8 
w 
and GRSENHOUSE. 
THE WINDOW OAEDEN FOE JANTJABT. 
Tn practical gardening January is the most 
inactive month of the year. Covering up an ^ 
mulching out-of-doors have been finished; 
indoors our plants are in their winter quai- 
ters. Zonal Geraniums, Carnations, Speciosa 
Fuchsias, Ahutilons, Oxalises, Paris Daisies, 
Nasturtiums, Sweet Alyssum, and maybe 
some Callas, Begonias, Pansies and Violets 
are in blossom in our windows ; and Pansies, 
Violets, Alyssum and Meteor Marigolds in 
our cold frames. Window plants need at¬ 
tention in watering. Give liberally to those 
in rapid gi’owth, as Callas, Carnations and 
Primroses, and sparingly to those more in¬ 
active. Keep plants free from insects, and 
remove dead leaves or decaying parts of 
stems or leaves ; never allow fallen leaves to 
lie on the fresh ones, as they are apt to rot 
them. Stake and tie up your plants as they 
need it. If the leaves get dirty, sponge them 
gently with soft soapy water. Do not repot 
any plants this month, unless you have suf¬ 
ficient accommodation for them, or the con¬ 
dition of the soil in the pots by reason of 
worms or other deleterious cause, should 
render it advisable ; if their being pot-bound 
is all that ails them, let them alone. Venti¬ 
late a little every warm day, and even in 
frosty weather while the sun is shining 
brightly on the windows a little ventilation 
may be given. 
COLD FRAMES. 
A variety of flowers and vegetables may 
be contained in these. Keep them well 
wrapped up in severe weather, and in the 
case of plants in bloom, as Daisies, Pansies 
and Violets, in favorable weather or while 
the sun is shining on them, remove the mats 
or other wraps used to put over the sashes 
and ventilate a little. But in the case of 
Anemones, Polyanthuses and others not in 
bloom or required to come in early, they may 
be left covered up for days, sometimes weeks 
together, in hard frosty weather. I find 
dampness does more mischief than frost in 
cold frames. 
I have a multitude of plants in cold frames, 
and which I wish merely to winter safely— 
for instance. Strawberries, young Eoses, 
Eose cuttings. Polyanthuses, late Pansies, 
Hydrangeas, very young Evergreens, Irish 
Ivies and bulbs of sorts. When their leaves 
and stems were perfectly dry, and the sur¬ 
face of the ground dry, I spread some quite 
diy Oak leaves over them loosely,about three 
to five inches deep, and put on the sashes to 
keep them dry. Endive fit for use. Spinach, 
Leeks, young Lettuces (but not any ap¬ 
proaching maturity). Chives, Parsley and 
Cabbage plants I also treat in the same way. 
So long as the leaves and plants can be kept 
dry, so long are they safe ; they arc not sub¬ 
ject to rapid fluctuations of temperature, 
and do not require nearly so much attention 
as in the case of frames whose wrapping is 
outside the sashes. But frames containino- 
Eadishes, heading Lettuces, and also hotbeds 
generally, should be covered for protection 
from the outside only. 
The well-known and very useful cold-pits 
are like sunk greenhouses, have no fire 
the 
AMEBieAN_GA^£^ 
by 
heat, and must 
outer coverings (not 
Hollies, ’ aromatic evergreen 
the Periwinkle, but t safely in 
shrubs) and ttie hk , a 
cold pits, and w ^ ‘ juay be Ger- 
staging near the g Fuchsias and 
aniums. Carnations, familiar in our 
is vi-ilaiice in cleanliness, time y and abim 
dant ventilation, and keeping ^ 
as dry as possible consistent with the natiue 
and welfare of the plants contained in.it, 
SLIPS. 
Cuttings, as gardeners say,-yes, I know 
some gardeners who even make a distinction 
between the two, but I question if they can 
prove it,-niay be made at any time of year, 
providing we have proper conveniences for 
them. In the window garden we do not look 
for any special convenience for rooting slips 
in winter, nevertheless, I would advise you 
to plant a few slips,—dibble them into the 
earth in the pots containing the old plants. 
If they grow, it is a gain ; if they perish, the 
loss is little. When you cut in, pinch back, 
or break off accidentally a shoot, don’t throw 
it away, but make it serve as a cutting. 0 , 
Carnations any way dibble in a few slips ; 
they may take several weeks to root, but 
most of them are likely to live and afford 
you strong plants to set out next April or 
May. If you wish to increase your stock of 
Eoses, shrubs, or Grape vines, go out-of- 
doors, cut off some good, firm young shoots, 
cut them into 6 -inch lengths, tie them up 
into little bundles according to their kind, 
and bury them in a box filled with moist 
sand, earth or sawdust, and keep them in a 
cool cellar or building till spring. When 
planted out thickly in close rows, most of 
them should grow. Wm. Falconer. 
