The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-05-02
FARM and HOUSEHOLD.
The Cultivation Of Flowers.

| rs Va - ~ g.
Temperance and fower-gardening
easily go hand in hand. The exper-
iencasof those who build cottages to let,
has proved that the addition of a gar
den-plat effects a most beneficial in
huence on the social, moral and religious
life of those who occupy thein.
If M increase of the %hydrangea stock
is wanted, propagation may take place
within the next few weeks. Slips may
be made of young healthy shoots, having
half-a-dozen leaves, by removing the
two lower n e wholly, and ons-half of
each of the next two.
Trickery in getting up exhibition
flowers, is obviously rare, but we have
just heard of an English florist who sue
ceeded in so pinning two c%hrysanthe-
mum flowers together, one into the cen
ter Of another, as to produce many APP
parently large specimens, that deceived
both judges and spectators.
A beautiful Jerusalem c%herry-tree
(Solanum capsicastrum of the seed-cat-
alogues), loaded with red fruit, can be
grown by any child, for decorating the
window next winter. Procure a pack
age of seeds and start them in a pot of
light earth in March or April. They
terminate quickly, and in a few weeks
from the time of sowing, the seedlings
will be fit to prick out into individual
pots, as many as you care to have plants
OF. About June first set these out in
the garden. Let them grow there un-
til September, by which time they will
be full of green fruit, and then lift and
pot them in six-inch pots, bringing
them into the house as soon after as
frosts threaten.
House-plants thrive better in the
kitchen than in any other rooms of the
house, because of the moister atmos-
phere that prevails here, as a result of
the steam escaping from the stove or
range utensils. In greenhouses simil-
ar improved conditions exist also, which
accounts for the comparative ease found
in growing plants in these structures.
These facts point to the Importance of
supplying some moisture to the atmos-
phere wherever there are plants, if we
would have fine specimens. Watering
as freely as is admissible for their
health. sponging the leaves all over oc-
~casionally, and setting some vessels of
water among them, are some of the
easy ways of accomplishing this. A
sufficiency ofmoisture to suit the plants
will not be in the least injurious to
the health of persons.
The old and generally successful way
OF roofing oleander and other slips Of
hard wooded plants, by placing their
lower ends i'll a bottle of water, suspen-
ded in a light place, finds an improve
ment of much wider usefulness in the
saucer-plan of propagation. In this
system, any low vessel is filled nearly
full of sand, into which slips of every
kind of plants may be set closely to-
gether for roofing. Enough water is
then kept constantly in the saucer to
give the sand the consistency Of mud,
and it is then given a light and warn
place. BY this simple means any one
can root cuttings of all kinds quickly.
and almost without any loss.
For growing plants a weekly applica-
ton of diluted manure water will work
wonders, but those in a state of rest are
better without it, and in fact they need
little water of any kind until growth be-
gins. A strong heat is not essential for
most species. and is positively injurious
to many, rs the camellia, hzalia, orange,
most succulent plants, etc. Air on mild
days is beneficial, but q draft oven the
young and tender shoots Of roses is apt
to cause mildew, and nothing will so
quickly stunt their growth as this un-
canny pest.
Evergreen cuttings of all kinds, but
especially arbor-vitm, juniper and retin-
ispora, root readily now, bearing in
mind they prefer shade, heat and album
dant moisture in the air. Be very care
full not to water cuttings unless the sand
should be dry, but sprinkle the floor
freely to induce a damp atmosphere.