THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET AND PICTORIAL HOME COMPANION. 
PICTORIAL HOMS COMPANION, 
A handsomely ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL, devoted 
to the CULTURE OF FLOWERS for out-dior or in- 
door decoration ; and PICTORIAL HOME LITERA¬ 
TURE for all members of the Family Cirolo. 
StBSCRIPTION TEEMS, - - . T5 cents per Tear. 
tbs' No subscriptions for less than a j-oar. 
Specimen copies, ten cents. 
CI.UD Terms; 10 copies 1 year, GO cents each, and a 
copy free to former of club. 
Agents and Canrassers wanted evorywliore. 
Illustrated Prospectus and Premium List sent fl-oo 
on receipt of postage stamp. 
The Cadinet is for sale monthly at every Nows Stand 
in the United States. 
Advertising Rates, SI per line. Space limited. 
Address all cominnnicatious to 
HENRY T. WILEIAMS, 
JCditoi' anti JProprlctor, 
Office: 5 Beckman St., N. Y. 
NEW YORK, DECEMBER, 1871. 
1 
ESITOBIAI GfOSSIF. 
Ladies, we welcome you to our floral table. 
Is it not charming, begirt with flowers and 
hanging baskets, and with such sweet remembriin- 
ces of the brilliant Gladiolus, or Diadem Pink > 
Do you' not feel quite inclined to stay and see 
what our beautiful title-will show you from 
time to time and year to year? AVe want you 
all to join our goodly floral army, and we assure 
you we have come to c.aptivato .and to stay. 
You will always find in om" pages a cozy corner 
that will Just suit your tastes. Hero is our chat 
on flowers. It tells you monthly how to grow 
them, what to plant .and how to train, and how 
to make your window gardens even more hand¬ 
some than ever. This is the first, and the only 
paper in America that is devoted specially to 
flower gardening for ladies. Give it a cordial 
good word of cheer and help among your ac- 
ions there ne-vt year instead of one million flow¬ 
ers to bloom, waiting for us all to see them. 
Fifty-five acres are now devoted to flower cul¬ 
ture. Seven no>v green houses have just been 
erected. Thirty-five new acres have been added. 
This only shows how rapid the taste for flow¬ 
ers has increased of late, until, to meet the de¬ 
mand of so many thousand cultivators, flowers 
arc now propagated and sold, not hy the dozen 
or hundred, but by the hundred thousand, and 
cover not one garden alone, but take an entire 
farm. Of the beautiful floral curiosities on Mr. 
Allen’s flower farm, a great novelty is. 
The Tigrinum Splendidum, a fine variety of 
Iho Tiger Lily, growing eight feet high, with 
laigc clusters of flowers at top, and bearing an 
abundance of seed. This is tho tallest Tiger 
Lily we h.avo ever seen. 
The Double Tiger Lihj is of more compact 
growth, with more side stalks, not quite ns high 
as the other, but more full of bloom. There 
have been counted eighty-fivo flowers on one 
single stem, and tho plants have remained in 
bloom full two months. This is a most valu- 
plants of the finest colors of yellow, crimson, 
white and red. The Portulncca is admirable for 
pot culture. Ladies will do well to tiy it in 
their window gardens. Tho Double Portulncca 
is a novelty of but one or two seasons’ introduc¬ 
tion, and ns yet but little seed is attainable at 
high rates. It would surprise bur renders to 
learn that this little bod of- 50 by 50 was worth 
S'dOO in seed to its owner, and not enough seed 
yet to supply the demand. 
In one part of the garden were some plants of 
tho Clianlhus Dampierii, or Glorg Pea, one of 
the most charming novelties that over graced an 
American garden. With Mr. Allen it has stood 
a good deal of freezing, remaining out of doors all 
winter, even when tho thermometer measured 
5° below freezing point. One plant will send 
out a good number of side shoots. These should 
bo lifted from the ground and supported by 
small st.akes. A single flower will not, perhaps, 
make as fine a disi)lay as a number together, but 
a bouquet of tliem is exquisite. Tlicy should not 
be started in tho hot liouse; they do better 
started and gi-own'in the open air. 
will find our pages .always full of good practical 
suggestions that -will help her out of many a 
trouble and go far to make home h.appy. 