A MINAT 0 EB HEATING APPARATUS. 
Many minds seem to be engaged in solving 
the problem of inexpensive heating apparatus 
for small plant houses, but it is the amateur 
plant growers, not the professional manu¬ 
facturers. The latter appear to have a sin¬ 
gular aversion against so insignificant a thinn- 
as a small plant house. Yet we have no 
doubt that a fortune awaits the man who 
invents and will manufacture a cheap, easily 
houses! Sreen- 
In former numbers of the American Gar¬ 
den wc have given various plans for thoir 
SJ Mr N t"?.”,'” b, 
wash boiler, ho says, f ],avo m. 
terminating in a 3 -inch pipe qm" 
made of sine soldered toiretiie/ 
perfectly water-tight. Se I , y"" 
an expansion tank at the 801111^^’“/ """ 
house, from which the return 
back to near the bottom of i i 
north side of tho Cil , 
bottom licat wliich condili ’"’’‘''‘""t 
some kind of plants porfooSy 
rests upon a brick and ” boiler 
the center of tho house ueaJTcJin""''.*" 
‘“‘‘nnlkvr window; 
the temperature 
house, a stove 
and boiler and pipes together h iT 
fifteen gallons of water. A one-i^ 
connects the pit with the open air 
The heat is furnished by an oil-sto 
two four-inch wicks, and .by bnrnr* 
one, or both at the same time. I 
as desired. Fo“aS 
with four wicks woul> 
doubt work satisfactorily. All mv i 
seedlings and cuttings .included are d”*®’ 
remarkably well, and are all that anvan,'^?'”® 
could desire. This leads me to the c 
sion that oil-stoves can be used for 
green-houses, without the least detri^”"^ 
to plants._ 
RANUNOUiiUS AND ANEMONES 
As garden flowers these beautiful piam 
have never met with much success in 
nortliern States, our winters being too ** 
ve.e for them, but in frames or pots in tlT 
house they may be brought to high perfe' 
tioii. Their prevailing colors are scarlet 
rose, white and blue. The roots are asolid’ 
flattened mass, and may be planted at any 
time, three or four in a five to six inch pot 
They require very rich soil, good drainage 
and a general treatment similar to that of 
Dutch bulb. 
Nos. 1 and 2 , in our illustration on the fol¬ 
lowing page represents the double forms of 
Eanunculus, No. 3 , Double Anemone and 
No. 4 , the Star Anemone. 
FASHIONABLE FLOWERS AND DECORATIONS, 
Floral decorations like flowers, have their 
period of being fashionable and then decline, 
to give place to a new fancy. It requires two 
years for a flower to reach the zenith of 
popularity; the third season it is usually 
tlirow'ii into the shade. The run on yellow 
flo-wers began with the partiality for Calen¬ 
dula Meleor; this blossom was all the rage 
for two seasons; it indirectly brought in favor 
yellow Eoses, which were combined with 
those of every color. A cluster of,yellow 
flow'ers was, in fact, indispensable in the 
made bouquet or corsage bunch. But a very 
few years since it would have been consi¬ 
dered shocking taste to combine red and 
yellow Eoses; the yellow flowers hold their 
own in the Eose varieties, but the Calendulas 
with their gorgeous color, are now despised, 
and are throivn out by growers because their 
clay is past. 
For two years Catherine Afermef Eoses were 
in liigh favor, but they have now settled 
down evith La France, Cornelia Cook, Ifipkc- 
tos. Jacqueminots and half a dozen other 
varieties, into standard Eoses of admirable 
qualities, but the furore for them no longer 
exists, in this country at least. 
HOLIDAY surprises. 
It is well understood by motropolib® 
florists that they must constantly introduce 
novelties in flowers, thoir arrangmont, au 
ill decoration, to control the custom of those 
who lavish money in the porishablo geecn^ 
lioiiso beauties. During the holidays plo® ^ 
111011 bring in thoir surprises, about ■" 
tboy liiivo kept profound soovooy. At 
mas and Now Year’s they can demand 
price for siioeialtios, all blossoms at 
time are costly, and novelties bring 
posl.orous priooH. There are two or f** 
loading florists w'ho will pay fabulous sui ^ 
for wild flowers, foreod in uiid-wintou^^ 
few stalks of Swoot Glover bloom—or®P‘ 
<)f Buttorcups that would bo trodden do 
