December, 
The Window' Wen 
AND GREENHOUSE. 
THE BLUE APBIOAN LILT. 
Agapanthus umhellatus. 
This old and well-known greenhouse plant 
appears to become quite a favorite with ama- 
tem‘ cxiltivators, judging from the numerous 
inquiries respecting its culture that are to 
be found in our horticultiwal periodicals. It 
is a plant of vigorous growth, having thick, 
fleshy roots and linear leaves, flowering dm- 
ing the summer season. The flowers, wliich 
are of a bright blue color, are produced in 
large clusters on a stout flower stalk .about 
thi-ee feet in height. 
The plant is of easy cultm-e and succeeds 
best in a compost of two-thirds sods, one- 
third well-decayed manure with a fair sprink. 
ling of bone dust; good drainage is also es¬ 
sential to success, for although the plant 
requh-es an abundance of water during its 
season of growth, yet it will not do well if 
water is permitted to stand ai-ound its roots. 
As the plant must become strong and large 
before it will bloom it should not be per¬ 
mitted to become pot-bound when small, but 
should be gi-own on as rapidly as possible, 
and shifted as often as necessary until it is 
placed in a 10 or 1-2-inch pot; by that time it 
should be large enough to bloom. 
During its season of growth, wliich is in 
the summer, the plant_ should be given an 
abundant supply of water, but after it has 
ceased flowering and its season of gro-n-th is 
over, wtiter should gradually be withheld, 
and during the winter, only enough given to 
prevent the plant fr-om becoming absolutely 
dry. It may be brought out fr-om its wintei- 
quarters early in May, and as soon as the 
nights begin to be frosty in the faU removed 
inside, where it can be wintered over in a 
light, dry, frost-proof ceUar, or under the 
greenhouse stage, if care be taken to prevent 
it from becoming too wet. 
Propagation is effected by a careful divi¬ 
sion of the plant, and this operation is best 
performed in the spring just before the plant 
starts into growth, but if the offsets are 
small they should be well cared for and nice 
specimens will soon be obtained. After the 
plant has attained its full size, and is grow¬ 
ing in a large pot or tub, it should be re-pot- 
ted—in spring—in fresh soil every two or 
three years, otherwise it should be watered 
at least twice a week during the critii-e sea¬ 
son with weak liquid manure. 
C'JiAS. E. Pau.vkh.. 
sharp sand. In summer I give just enough 
water to keep the plant from drying up. In 
September I remove as much of the old soil as I 
can conveniently, and put in new. Then I 
mcrease the supply of water gradually. In 
winter I always apply it avarm. This old 
plant is highly ornamental when not in 
bloom, because of the profusion and luxuri¬ 
ance of its folljige. Wlien in blossom it is 
one of the most superb ornaments a conser¬ 
vatory can have. If you want many flow¬ 
ers from the Calla you must let the young 
plfints remain. Eben E. Eexfobd. 
ROSES FOB WINEOWS. 
The very best Rose for growing in the 
window is “Agrippina,” I .am inclined to 
think. It blooms more profusely th.au any 
other variet}’^, and produces more branches,— 
a necessary condition to the satisfactory 
cultivation of any Rose, because the new 
growth must be depended on for flowers. 
Jfext to Agrippina I would place “Queen’s 
Scarlet,” which greatly resembles it in hab¬ 
it. But neither of these Roses are as fine as 
m.any other v.arieties. But, if we cannot 
grow the best well in the house, we must be 
satisfied with inferior ones which will ac¬ 
commodate themselves more readily to cir- 
cimistances. 
I h.ave no ditliculty in keeping them free 
from the .aphis, if I dip them in Tobacco-tea 
twice a week. Syringing the infusion over 
the plant does not suHice. As soon as the 
buds on a branch have developed, I cut it 
back to a healthy .and promising bud, to in¬ 
duce a fresh growth. The red spider will 
not trouble the plant if you use enough 
water on it. E. 
BONE MEAL FOE IVT. 
Hjive you ever tried bone meal as a fer¬ 
tilizer for the English Ivy’? writes a corre¬ 
spondent from Wisconsin; if not, do so. I 
had an old Ivy which seemed to be in a 
stand-still condition. I re-potted it; it woidd- 
n’t grow; then I mixed some bone meal udth 
the soil, digging it in well about the roots. 
In a short time it began to stir itself. It 
put out new le.aves from the ends of the old 
branches, and soon new branches started, 
rapid 
for it 
and during the summer it has made a 
growth. I give the bone meal credit 
all. Try it. 
ABOUT DALLAS. 
To grow the Calla well, you must give its 
roots jdenty of room, and let the young j>lants 
rem.ain about the old one until you have at 
lea.st a h.alf-dozen .stout plants in the tub. 
