324 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
green, but as the day advances it gradually be¬ 
comes pale, and at night resumes its deeper tint. S'. 
Cixsii has a beautiful metallic lustre, richly shaded 
with blue, resembling the tints of a peacock’s feathers. 
S.Ccesii arborea. variety having the same beautiful tints 
as the preceding, but is a climbing plant of grand pro¬ 
portions. These two varieties will not succeed unless 
grown in a hot-house, where there is a moist atmos¬ 
phere. They grow best under tall-growiug Ferns or 
Palms, where they can have considerable shade. 
Selaginella luvolvens Vciriegata, the subject of our 
illustration, is a dense-growing variegated species intro¬ 
duced from Japan; some of the branchlets, instead of 
having the ordinary green color, are creamy-white, and 
these being mixed in freely with the green, produce an 
elegant variegation, similar to that which occurs in 
some of the finely-branched coniferous plants, such as 
the Retinosporas. The plant forms a pretty dwarf tuft, 
consisting of an overlapping series of fan-shaped, or 
many-forked branches surrounding the central axis. 
This species, although preferring the green-house, will 
thrive well in the conservatory or window-garden. Like 
the rest of the family, it should be grown in the shade. 
Selaginellas may be propagated to any extent, where 
there is sufficient warmth, shade and moisture. Chooso 
a healthy, vigorous-looking shoot, well supplied with 
rootlets that are not the least shrivelled. Fill a thumb- 
pot with very sandy peat, nip the lower part of the cut¬ 
ting back to one or two of the best rootlets, and insert 
it tenderly, just deep enough to cover them, and press 
the soil gently. If inclined to spring out of the loose 
stuff, peg the stems in their places, or place a light 
weight over the rooting joint, cover with a bell-glass 
keep moderately moist; and in a very short time the 
cutting will start from the point and grow away ac¬ 
cording to its proper character. The smallest scrap is 
sufficient if it has a healthy rootlet, but it is rare that 
good plauts can be got, except of the prostrate kinds, if 
the point of the cutting is removed. From a scrap 
an inch long, of S. Cassii, a square of four feet can be 
covered in a single season, by leading the growths 
regularly and covering the rootlets with soil ns fast as 
they are produced. In the arrangement of loose flow¬ 
ers for parlor or table decoration, we know of nothing 
more appropriate or beautiful than long sprays of Sala- 
ginella. nor do we know of any foliage that will remain 
for so long a time perfectly fresh and beautiful, after 
beiug cut. 
NOVEMBER. 
Little of interest is left in the garden, if we value it 
for its flowers only, or rather, for the effect the flowers 
have upon the senses: but the true gardener has a much 
higher appreciation of his work, for it is the flowers 
that are in him that make the garden beautiful, and 
what others see only occasionally is but the reflection 
of the true beauty of the inner life that affords its 
possessor an unceasing stream of enjoyment. In win¬ 
ter as well as in summer, by night and by day, in sun¬ 
shine and in storm, the gardener has his flowers con¬ 
stantly before him; there is not a plant, shrub, tree or 
vine, that is not always, to him, in full fruit or flower. 
Give him a seed, no matter what it may be, and that 
which others would have to wait months and perhaps 
years to see develop into beauty, and whatever would 
be produced, he sees as plainly, and with as much satis¬ 
faction as though the plant was in full bloom before 
him; for the history of the plant and its early associa¬ 
tions, whether of joy or sorrow, are indelibly printed 
on his memory. He sees the Apple-tree only in full 
fruit, and the Rose-tree in full flower; he sees the briar 
only after it has received the bud of the Jacqueminot, 
whose fragrance fills the evening air, while others are 
lacerated by its thorns. 
November furnishes the tree gardener with plenty of 
work and a corresponding amount of pleasure; for with 
Vi,'m the two go hand in hand. In preparing the garden 
for spring, his first work is to prepare it in his soul, 
where he can see it, and then transfer it to the ground 
for others to see and admire. The frost having com¬ 
pleted its work, let us now commence ours. Where 
alterations in any of the departments of the garden 
are contemplated, now is the time to commence them, 
so that the work may be performed while the weather 
is suitable and before the ground is frozen up. An im¬ 
portant work that is almost invariably neglected, is the 
lawn, which, when well kept, is an object of far 
greater beauty than a moderately well-ordered garden; 
in fact, we know of nothing more beautiful than a 
really good lawn, and there is nothing more unsightly 
than an uneven lawn, or one upon which the grass is 
what is termed patchy, that is, where rough tufts of 
couch or other coarse grasses grow out from among 
the finer kinds and impart a ragged appearance to the 
surface, and plantains, or other weeds are allowed to 
grow. Not less objectionable, is a lawn that burns in 
patches in dry weather, some parts being quite green, 
and others as brown as the gravel w’alks. This disagree¬ 
able feature arises from insufficient nutriment in the 
soil, or more commonly from the good soil being deeper 
in some places than in others. However expensive the 
house may be, as a rule, but little attention is paid to 
grading and preparing the lawn, a work that is quite as 
important for artistic effect as is the painting of the 
house. A good lawn is always seen and noticed before, 
the house is taken into consideration, and a good lawn, 
artistically planted, in front of a cheap but neat house, 
will attract far more attention, and is more home-like 
than an expensive mansion with neglected surround¬ 
ings. For a perfect lawn, a deep, rich, and moderately 
heavy soil is essential; it should be dug at least two feet 
deep, and no one part deeper or richer than another; 
this will give the grass an even chance, it will all grow 
alike, and what is of greater importance, it wall all-be 
of the same color. In the formation of new lawns, the 
work should not be deferred later than this month. As 
we have just stated, the ground should be dug at least 
two feet in depth, and made rich the whole depth, and 
after the surface is made as nearly level as possible, and 
well rolled down, there should be a surface dressing of 
well-rotted manure and soil of equal parts mixed, and 
spread over to the depth of two inches, upon this clean 
