i4fc< 
and greenhouse. 
THE WHTDOW GAEEEN FOE JUNE. 
House-cleaning i.s in order or flnislicd, 
the windows are emptied of tiieir plants, 
and what pot-plants we now liavc are plunged 
out-of-doors, or set on a stand on the piazza 
or in some other suitabic siightly shadj’ 
noolc. Plants now ai'o far better ofl when 
outside than inside. But be. careful and see 
to it that they are properly arranged so far 
as their taste for shade or simslhne is con¬ 
cerned. 
■WATEKINCr I’l.AM'S. 
In dry weather plants want water. If 
thej' are in pots they must get it whenever 
they need it, and that, too, in unstinted meas¬ 
ure. In bright sunshine do not water tliem 
overliead, but in the evening or late in tlie 
afternoon a sprinkling overhead is good foi' 
them. Tlie afternoon or evening is tlie pref- 
.. erable time for a general watering. Plants 
that are sot out in tlie garden, also (lower- 
garden stock, should not be watered daily, 
even in very dry weather. 
Before they begin to suffer tor want of 
water, give them a thorough soaking, and 
the next morning rake or otherwise unfasten 
the surface of the soil to prevent undue evap¬ 
oration and the surface from baking. Don’t 
deal indribblings but see to it that tlie water¬ 
ing you give is enough to soak through to 
the deepest root. One sueli watering is 
enough to last for several days. Fref|uent 
waterings are injurious to out-door plants. 
MULCiii-NC AXi> cultivating. 
By keeping our beds and borders clean, 
and thoroughly and frequeutlj' cultivated 
during the summer months, we much reduce 
the need of watering, and this is easily done 
by means of draw or scutlle hoes, long-tined 
iron rakes, or where the jilants are set 
closely, by the little five-tined “Excelsior" 
haud-weeders. 
Mulching, too. is of very great benefit. 
In the case of (lower-beds, tid}' bordr*rs con¬ 
taining small plants, or plats filled with Vio¬ 
lets, Carnations, Bouvardias, and other win 
ter-stock, short stable-manure is about (he 
be.st thing to use. Ilalf-rotted tree-leaves 
are hard to get, besiilers, tliey i-ot rpiickly; 
lawn-mowings, if dried before applierl, are 
chafly and apt to be (down about, and if 
u.sed green will lieeome a thick, close mat. 
But almost anytliing is better tiian nothing. 
For trees, shrubs, and .s(iong-gi-owing 
plants generally, leaves sprinkled over with 
thatch to keep them in jdaee, saltha^', lawn- 
mowings, or any handy littery nialerial is 
serviceable. 
IX.SKCT.S. 
'J'hrijis are very desti’uctive t;o ffamellias, 
Azaleas, Amarylli.ses, Criniims and lailbons 
Jilants generally; the “twitl-er’’ l,o Cai-na- 
tions, burying ikself in (;lie growing jioinl.s; 
the red spider delights in (.lie wai-m, dry 
weather, and sjireads alarmingly over ti'ees 
arifl herbs and hardy ami lender |)Ian(;s; (;he 
mealy bug prefers tbe greenhouse, or win¬ 
dow to the Ojien air, and in snmnier ehoo 
the roots and lower jiortions of (;lje jilanl^s, 
rather than the flower-buds ami growing 
jioints; scales abound on the old wood, and (lie 
young apliides may.Itijily exceedingly, es- 
jieciallyin latesiiinnicr and fall; and vvehave 
ierjiillar pests, bugs andhec- 
or 
an army of cater^ 
ties, and ail want attending to. 
I’vuu'riJ'iuM rowDEit 
In the form of Persian, 
Bulnch if fresh and pure, puded into tl . 
the api.ides,wiil undc^.onJ.J 
their hold and drop dead ii this 
the ground. Mixed with water, and m 1 ■ 
way sprayed on eaterjiillars. Rose-bugs and 
some olJ.er insects, some 
claim that it wiil kiil the jiests, but my ex 
poriments have been much less siiccessfii . 
touacco-wa'I'I'-.u 
•Vs • dark-colored as very strong tea, is ( c- 
struetive to ajiliides, thrips and “twitter 
but liarmless to scales, red sjiiders and mealy 
bugs. 'I'obacco stems, commonly known as 
factory trasli,” may bo obtained at a cent a 
jioundat any cigar manufactory. Ilait li 1 
jiail with stems and lill uji over them witii 
boiiing water. A pint or quart of this liquid 
in a can of water will be about right. ^ to¬ 
bacco stems spread under (he plants, eithci 
out-of-doors or in the house, are cll'ectual in 
keeping oITthrijis and aphides. 
K r; 1!t)s KXM.’, icM 1 n .s 1 ox. 
So far as my experience extends, is one of 
the best insecticiiies: it will killanything 
that has a soft skin. 1 first make it in t.lic 
form of butter, but if the workman is lazy, 
I only get a very thick paste. 
My recijie is simjile enough : Take a. meas- 
two quarts—of skimmed milk, put 
it into a vessel on the fire, add a jiiece of 
soaji—about a quarter of a jiound or more- 
pared into thin slices .so that it may dissolve 
quickly, and stir till tbe soaj) is dissolved 
and the milk gets pretty wai-in, then jiour 
into a jiail and add an equ:il quantity of ker- 
o.sene, and now with a coarse syringe work 
the mixture as vigorously as jiossible till 
you get butter, or it becomes so thick that it 
won’t pass through the syringe, whicdi 
usually hajiiicns in 15 to :>0 minutes. 