Besides flowers, which form a part of om- 
paper, we will give you, monthly, an abundance 
of fine pictorial reading of choicest interest to 
the family circle. The mother can find hints 
and helps on housekeeping and home comforts; 
the young lady, notes on fashion, dress and 
society; the young man, on love, marriage, 
courtship and good manners; hints for self-im¬ 
provement, and helps to a noble manhood and 
; success in life. While father and the little ones 
can join the merry crowd and have a hearty 
laugh over our Pop Corn and Dew Drop Cor¬ 
ners. In short, we intend to give you one of 
the most sociable, genial, and richly illustrated 
family papers ever published; and we want 
every lady,-hoy or girl, who is interested in good 
moral healthful literature, to be like the Little 
Gardener” on our last page, who is so cheerfully 
“Helping Tom to Garden,” to take up their 
rakes .and form an enterprising floral army, help¬ 
ing us to garden too, in the homes of all good 
families in the country, and gather them like 
precious flower blossoms into our great Cabinet 
of beauty, amusement and instruction. 
A UILLION ELOWEBS IN BLOOM. 
One day last August, there were in hloom 
on the flower farm of a friend, .at Queens, 
Long Island, a million plants—Lilies, Gladiolus, 
Tuberoses and other flowers. ' Was ever a sight 
seen more delightful than this; acres of gladio¬ 
lus, with their scarlet, white and variegated 
colors; acres of lilies, wafting their intense fra¬ 
grance upon the air for thousands of feet .around? 
Nothing this side of heaven could equal the 
almost angelic loveliness of these gems of floral, 
purity and grace. This is much the largest show 
of bulbs in one mass ever exhibited near this 
' city. Think of ^ten acres of gladiolus, solidly 
planted together, with 500,000 plants. Think of 
ten more acres of lilies, close beside them, with 
100,000 heads of blooming cups and crowns 
- looking out so sweetly to you. Think of twenty 
acres of tuberoses, and 200,000 bulbs growing 
in one solid phalanx, ready for you and 1 to plant 
everywhere next year. There will be three mill- 
It is proper to say that from a single packet of 
seeds, there will often lie found flowers of such 
colors that they could hardly seem to he tho 
same variety, in consequence of tho variations. 
Yet they all retain the same general form, and 
are all equally beautiful.-’ 
The Diadem Pink is a flower that is so emi¬ 
nently worthy of culture in cveiy garden, wo can 
recommend it for general trial. With us it has 
done exceedingly -well on light, warm soil. They 
will bear considerable manure, applied well-rotted 
in either the fall or spring. The same treatment 
given to Sweet Williams will produce good 
blooms of this also. 
BDITOBIAL NOTICES, 
Early Issue, 
The Cabinet is issued considerably in ad¬ 
vance of date in order to allow abundance of 
time for the foi-mation of clubs and complete 
registry of names of subscribers before the Jan¬ 
uary number is issued. 
Premiums. 
Every subscriber at 75 cents, receives a Pre¬ 
mium of Package of Flower Seeds, the Diadem 
Pink or Camellia Flowered Balsam; and the same 
to any one forming a club of 10 for 00 cents each, 
together with a copy of The Cabinet free. 
Please enclose a postage stamp when you order 
premiums. 
Clubs. 
Our terms are so cheap, a club of 50 could be 
raised in every town or village—only 00 cents 
each. Kemember, too, it is a great novelty in 
journalism —the only paper devoted to Flowers 
in the world. Try for a big club. 
Floral Books. 
Daisy Eyebright’s new book, “Every Woman 
her own Flower Gardener,” will please every 
one. It is practical, simple and charmingly 
written, only 50 cents. Window Gardening 
will soon be ready (Dec. 15), written by the 
edijor of Tue Cabinet, and wiU be profusely 
illustrated with engravings. 
Catalogue . 
Our Illustrated Catalogue gives a complete) 
list of all books on Flowers and Gardening i 
information of these and other rural books. 
