The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1874-04-03
LADIES' DEPARTMENT.
ny .. ,. =. Q.


and lively appearance oi n garuen, W.
verbena is most generally cultivated
and clsims the rank among brillian
flowers. Some Of its varieties are sweet
scented, but most of them depend fol
their merit upon their snowy. gorgeous
c,loring and their wonderful profasior
Of blossoms, which render them Of the
o catest value. There have been several
splendid new varieties introduced in the
past few years, whose wondrous stripes
and eye. are not approached by any o.
the older sorts. They are selected from
many thousand seedlings, and are b,th
rich and rare. But any one can rails,
new varieties from seed, and god cul
ture will produce magnificent blooms
seedlings will seed much more beautiful
" than flowers FROM cuttings, and Oh,
older the cutting the less seed it will give
from seed; they are in horny substarct
and should he soaked in warm water fol
twenty-four hours, and then planted in a
light, sandy loan with good bottom
heat. Thus treated they will germinate
readily, and when the fourth leaf is
formed, should he potte'l into thumb
pots in sandy loan. verbeuas are ma.
tiycs of Brazil, and love the hot sun and
ranl. If the bed in which they are
planted is covered two or three inches
deep with common sand, they will bloom
most perfectly. As the plant sends out
its first shorts they should be pcgged
down with hair pins, aad thus coaxed to
grow. When watered they require a
copips supply, aud the suds from wash
ing days is very beneficial to them.
Guano is also good manure for them ;
dig an iron spoonful around each plant,
not touching the stems. The green lice,
or aphis, are t',eir plague in pot culture,
but they are destroyed by smoking them
with tobacco Put the plants together,
and throw some tobacco on hot coal.
in a pot or saucer; cover the whole with
a tub, and then smoke for ten or iifteer
minutes, ard the lice can be swept up and
burned. Place the Goals as far as possibl,
from the plants, under the tub, so as mo-
To injure them with their heat. If plant
are well showered, no lice will appear
they do net love moisture. If cutting
are desired for Winter bloom, the,
should he taken Of in August, SO as t.
become well rooted. 1t never pays Il
take up old plants for Winter blooming
"A beautiful way to train Fuscbia i
totake a slip when it has grown six o
eight inches high, nipping il cut The toI
down to the last set IF lcave.; it vii
then throw out branches on each side
Let these grow eight or ten inches. theI
nip them out Us hfore; the tops of eacl
branch when grown the same height a
the others, nip out again, then procure ;
slick the size Of your finger, eighteen in
ches in length; take hoop-skirt wir,
turn back and forth alternately through
holes made in the stick equal distance,
apart, place this firmly in the pot back
of the plant, tie the branches to it, and
you will have, when in flower, a lovely
and rosy, graceful plant.
\ lady thus describes in the Coanir,
Ccailem: IN how she makes and manage.
HANGAISG BASKETS:
Take heavy wire for Foundation and
handle then in,cl lace with old hoop wire
made pliable by burning or heating to a
red heat /; then take young Portulacco
plants, with lump of esrth attached to
each, and put them through the intersti-
ces, and so fill the basket. The plants
take kindly to their unnatural position,
and soon become a mass OF beautiful
green and brilliant flowers. My baskets
hold nearly a half peck of earth, and
look like a hanging garden. In each |
place an empty potash box, inserted in a
cavity in the cath, which ] Gil vita wa
ter daily, and in them place fresh flowers
as my fancy dictates. They hang in my
piazza, which is festooned and twined
with the American ivy AMI moruing-glo-
ries, ard no lovlier spot eau well BE- i'm.
agined.
In filling the baskets do not use COM
mon garden soil, as it is not suitable for
growing plants in this way, from its ten
deney to bake together and shrink away
from the sides OF the pot but. IL posi-
bic, procure some tap-soil from the pine
woods, which is rich with the decay Of
tiny needles Of the pines, or a yellow loa,
my soil, part sandy from the fforists,
Then be sure there is little hole in the
bottom of the baskets to allow the super
huous water To pass away, or else pat in
bits Of charcoal to act as a drainage. and
also to keep the soil sweet. A piece Of
sponge is also an excellent substitute foI
n hole in the basket. as it will suck ~
all the superiluous moisture, and then
allow the roots Of the plants in their turn
to receive ii. Usually. plants in hanging
baskets require more moisture than 9th
er plants, because they are more thor
oughly exposed on all sides to the air
snd the water evaporates more quickly
10 If they hang up away from direct
contact with your eyes, you must give
them little water both night and morn
ing. so that they will not suffer for want