I have a seven-year-old idant which 1 have 
given plenty of room, and which has not 
been disturbed in any w.ay dui-ing th.at tit/ic, 
unless the annual removal of a share of the 
old soil can be callerl a distui-b.-ince, and it 
has a very different aj)j>ear.ance fi-om the 
Calla piants one usually sees. It has ovei- 
thirty leaves, some of them standing nearly 
four feet above the jjot, and it often has 
from three to six flowers at ii time. I use a 
very i-ich soil from the barnyard, mixed with- 
TEOPAEOLUMS, 
Many species and vai-ieties of this inter¬ 
esting genus are among the most desirable 
window plants, esjjecially those of the Loh- 
lAo/imm class, which are not excelled for 
training along the rafters of greenhouses or 
around the frames of windows. If enomdi 
sun is given them they will be a m.a.ss of 
bloom all winter. 'They should have ii i-ather 
sandy soil iind not too lai-ge pots else they 
arc .apt to pj-oduee more leavers Lh.an flowers. 
It strikes fi-eely from cuttings and may .also 
be r.aised from seed. 
OEOHIDB. 
CLASSES,-BAKITT,—OULTUKE. 
Orchids abound throughout the temperate 
and tropical regions of the world, but not in 
dry arid districts. They are represented by 
two classes, namely: terrestrial and epiphy¬ 
tal, both of which contain many lovely spe¬ 
cies .and v.arieties. 
tebbestbial obchids 
Ai-e those that grow in the earth, like our 
Lady’s-slipper, or in the mossy surface on 
the earth, for instance the Calopogon. But 
these are hardy. Those we grow in our 
greenhouses are tender and comprise JBletia 
from Mexico, Phajus from China, Gcilanthe 
from India, Disci from the Cape of Good 
Hope, CypripediMOT from Colombia or Borneo, 
.and several others. 
EITTHY'TAL OBCHIDS 
Are the ones commonly called Air-Plants. 
They .abound in w.arm, moist countries, but 
do not occur in cold countries. In the South¬ 
ern States one or two inconspicuous flower¬ 
ing species of Epidenclrums are found, and of 
recent years several of the epiphytal Orchids 
peculiar to the West Indies have been dis¬ 
covered in Florida. None occur in the North¬ 
ern States. 'These Oi'chids cling to the bark of 
trees by their thick, matted roots, and occur 
in bunches high up among the boughs or at¬ 
tached to small branches or on mossy, rocky 
places. Epiphytes are not parasites, they do 
not live upon the juices of the frees to which 
they fasten themselves, but on the moisture in 
the atmosphere. 'The graceful Oncidiums 
aud gorgeous OaUleyas of Brazil, magnifi¬ 
cent Dendrobiums of India, chaste Phalcenop- 
sis aud choice Vandas of the Eastern Archi¬ 
pelago, and the curious Angrcecums of Mada¬ 
gascar are notable examples of epiphytal 
Orchids. 
WHY OBCHIDS ABE CHOICE BEANTS. 
Because the desirable kinds have superla¬ 
tively lovely flowers, and in most eases these 
flowers last a long time in perfection, many 
of them as those of Angrcccmn eburneurn, 
thirteen weeks. Aud as cut flowers, no blos¬ 
soms, “everlastings" omitted, last longer. 
With a love for them, aud attention .and con¬ 
venience for growing them. Orchids are 
easdy gro^^■n, “live for ever," bloom year 
after year, and increase in size and value. 
M'HV ABE OBCHIDS SO EXBENSIVE? ' 
Because wc cannot propagate them as 
readily as yvc can Carnations or Fuchsias, by 
cuttmp, division, seed, or any other means'; 
indeetl, it is extremely slow work, and the 
vast majority of the Orehids in ciUtiv.ation 
have been imported from their native wilds. 
‘St.indaid kinds, as Dc.ndrohinm nobile, Lycaste 
Minueri, Ci/pripcdium. insigiw and Odonto- 
!/l'jsst,v,. Aicxamlrw, have an established value 
u.d are always salable. In price, for nice- 
fronrS" -I'Biy rate 
I'ei 1 lif-to 15,0 eaeh, or more or less accord- 
">g to the size and condition of the plants. 
'I'llE HUIHIOST IMHCED OBClups 
Arc lunvly discovered ami introduced spo- 
^ or instance, Vanda .'^andmana; ox- 
b r a aodc 
and n e V •".f''"". fine 
while bio ’’'B' example the 
"Idte-blooining varieties of L,jcas(.,> mnnovi 
bright scarlet flowers, tipped with a. 
hlauk and white. 
ring of 
the oiqae plant. 
(luphc.n plulyciaUra. 
'This little gem of a |)hint is so old that 
most people have forgotten It, and wehaime 
It as a novelty again when Ihey ehaiiee to 
see it. It is not only one of the most pro¬ 
fuse bloomers in the flower border, but wiien 
potted it makes a charniine: window oi,...i .. - 
Ciiin,,,,., /-> •' ■^iarganutntm and 
Umeya IcxonM. While ti.eso arc highly 