Subscription Agency. I 
We club together 100 papers or more, at rates 
very favorable to every subscriber. You -will 
save 25 to 50 cents on every paper by this club¬ 
bing system. The Cabinet is given free, with 
many of the papers, whose price is over g3. Full 
list in our Catalogue. 
The Horticulturist. 
This will be valuable to any fond of garden- 
ing, fruit culture, and designs of cottages ; also 
largely devoted to flowers. On trial, 3 months 
for 30 cents. A finely illustrated magazine. 
Initial Stationery. 
This is a charming novelty—fine Initial Paper, 
rose tinted, perfumed, and every box has a p.ack- 
age of flower seeds; only 50 cents; given also 
as a premium for a club of 15 to The Cabinet. 
Sending M- ney. 
Bo careful to send by P. 0. money order or 
registered letter. We will mail every thing 
promptly, as soon as letters are received. 
2y/e Diadem Dink. 
able characteristic, as most fann lilies bloom 
quickly, lose their fragrance, and are soon gone. 
Among all tho Gladiolus, none pleased us 
more highly than 
The Meyerbeer. Its perfect shape, and bril¬ 
liant light red color, with large flower, make 
it the gem of the collection, a gorgeous sight. 
Among the cheaper varieties, yet fully as lovely 
in bloom, are the Belle Gabrielle, fine rose color 
with large flowers and perfect form. 
The Shakespeare, white, bl.azed -with rose, 
and Lord Byron, very brilliant scarlet, a most 
showy variety, or the Belle Gabrielle, would 
form tho finest pair of GLadiolus now to be ob¬ 
tained at reasonable prices. 
Upon various parts of the lawn were planted 
large mas.ses of tho 
Salvia Splendens, the most gorgeous of all 
fall blooming flowers. Its waving blooms of 
bright scarlet are so vivid in color as to bo seen 
a half mile in tho distance. No plant we have 
ever known'will so enliven a door-yard as this. 
It is the gayest of the gay. 
A small hed of Double Portulaccas, fifty feet 
square, was carpeted over with a complete mass of 
THE DIADEM PINK. 
No flower novelty introduced in the past ten 
years has given so mucli delight as tho Diadem 
Pink. At first some trouble was experienced 
from mixed seeds, and sports untrue to name, 
but now propagators have obtained a strain of 
true character, and tho bloom of perfect plants 
is unequaled for brilliancy by any other plant in 
the flower garden. 
The true Diadem Pink (Dianthus Heddewigii 
diadematus flore pleno') is a plant of luxurious, 
yet compact and dwarf growth. It throws up 
freely its shoots, and the flowers appear in natural 
abundance. Tho colors vary from crimson edges 
and white centers, to blotched faces and petals, 
containing an immense number of variations of 
these colors; lilacs and purple are also frequent 
colors, and have their changes also, but the prin¬ 
cipal characteristics are as shown in the engrav¬ 
ing-zones of scarlet, sh.aded more or loss with 
white edges, in three or more rows, or again 
white centers,. with shadings of other colors. 
We have raised frequently flowers perfect fae 
similes of our illustration, so fine in tints and 
shape, it would be impossible to describe them. 
THE PANSY. 
“ There is a little Gower that’s found 
In almost even- garden ground: 
’Tis lowly, but ’tis sweet: 
And If its name c.\prcss its power, 
A more Invaluable Gower 
You’ll never, never meet.’’ 
The Pansy was introdueed into the floricul- 
tural world for special culture, in the year 1812, 
by Lady Monck. Since then it has passed 
through many gradations of improvement, so 
that the contrasts between the old gorts and the 
garden varieties of the present day are most strik¬ 
ing indeed; one could hardly see any form of 
semblance or recognizance. 
It has been always a flower fondly loved, and 
our ancestors have bestowed upon it various en¬ 
dearing names, such as Three Faces under a 
Hood, Herb Trinity, Love in Idleness, and Kit 
Runabout. Its most poetic and appropriate 
name is HcarCs Ease, for the sentiment of which 
the above verse was written. 
“Are not Pansies emblems meet for thought? 
The pure, tho chequered—gay and deep by turns': 
A lino lor every mood the bright tliiiigH wear. 
In their soft, velvety coats.’’ 
