peeesias. 
Few new plants have "‘"fShT 
popular favor as these beautifid C»P® ^’ 
Two yeai's ago they were hart ^ ' j ^ 
name even to any one except botanists, 
while now a collection of winter-floweiing 
bulbs is not considered complete wi on 
several pots of Freesias. j i , 
The bulbs are rather small, and halt a 
dozen may, therefore, be planted in a six- 
inch pot, covering them with about an inch 
of soil. A rich, sandy, potting soil, as is 
generally used for Hyacinths and other Duteh 
bulbs, is also used for these. For early nnn- 
ter blooming, they should be planted this 
month, and by making subsequent plantings 
at intervals of two or three weeks, 
blooming plants may be had all 
winter. At first they should be 
kept cool and moderately moist 
until the leaves appear, when they 
have to be removed to a sunny 
window or other warm and light 
place, and watered more copiously. 
After flowering, they should be 
dried off, and not started again till 
the following autumn. 
The graceful form of the flowers, 
as well as their exquisite fragrance, 
makes them very desirable for the 
window-garden, and their remark¬ 
able keeping quality, after being 
cut, adds greatly to their value for 
florists’ work. 
AUTlJJOf WOEK, 
During the summer months our 
windows are destitute of plants, 
and only Picuses, Palms, Cycads, 
Aspidistras, and others that we use 
to decorate our tables, sideboards, 
and halls, find room in our houses. 
Until October, plants are generally 
better out-of-doors than in the 
house. But we should be careful to 
preserve them from frost, by cov¬ 
ering them over with newspaper, cotton 
sheets, or other material, if they are still 
unpotted and gi-o«nng in beds. But if they ; 
have been potted, we can, on the eve of a 
frosty night, remove them to the piazza or 
under the trees or bushes, and thus protect 
them against injury. 
We should now conclude what plants we 
mean to winter over in our windows, and act 
accordingly. We need young plants of Abii- 
tilons. Coleuses, Geraniums, Double Petu¬ 
nias, and others for next summer’s garden; 
also Callas, Bouvardias, Carnations, aiid 
others to blossom in winter, and should have 
a place for both. But we should not try to 
keep more than our room will justify; better 
have a few good happy-appearing plants 
than a multitude so crammed together as to 
injure one another. 
>So long as the weather continues warm 
and genial, we should not mar our borders or 
beds by lifting those plants we wish merely 
to keep over for next summer’s gardcji But 
Bouvardias, Callas, Petunias, Sweet Alys- 
sum. Heliotropes, and Begonias, that we 
require for furnishing flowers in winter 
should bo lifted early and become well 
established in their 
sets in. Geraniums, ^ potted, 
and started into fresh grow ]i,id 
Tea-roses for winter and 
better be potted rrooted, 
of-doors in a sheltered place, if well 
a slight frost wont himt them. ^ 
as Draemnas, Cioions. 
Tender plants, ..— leaves 
especially those that have coloied 
should be kept on the piazza, as cold, 
inins, Achimones, and Gesnei 
allowed to dry off preparatory 
them part of the winter on a 
warm, dry place. Musk may also be pei 
mitted to dry off before storing it in a coo 
place in the cellar; but it should not be 
kept dust dry. 
Gesneras may 
to storing 
shelf in a 
in which to roo„ of 
plants at this season ; but if in a mod 
glieltered and shaded place, and they a^ 
somewhat moist all the time, cuttin 
root freely without any artificial heat^* 
Yellow and red Oxalises should now h 
led and allowed to start slowly info 
Tulips, and Narcissus, may be potted as s 
as received, and kept in a cool place, as 
shady frame, shod, or cellar floor, and ^ * 
erod over with a few inches deep of 
ashes, sand, earth, or other material to k"*' 
the bulbs moist and cool and allow the***^ 
fill their pots with roots before they send a" 
Wm. Palconek. 
leaves or flowers. 
CLUMP OF FREESIAS. 
Madeira Vine, German and English Ivy, 
Cobffia, and similar vinos, are pleasant in 
our windows in winter, and should bo 
brought in readiness now. But if room is 
scarce for other plants, these vinos can ho 
dispensed with,— thoMadeiraVino, like Pota¬ 
toes, in the cellar, the English Ivy in a cool 
place there, too ; the OermaTi Ivy, as a bunch 
ol cuttings in a four-inch pot in tho window; 
and tho Cobrea thrown away — wo can got it 
from seed next spring, plants that will 
twenty feet, .and blos.som from tho 
July till killed by frost in October. 
Chinese Primroses, Cinerarias, and Calceo¬ 
larias love tho cool, fall weather, and now 
start into vigorous growth. Koo|, them cool 
well ventilated, and copiously watered, and 
scatter some tobacco trash on tho top of the 
soil in their pots, as a preventive of green 
fly and Ihrijis. ^ 
Geraniums, Show Pelargoniums, Coleuses 
licsines Altorniintheras, and other bedding 
plants that wo wish for next year’s garden 
and cannot well raise fron. seed, should 
bo propagated from cuttings, Put six b, i 
four-inch pot, to stay tl.eim Ui , 
«pr.ng, A gentle hot-bed is an excelled 
grow 
end of 
CACTUS, 
The Cactus family comprises some of tie 
most interesting objects in the vegetable 
world. Not only are its members 
pecul iar in their form of growth, bat 
some of the species produce flowers 
of remarkable beauty. They, as a 
general rule, are easily cultivated 
requiring during their season of rest 
little or no care; although, like 
everything else, a little extra atten¬ 
tion bestowed upon them is amply 
repaid with more and better flowers 
than when the careless manner is 
adopted. 
Being incapable of rapid evapo¬ 
ration of moistm-e from the surface 
I of the stems or leaves, but little 
; water is necessary during their 
?: poeriod of rest, which in most of 
the species extends during the 
5 ; greatest portion of the year, the 
; gi’owth being made in a short period. 
; It is necessary to grow them in soil 
;i sufficiently porous to allow a rapid 
poassage for the water. For the 
J strong-growing kinds, such as 
y Cereus, a soil composed of turfy, 
' sandy loam andleaf-mold, thorough¬ 
ly rotted, is most suitable, and about 
one-third of the pot should be filled 
with drainage. To throw a hand¬ 
ful of potsherds at random in the 
then tho soil on the top, is 
suitable tor any kind of plants, wore 
especially Cactuses and Orchids. Dra'U- 
age should be \voll and cai’ofully appH® 
by placing regularly some large pieces ui 
tho bottom and smallei' ones on top, 
moss or some rough material over this, tc 
jirovout tiho soil from washing through, a"^ 
thereby chocking the (low of the water. 
few pieces of broken pots or bricks 
through tho soil aro also a bonolit. 
VVhon potting tho plant, do not 
its stom with tho soil, as when so ph'cc> ^ 
is ai)t to rot off just at tho junction of ^ 
roots with tho stem. Aftor I'lO 
pottod, placo over tho suid'aco of H'® '• 
about a halt-inch of clear sand, whiel' 1" ^ 
Vents any decay of tho plant and g" 
cleaiior a])poaranco to it. When tho P'®", 
approaches maturity, gradually 
Water to insure thorough ripening 
steins, as upon this depends tho 1 
..,„„ol- 
Ccrfliw is distinguished by it® * ,5 
shaped flowers, having tho long, 
stainons attached to tho base of the p® 
Altliough comprising a great manyep 
pot, 
witlib®*'' 
rnmg of f'"' 
I iloworii'g ® 
