1886 .] 
thorn out. Tho host guide to tlioir domaiuls 
in this rogiwd is tho soil, whicli sliould ho 
thoroughly wotted when dry. Watorinn. 
sliould not thou bo ropoatod until tlio iiuir- 
cations aro that tho plant is thirsty. ]}ul 
speedily give tho drink asked lor then as 
one day of drought will sot back growth’and 
bloom. Tho water used should be ol tho 
tomiieraturo of tho room, otherwise tiio 
plant will be chilled and injured by tlie too 
sudden change of temperature. 
_^M^AMERICAN garden. 
29 
kol h?’ , “'u" to being 
cScl •■‘■Hlitis 
tbol " Houvardias wbcnonco 
y nOt into an unhoaltliy condition. An oc- 
aK M henenci.al, 
sin ■ “ water when they show 
*^Uns ol oxlniusUon. 
As tho pliints ccaso flowori 
injc m 
spring allow them to got r.atbcr dr^at The 
CUK.VNr.INliSS. 
It is highly important to kcoii 
tho foliage of plants clean, not 
alone for their bo.auty, but for their 
health’s sake. Wash the loaves in¬ 
side .as well as outside, as often as 
they are dusty. A soft sponge and 
tepid water aro the best for this 
purpose. To polish Ivy leaves, or 
those of P.alms .and Hubber trees, 
use soft tissue paper ; but r u b 
lightly or the leaves may be in¬ 
jured; it will make them like satin. 
■ Every day pick off any dead leaves 
or twigs, as these but interfere 
with the strength of those alive. 
Blossoms should not be left on too 
long; they retard the perfect forma¬ 
tion of others. Never permit bloom 
to wither on the stem. 
Newsp.apers should be pinned 
about plants when rooms ai-e swept 
to protect them from the dust. 
They can be shielded from cold in 
this w.ay, if the fires get low on oc¬ 
casions of severe nights. 
Stirring up the soil in pots will 
contribute to the well being of 
plants, but c.are should be observed not 
dig down too deep and wound the roots. 
Floea. 
II 
pink 'Pi’csidoiit Garfield, aro beautiful and 
well wortliy of culture by all flower lovers, 
and the now scarlet—Tliomas Meehan, will 
probaljly jirovc alike suitable, but not hav¬ 
ing tested it yet I cannot confidently 
recorn mend it. 
Bouv.ardias arc generally pi'opagated by 
cutting up the roots into irieces about an 
inch or so long which are placed in the 
cutting bench. Shoots from adventitious 
eyes stai't soon and form young 
jilants, Tills is by far the easiest 
and Irest method of propagation 
for this class of plants. At the 
time of the introduction of the 
double forms it was supposed that 
when propagated by this method, 
they would not retain their true 
char.acteristics, reverting to the 
single form, .and that the only 
method of propagating so as to re¬ 
tain their double character would 
be by using green-w'ooded cuttings. 
This is not the case however as 
the varieties—Alfred Xeuner and 
President Garfield can be propagat¬ 
ed from root cuttings just as easy 
as any of the single varieties, and 
come true every time. The scarlet 
variety— Thos. Meehan—although 
I have not tided it can also be pro¬ 
pagated in the same manner. The 
best single varieties are Davidsonii 
—white—Eleg.ans—pink; and Lei- 
antha—scarlet. 
Mansfield Milton. 
to 
BOUVAEDIAS. 
As window plants Bouvardias deserve 
more general attention of amateurs than 
they receive, as they are easily grown, .and, 
with but little care, make as attractive win¬ 
dow Ornaments as any plants I am ac¬ 
quainted with. 
Commencing in the fall with strong 
healthy plants potted in six or seven-inch 
pots, having for soil a mixture of good turfy 
loam and stable manure thoroughly decom¬ 
posed and well mixed together—the best 
soil for nearly all house pl.ants—they should 
be kept in a warm room, and fully exposed 
to all the available light from a sunny win¬ 
dow. Yet I know a lady who keeps her 
Bouvardias in a room in which the tem- 
pei’ature is never very high nor the light 
very bright, nevertheless her success is ex¬ 
cellent. And although her plants do not 
kear as many flowers as they would if kept 
iu a warmer room, tho flowrets and trusses 
are much larger, last a long time in per¬ 
fection, and, as they are not grown for cut- 
^ing purposes, but for the ornamentation of 
the room, they give under this treatment as 
much satisfaction as any class of plants I 
could name. Insects do not attack the 
plants much under this treatment; some¬ 
times the green fly may appear, but this can 
c easily removed by syringing. 
Be careful not to over water; while the 
P ants when growing vigorously, require 
P enty of water on all clear days, too much, 
y allowing them to stand in saucers filled 
DOUBLE 80UVARDIA. 
j roots, then cut all the shoots clear off within 
; two inches of the surface of the soil. They 
will soon start into gi-owth, and if w.antcd to 
I bloom in the flower garden during the latter 
part of the summer, let them grow without 
pinching the points of the shoots off. About 
the first of June plant out in a well enriched 
bed and they will give an abundance of 
flowers for several mouths. Small plants 
raised from the cuttings in spring do not 
give much satisfaction tor summer blooming. 
POINSETTIA PULCHERRIMA PlENISSIMA. 
and this is one of the reasons why Bou- 
vardi.asare not more cultivated than they 
are for this purpose, while old plants cut 
back and allowed to make an unrestricted 
growth always produce good summer flower¬ 
ing plants. For winter blooming, however, 
these young spring grown plants aro most 
'^?hera"are single and double 
the different colors now m cultivation. The 
double white-Alfred Neuner, and double 
POUfSETTIAS. 
For gorgeous, showy effect at this season 
of the year the Poiusettia stands preemi¬ 
nent. The genus is named in honor of Joel 
E. Poinsette, American minister to Mexico. 
Poinsettia pidcherrima plenissima, repre¬ 
sented in our illustration, much reduced, 
is a magnificent plant of comparative recent 
introduction, remarkable for the distinct 
character of its floral bracts, the size of the 
heads in which they are produced, and their 
marvelous brilliancj' of color. Its bracts are 
gathered into clusters which fill up the cen¬ 
ter, so that tlie whole inflorescence is full 
and rosette-like in form. 
The Poinsettia, says Peter Henderson, is 
of the easiest culture. After flowering cut 
back to within two buds of ihe old wood, 
take up the plants, and put them in a con¬ 
venient place under a bench, and cover the 
roots with sand or earth, and keep dry. 
Let them remain until it is time to plant out 
ordin.ary bedding plants, when they should 
be put out in the open air, and planted in 
boxes six inches deep,—say six plants in 
each box—a foot or so apart, giving them 
good rich soil. 
They should bo taken into the house 
before the nights begin to get cool, in the 
latitude of New York by the middle of Sep¬ 
tember. They may be grown to flower in 
these boxes, by givmg them plenty of manure 
water; although, if wanted iu large quanti¬ 
ties, it is best to place the boxes on a green¬ 
house bench, knock off tho sides and ends of 
the boxes, and fill up to the level between with 
soil. After the plants have become thus es¬ 
tablished, an occasional watering with liquid 
manure will add greatly to their growth. At 
no time should the temperature in the house 
fall below 50° at night or 70° during the day. 
