16 
aitex flowering, so that the. succession is 
kept up by the offsets which it produces, 
*nd which attain a flowering size in, genet- 
aly, from two to four or five years. The 
S st spikes are given by the older bulbs, 
and those which flower the second year 
generally throw up short and unimposing 
spikes of bloom. The offsets should be 
gaken off and planted out in the place in 
avhich they are to bloom, which should be 
an a sheltered position not exposed to high 
svinds, and in good well-manured soil. Tf 
®ulbs are bought they should be planted 
ee eu they. are received, 
~ NEW ROSE RICHMOND, 
While at St. Louis recently I had the 
sapportunity of seeing the E. G. Hill Co.'s 
mew rose Richmond, and, as shown there, 
while very beautiful, I thought some of the 
Howers might have been better, but I found 
wut afterward these had been seriously de- 
aayed by the express company. Neyerthe- 
Jess, the variety won the silver cup in the 
tlass-for any new rose. ) 
Going. on to Chicago the following week! 
I Saw. it again in much better Golidition, 
but if one wants to view it in all its glory, 
he should visit Richmond and see it grow- 
ang. I spenta day there and was more 
than repaid for the trip. One house, three 
hundred feet long, is planted with the 
above-named variety, flowering as free as 
any rose I ever saw; in facts I don’t re- 
member seeing betore in a rose house so 
many flowers and buds, with stems strong 
and vigorous, about one and a half to three 
and a half feet in length, and of such a 
Seautiful crimson color, without the least 
arace of black or purple. I had been told 
it was.a good rose, but I had no idea of 
seeing it. so fine as it is . Mr. Hill has 
mever said half enough in. its praise. And 
1 venture to say the days of Liberty are 
numbered, for as soon as Richmond is dis- 
#ributed all other reds’ will soon ‘be for- 
rotten. 
~ OW. Deckuam, Florists’ Exchange. 
PLANTING FLOWERS AND FERNS 
ON WALLS. - 
“Take two cupfuls of very fine, dry soil 
ypassed through a sieve, place in a basin, 
and make into a moist cake with water. 
Continue to stir this while you sprinkle 
aali over it hardy Fern seeds, rock plants, 
Wallflower, Snapdragon, and other seeds, 
of which any seedsman would give you a 
mixture. Mix all well together, and then 
place very minute dabs of % into small 
fissures in a wall that is, if possible, backed 
by a bank. Have another basin of moist 
soil and fill in the cavities with it with a 
round-topped knife, putty knife, ox eset 
®pener. 
GROWING IN THE DRAWING 
ROOM. 
The question is often asked “What 
flowering plants can be successfully: g grown. 
an living rooms by those who have no con- 
servatory or greenhouse in which to pre- 
pare thom for house or table decoration?” 
‘The way im which 1 have solved this prob- 
ROSES 
lem for myself may help readers who are 
anxious for something brighter than foli- 
age plants or hardy ferns. 
Last year [ determined to try pot Roses 
for this purpose, and found them nost 
satisfactory. I procured several Tea Roses 
(principally Niphetos and Marechal Niel) 
in small pots. I placed them in a wide, 
deep bay window with a south-east aspect, 
giving them all the sunshine possible, dew- 
ing them overhead with tepid water on 
fine, mild days, and always removing them 
from the window sill on frosty nights.— 
A. Bird. 
SOMETHING NEW IN WINDOW 
BOXES. 
The something new was in the’ filling, 
not in the boxes themselves, for they were 
the ordinary oblong tile and wooden struc- 
tures which one sees on scores of window 
sills.” The filling, however, was so uncom- 
mon that I ventured to inquire as to its 
inception. This was in November, and | 
was told that’ in the «previous March a 
packet of grass seeds had been’ purchased 
and sown upon carefully firmed soil on al- 
most’ a level with the tops of the boxes. 
Some strands of black thread had kept 
birds at bay until the seeds’ had germi- 
nated, and subsequent clippings witha 
pair of scissors had formed a level turf of 
the brighest green. Watering had not 
been required, thanks to the wet season, 
and the owner, in proudly contemplating 
the six boxes ranged round two bay win- 
dows on the ground floor of his house, was 
of the opinion that no window boxes in 
al! London had been so cheerful as his own 
for so long a time and with such» little 
trouble and expense. Snowdrops, Chiono- 
doxas, Crocuses, and Scillas were destined 
to spangle the grass with blossoms: in’ 
spring.—E.J.C. 
