Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-25
A Chapter Of Floral Notes.

them, have not been repotted in new earth
and fixed for their sunny winter quarters a
the big window, no time should be lost il
putting them in order now. If slips were NO
taken from the plants in early fall, Septem
Der, as is the better way, quite good plant,
may be made of the old ones by careful
pruning, both of the roots and stalks, cutting
OF the dry rootlets and the old stalks. Give
four or five weeks rest in some open shed OF
other cool place, but where there will be nc
Use prepared soil, finely sifted-as through
| coal ash sifter-and if possible form the
| soil of mixture of loan, muck, little
sharp sand or fine coal ashes, well rotted
manure, and wood ashes or some special
fertilizer like superphosphate. There is one
advantage in using the old plants, especially
| OF the geraniums, many of which are very
beautiful both in foliage and flower; they
bear pruning well, and the plant can be well
shaped when re-potted. After the above
period Of rest they will grow surprisingly
fast when brought into the warm, sunny
room, and will be 6 source of pleasure and
enjoyment all winter. They are among the
most beautiful ornaments of the house dur
ing the long and often cherries winter
months, and are appropriate for
any room, but especially so for the din
ing room and living room. 1t used to be
thought that in sleeping room they were
injurious, if not positively poisonous, to per-
sons occupying them. 1t is hard to see how
in the light Of science such an erroneous idea
could have obtained for the opposite is the
truth. Plants in sleeping room are known
to be healthy, and in the sick room are GER
tainly an agency of good. They give hope
and good cheer to the patient, are often an
interesting object of study, and their watch
ful'care on the part Cf the invalid serves to
occupy the mind with cheerful, pleasant
recreation which helps to bring renewed
health and strength to her who has them for
companions in the sick room.
Some of the floral journals are discussing
the subject of the national flower of the
United States, an emblematcal flower, so to
speak, which shall answer to the same senti-
ment in our country as the Scotch thistle,
the English rose, the French heur-de-lys and
the Irish shamrock, in their several nation
alities. We do not see how this can be done,
and are not little surprised that so excel
lent a botanst as Mr.. Thomas Meehan is
favoring such an idea. Our country is one
of too wide an extent of territory and too d.
versified a climate to adopt any one single
flower as the national floral emblem. Were
we no longer than England, which is about
the size of the State of New York, with a
uniform climate and limited flora, it would
not be hard to decide upon favorite flower
States we should want half dozen National
flowers, or possibly dozen. New England
nigh; claim the golden rod, but the great
Middle States section would want another;
there would need to be twoor three South
ern ones, as many for the Pacific slope, and
one for Alaska-it would be unfriendly to
leave that out in the cold. So what could
we do? Our country is too vast to be de-
pendent upon a single one of the many
thousands of Flora's beautiful creations for
the embodiment OF its national floral senti-
ment. The Philadelphia Ledger suggests
the noble plume and tassel of the Indian
corn, the fruitful, widespread lea Mays
(Maize), which it says may possibly be
matched, but not surpassed. In New Eng
land we should surely vote for the golden
rod But some have even suggested the
sunhower, while others propose the agave
At present, however, we thir we shall each
have to depend upon his or her own partcu-
lar favorite.
Generally we have discarded fancy or or
namental pots for the window garden, and
use the common, inexpensive earthen crock
of the florists. But Mr., Rexford in the last
little hint in regard to pots for the winter
garden in doors, which we are inclined to
favor. He says that while for the green
house he would strongly advise against using
the painted pots, for the window he would
recommend them. The air is so dry in most
rooms as to cause great degree of evapo-
ration, and the earth in painted pots will
not dry through as quickly as in those not
painted through which the moisture quite
rapidly percolates and is lest in the heated
air of the rooms. This is good argument,
but there is another still better; the painted
pots are more ornamental
One of our floral magazines is authority
for the statement that so late as 1871, a Phil
adelphia firm sent two men to New York to
obtain rose buds which were wanted for
some fine entertainment and banquet to be
given there, and all they could gather at all
the floral establishments then in New York
was ffty-nine. At present thirty thousand
rose buds a day are sold in New York during
the winter season
The annual chry santhemum show of the
Massachusetts, Horticultural Society will be
held nj Horticultural Hall in Boston, on the
l4-l6 of next month. The chrysanthemum
is more and more becoming popular flower
each year, and is rapidly taking the place in
this country which it has long held in Eng
land as the most popular late flower. Indeed,
here at home, it has already acquired the
name Queen of autumn" The
American Garden which makes a
special chrysanthemum issue of its October
number, says that American florists sold over
one million plants last spring, and it pre-
diets that there will be a vast increase over
this next season. Already it is said
that at the shows this fall fully four times
as many will be shown as were exhibited
last year. In Asia, America and Europe,
the chrvsanthemum never had so many wor-
shippers as it has to-day.
We think the autumn leaves have not
been so brilliant, of such variety, and so
diversified in tints and colors this season as
usual. Still they have been beautiful, and
State House hill has for weeks been mount
of autumnal glory which we hope many of
our readers have enjoyed. Autumn leaves,
80, have heen much worn as personal deco