In using I dissolve some of this butter in a 
can of water and ajiply with a syringe. .\s 
a preventive, a jiint of l)utt.er in an eight- 
quart can of water: as a cure.,—^for tlie hard- 
wooded Jilants as (tamellias, (q-fil.ons, .Ml.a- 
mandas, one-(if(b of kerosene; for hard and 
mature leave.s as of Ficus, ('arnations, anil 
Dracamas, onc-ciglitb; for yoniig leaves and 
growths, about onc-tenih. 
But i-iiliivators should exjieriment and dc- 
tcrmini- foi- tbcmseivcs. In the case of small 
jdanl.s in i)Ots, or Olliers tba(. are jilanted out, 
and where 1 would be likely (,o wasl.e coiisiil- 
erable of ihc cnmlsion were 1 l.o apjdy it with 
a .syringe, I wet (he planl.s with a lug sjioimc. 
oii(!v,santiii.;mii.iis. " ” 
firow (hem jdaiiled out ralhcr (.ban in jiol.s. 
Kecji Uiem well |unclie l in I,ill the end of 
.June, when, afl.er (,hat (hue, it may be well 
(;o let l.btan grow. If jdanl.s are scarce, 
“strike.” the poinlis yon pineh oil; they will 
bloom nicely )„ the fall no malter how'small 
Uiey are. Put one sl.ont sl.ake (,o each jdant 
and (,ie (he leading si.eins l,o ili, but leave (he 
lal,erals untied. VVaI.er eojiionsly. 
(’(ii,YAN'riin,si.;s 
And ol.lier inirdy Primroses in frames will 
be out of bloom now and the belter for a lil;- 
tle shade. If now in a sunny jdaec, lift and 
jiliiiit (,hem (.hiekly in rows on (he nori j, siili' 
ofaelose fenee, hedge, or hnihling, I, here (,i 
... Ibit do not under anv 
eir(ainis(,aneeH divide l.hc.in now; let thal 
operation alone, till I,he jdanl.s sl.art again |;o 
them ill frames for blooming next spring. 
If you have not any Polyahthuses, sow- 
some seeds now, and grow the young plants 
in a cool, half-shady place, and enjoy a treat 
next April and May. Wm. Falconer. 
PLANTS FOB SHADY ’WINDOWS. 
Having a north window from whieh the 
outlook was not very jileasaut, I determined 
to lill it with plants. For this purpose I se¬ 
lected sucli kinds as I tiionght most likely to 
do well in almo.st complete .shade. These 
were AapidUlra varioAjala^ Oimuligo recur- 
vala, Drnamaindimm and Seafortliiaelerjans, 
of the Palm family, with an Engli.sh Ivy to 
clamber up and about the window frame. I 
jiurpo.selyoinittedalllloweringjilants. My.se¬ 
lection has been very satisfactory during the 
winter. 'I'he |iianl,.s have grown well, and 
(hough there was no bright color to relieve 
the green of the foliage, the ell’cct wascheer- 
fni and suggestive of summer. 
ASI’llllSTRA VARIEGATA. 
'Pile Aspidistra iias leaves like the Lily 
of (he Valley in shajie, only a great deal 
larger. 'I'hey are strijied with light and 
dark green, and occasionally with clear 
wliite. Each leaf is tlirown nji from the 
roots. The leaves are very tliick and firm 
in texture, and seem to bn everlasting. 
'I'heyare very easily ke|)tclean by the useof a 
(doth or sponge. There is little danger of 
doing any damage ( o them by liandlingthein. 
'I'his is mj( second ex|ierieiice with this plant 
in shade, and I am convinced that it is one 
of the b(‘st ones we have tor north windows, 
or any other location deprived of sunshine. 
On account of tlie thick texture of the leaves 
it is able to withstand the dry air and dust 
of our living-rooms better than almost any 
otlier plant 1 am acquainted with. 
cuncuLiGO nr.cunvATA. 
This jilant has long leaves, deeplj'^ ribbed 
or jilaited their whole length, with a pure 
whil.e strijie in the center. Tlie.se leaves 
have a gr.-icefnl curve, and as the.y are quite 
freidy jirodnced, a widl-grown jilant is very 
ornamental. Like tlie .Asjiidistra, it is firm in 
textui-eand little all’ccted by heat or dust. 
A (ilKlll PAIAI. 
The. Si'a fort Ilia made a fine center for the 
gronj), i(,s long, mneh-divided leaves curving 
outward gracefully over the otliers. 'Phis 
is one of (he best P.alms for house culture. 
It is not only more attractive in its habit of 
growth l.han l,itl((iiiit Jldi'hunira, which is 
more freijnently seen, lint it is more ell'ect- 
ive when young, because of tlie length of its 
leaves with l.lieir fine lairve. It is entarely 
devoid of tlie still’ajijiearance jieeuliar l.o the 
ot.her variel.y. 
A <:i>M;i’.Ni’.ifY. 
A good show of greeni'ry is much more 
satisfactory (.ban a window full of sickly 
jilanl.s, from wliicli we vainly try to coax 
(lowci's under circiiinsl.ances which are iiii- 
favorahle to such results. 1 would confine 
Illy sehiction of |ilants for shady windows 
e.ntirely to such kinds as liave good foliage 
for whose develojiment sunshine is not at all 
necessary. If this is done, and no (lowers 
are ex|)ecl.ed, there will h(>nodisaji|ioin(imcnt. 
l,yco|)odlum plant.ed in eacli jiot grew vig¬ 
orously, and in a short time (.he soil was 
covered with il.s jiretty grcmi. A frequent 
s|)rhikling kejit It fresh and healthy. 
K. E. ItH.XEORIl. 