WISTARIAS ON TREES. 
Most of us are familiar with Wistarias 
on walls, and some of us may possess a 
Wistaria decorated arch; but how many 
of us number Wistarias on trees among our 
acquaintances? Now here is a chance for 
those who would possess a garden feature 
different from their neighbows. Obtain 
a healthy plant in a pot, take out a good 
depth of soil beneath the selected tree (this 
will-not harm the tree), replace it with a 
rich compost of loam and rotten manure, 
and plant the Wistaria firmly. Fasten the 
growths to the tree to give the Wistaria a 
good start, and after that leave it severely 
alone, excepting for a good soaking if the 
summer should prove a dry one. With or- 
dinary care a very pretty effect may be 
secured, even on the common Laburnum 
seen in somany small gardens, while owners 
of large trees may satan even finer re- 
sults. For the encouragement of the 
timid, [may mention that I was incited to 
pen this note by seeing some fine speci- 
mens of Pinus Coulteri and Abies Doug- 
lasii wreathed to the height of 50 feet in 
blue and white Wistarias at Mx. Antheny 
Waterers famous nurseries.—E.J.C., “The 
Gardener.” 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
“ 
March 1, 1905 
ARRANGING DAHLIAS IN VASES. 
Each section of Dahhas seems to have its 
allotted place in indoor decorations, and. 
for this reason it is well to consider where 
the different types of the flower may be 
seen to advantage. Most gardens possess a 
few plants of some form or other of this 
useful flower, and as they blossom so freely 
one is rarely at a loss to refill the yases and 
other receptacles, when their somewhat. 
fleeting beauty is over. 
The large double flowers of the show and 
fancy types are very handsome when at 
their best, and a bold effect may be made 
with a dozen flowers in a large vase. But 
for such work they should be cut with long 
stems and a few pieces of foliage attached, 
with a bud or two to stand out from this ies 
relieve the heavy char acter of the arrange- 
ment. Of course, plants grown for exhibi- 
tion would be severely disbudded, every- 
thing going to size; and because of this 
fact it might bea Asians matter to secure 
additional buds. “However, In most gar- 
dens sprays of the kind I have just, deserib- 
ed may always be had. .Tle stems may be 
kept in position by inserting between. them 
nice fresh jieces of green moss. On no 
account bunch the flowers together, but 
instead arrange them gracefully, so that 
each bud, flower, and piece of foliage can 
be seen. It is surprising what a splendid 
vase may be arranged 1 in. this way, a dozen 
sprays giving a rich effect. The fact. that 
the blooms are cut with their own foliage 
adhering to the long stem. is ample gnibel- 
lishment i in the way of foliage. Small vases. 
and Specimen g olasses, each to contain one 
specimen, plooni, are seen to advantage on 
the mantelpiece or dotted about on the din- 
ner table, and in. the number less ways in 
which small utensils are now used. The 
Cactus and decorative, types of the flower 
are each ‘vear bee oming more popular, and 
deservedly so. The ‘Cactus type of the. 
flower is very, pret tty and effective. 
A table decoration composed exclusively 
of the Gactus Dahlias makes a superb ar- 
rangement. There are so many warm tints 
of color, which, seen under artificial light, 
produce rich ‘effects. For a centre-piece, 
or any of the larger vases on the table, long 
stems with foliage and, buds become a neces- 
sity ; but these are easily fixed in position 
with a little Moss. A mich better effect is - 
obtained if each type of the flower be ar- 
ranged by itself, the beauty peculiar to each 
kind being by these means better appre- 
ciated. For this reason the Pompon. and 
the single- flowered sorts are the best. The 
former are always very pretty by them- 
selves, and being so neat and so freely pro- 
duced the supply from a few plants seems. 
almost inexhaustible. The single, unfortu- 
nately, fall soon, but for an evening’s dis- 
play they last well indeed, and “cette a 
pleasing change. 
When arranging the colors the selfs may 
be associated. together, and an, opportunity 
afforded to Ake a change with some of the: 
_ fancy-col lored sorts on another occasion. 
crimson 
artificial, 
and 
The yellow, orange, fawn, 
under 
flowers are magnificent“ 
