The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-03-14
The Cultivati IN of FIovers

| A.,y year makes progress in Horticulture,
.appny io'e ior the beautiful things of earth
Is increasing, and much more attention l.
now paid to their culture in compar;sor ,,;,,,
| the days of our grandmothers. A be.,.;s,,
Hover garden can be had at comparatively
small cost, yet how many there are who
have no such adornments about their homes
A box filed with the lovely ferns, Woodsia
ilrensis, COmptosorus rhizophyllus Walking
fern), CyStopteris JragiHs bladder fernj. As,
plenium ebeneun1, taken from the woods. to-
gether with their own soil, leafmould Keen
ing the soil moistened sufficiently, is yerv
beautift |. One of our fuchsias once blossom
ed for months in succession, having seventy
five buds and blossoms at one time. Truly
it was "a thing OF beauty" and received the
admiration of all who saw it But it then
began to fade, its leaves to fall, and slowly It
died, thus stiikingy illustrating how quickly
the lovely things OF earth do fade. If you
can have but single plant, procure bya-
clith, which is of the easiest culture, and it
will give immense enjo yment, fully repaying
for all your trouble. But it will requi.e a
rich soil, and liberal supply of water while
blooming, After biossomiDg, the flower
stem should be cut off, and the bulb taken up
after the green leaves wither, first allowing
the bulb to become dry before packing away.
Hyaclnths grown in water exhaust their
strength. so that they are not as strong as
these grown in pos Among the
vines, the Smilax is too beautiful to leave un-
noticed, is OF easy culture, and most lovely
ior decorations OF any kind. But
its seed, as well as those of the
heliotrope, must be sown in the
open ground, in order to secure vigorous
plants for blooming in the winter. A yery
pretty hanging-basketc can be made by cutting
off the brim OF an old straw bat. and on th;S
sew pine cones, in any fanciful form to suit
the taste; string some of the cones and ad-
just them to form festoons to hang frem the
bottom of the basket. Then fill box, of
the right size to fit it, with earth, planting
Linaria Cymbalaria Coliseum Ivy), few
roots of the Canary vine, also Madeira vine
and you have something worth the effort.
Good drainage is essential for plants. Place
pieces Of broken crockery in the bottom of
the pots. Slips must never be started after
the cold weather has commenced. Chip dirt,
unless mixed with richer material, Is not
good. Long sprigs of "Wandering Jew
suspended in bottles behind mirrors and
pictures in such way that the tops of them
be hidden from sight, look graceful; the
plants kept in this way will demand but lit
tie, only requiring water once in six weeks
(dltcGys lukewarm water). The ''Lady
Washington geranium' is one of "Flora's
richest treasures" is one of the most ex-
quisite coloring, fit for any painters brush.
They must not be allowed 70 blossom while
small plants (if they bud), else they will have
a stunted growth, and die sooner. Also look
out for the dphis, or plant lousc. e.
The Ageratum Mericanum (ceruleum)suc.
ceeds best in partially sheltered situations,
and in the iall plants may be taken into the
house, where theie will be proiusion of
bloom. If Horseshoe geraniums grow too
large for pot ing, do not let them freeze, but
pull them up by the roots and hang them in
the cellar, tops downward, where they will
keep through the winter. In the spring
transplant to the open ground, cut the long
branches back nearly to the ground, in sym
metrical form, and you have a more thrifty
plant than to transplant tender ones grown
in the house. ROSE GERANIUM.