 
Mayor’s day is a fallacy. If planted early in September, 
they grow more strongly and flower better and earlier. 
They should be kept in the dark until the glass is pretty 
well filled with roots. 
In our article on “City Shopping” in September 
Florae Cabinet, we inadvertently omitted to enum¬ 
erate among Philadelphia’s leading Merchants malting a 
specialty of mail orders, Messrs. Cooper & Conard, 
whose name is familiar to our readers through our 
advertising pages and through faithful execution of all 
orders entrusted to them. 
Catalogues, etc., Received. 
Geo. S. Josselyn, Fredonia, N. Y.—Semi-Annual 
Wholesale price-list of American Grapevines, Small 
Fruit Plants, etc., for fall of 1SS3. Fay’s Prolific Cur¬ 
rant a specialty. If one tenth of what is said in favor 
of this Currant is true, and we do not in the least doubt 
it, it should'be extensively cultivated. 
John Lewis Childs, Queens, N. Y.—Annual Bulb 
Catalogue, giving a complete list of Hyacinths, Tulips, 
Lilies, etc., for fall planting. Fully illustrated, and 
sent free to all applicants. 
J. C. Vaughn, Chicago, Ill.—A very neat Catalogue 
of Bulbs, Seeds, etc., for Autumn planting, together with 
a complete list of florists’ supplies, implements, etc. 
Hallock, Son & Thorpe, Queens, N. Y.—Annual 
Illustrated Catalogue of Bulbs, Plants, Seeds & Small 
Fruits for fall planting. Its colored plate of Lilies is 
fully equal to any catalogue illustration we have seen. 
Sent free to all applicants. 
Ei P. Roe, Comwall-on-the-Hudson—Catalogue of 
Small Fruit Plants and Grapevines. Mr. Roe’s con¬ 
tinuance in business is a public benefit. 
Ferry, D. M. & Co., Detroit, Mich.—Retail Catalogue 
of Dutch Bulbs, etc., etc., for autumn planting. The 
title of this catalogue conveys but a poor idea of what 
it contains; for, we notice in it not only bulbs of all 
descriptions, but hardy, herbaceous, and greenhouse 
plants, fruit and ornamental trees, small-fruit plants, 
vegetable and flower seeds. As a new departure from the- 
universal custom of sending fruit-trees by freight or 
express, they send all varieties by mail, a plan we 
heartily endorse, as a common cause of failure in fruit 
culture is in putting out trees when they are large- 
enough to bear a fair crop of fruit. This system will 
enable farmers to buy eight Apple trees, that will be 
sure to live and thrive, for one dollar, instead of paying, 
one dollar each for those that are quite liable to die. 
John B. Moore & Son, Concord, Mass.—List of 
Grapevines. The new White Grape, the “Francis B. 
Hayes,” a specialty. 
Rural New Yorker, “Fair Number.”—A finely illus¬ 
trated number gotten up for distribution at the various- 
fairs throughout the country, for the benefit of their 
advertisers. 
Haines, R. H., Moorestown, N. J.—Wholesale cata¬ 
logue of Strawberry Plants, Fruit and Ornamental 
Trees, Shrubs, Vines, etc., etc. 
Lovett, J. T., Little Silver, .N. J.—Illustrated Cata¬ 
logue of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, Small Fruit Plants, 
Roses, etc., etc. “The Hansell” Raspberry is one of 
Mr. Lovett’s specialties, and, judging from our experi¬ 
ence with it, too much cannot be said in its favor. As¬ 
sn experiment, we put out some small plants of it last 
spring, and to our surprise they gave us sufficient fruit to 
test its quality, which we consider of a very high order- 
