Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-11-22

Drums in the pail with the flashing streams,
Murmurng, $50, boss! so.'
[4Htntic 1ta,aaac To-, 1879
Window Gardening--How to Guilt
vate Bulbs in Pots.
From the Springfield Republican.
Dark, stormy November is now
at hand, and, if we would Danish
its gloom, we must fill our windows
with brightly blooming, fragrant
plants. In making selections let us
not forget that dubious roots, such
as hyacinths, tulips, crocuscs, sell
las, &c, are Of the easiest culture,
and there are few plants which will
better repay us for the care expend-
ed on them. Hyacinths are the
most fragrant and beautiful Of all
this class of flowers, and they can
be grown in hyacinth glasses with
little trouble. Place a small bit Of
charcoal at the bottom Of the glass,
fill it up with rain or spring water
and place ii e bulb haitian inch from
the water; then put it into dark
closet for six weeks. This gives
the roots time to start and furnish
food for the tlower-stalk, which is
concealed in the bulb. Now bring
the glass into the light, and in two
or three days give it all the sun you
can. Two drops of liquid ammo
MIA added to the water every week
will intensity the color and increase
the beauty Of your flowers. The
water need not be changed, as the
charcoal will keep it sweet; but if
it evapofates, add a little more VA
ter, taking care that the chill is re-
meved from it. If moss can be
easily obtained, a margin of it
around the top Of the glass adds to
the beauty Of it's appearance, and
keeps the bulb moist.
Those of our readers living in the
country may not be able to supply
themselves with hyacinth glasses
The mail bags will bring them
bulbs from any seed store or florist,
but not the fragile glass; yet every
housewives closet will furnish a
glass or china dish, and even a
white pudding dish may be made"a
thing of beauty
Strew over the bottom Of the dish
small bits of charcoal and then fill
it up with sand, heaping it toward
the center, place the bulbs in the
sand, leaving the crowns just above
it. In the intcrstices place smaller
bulbs, such rs crocuses, scillas, and
snow-drops; and a mingling of all
three produces pleasing effect
immense the dish in a pail of warm
water, to settle and thoroughly wet
the sand; then place in dark, cool
place for six weeks, or until the
roots are well grown, and the leaves
are an inch or more in height
Then bring them gradually to the
full sunlight, and give fresh air
enough to keep the stalks from
spindling badly. Once week drop
three drops of ammonia water into
half a coffee cup Of warm water,
and wet the sand thoroughly. 1t
should never be allowed to become
quite dry, and a covering Of moss
will keep 1t Of more uniform
moisture. arranged large glass
dish last year in this way. Six sin
gle hyacinths, which are preferable
to the double for house culture,
were planted around the edge of
the dish, while in the center poly
anthus narcissus, Etoile Dor, rear
ed its stately head; all around it
were placed purple, yellow and va
riegatad crocuses, and blue and
white scillas, and the lovely snow
drops were grouped about the
whole, making very effective APP
pearance when all were in full
bloom.
Three dollars would supply all
of the bulbs, and those of rare
varieties, and such miniature
garden would take up but a small
place, while to a real lover of flowers
it would give weeks Of unalloycd
pleasure, ut the same time demand
ing but little attention.
Hyacinths, crocuses and scillas
can be grown in damp moss alone.
Take bunch Of moss thoroughly
dampened and wrap it closely
around the bulbs, leaving y large
circumference in which the roots
can develop themselves. Take fine
copper wire and wind it all around
the ball Of moss to keep it in place.
You can suspend it from the win
dow or chandelier by bright ribbons
or worsted cords, after having kept
it in the dark for six weeks, this
practice being essential for the house
culture of all bulbs, for, if given
light and air directly, the flower
stalk will push up before the roots
have strength enough to maintain
them. These balls of moss, GROWN
ed with q bright, fragrant flower,
are lovely adornmehts for parlor,
or chamber. ]
Very pretty rustic baskets can be
made of the small round sticks of
oak or maple, fastened at the cor
ners by burning holes through the
ends with red-hot wire and passing
a piece of wire through them, turn
ing it up into loop with pinchers
at the top and bottom, and fitting in
a wooden bottom. These, when
filed with moss and planted with
hyacinths, tulips, scillas, crocuses
and snow-drops, make exceedingly
pretty ornaments for any window or
parlor.
The oxalis is beautiful bulb of
the easiest culture, and it will bloom
in great profusion in winter and
spring, either in hanging baskets or
pots. There are several varieties
and their colors vary from white,