St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-13
WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR ?
They Absorb Malaria and POisOns
in the Atmosphere, for One
Thing

HI INC Atmosphere, lOE Ou0
Thing.
Special to the Globe
FOUNTAIN, MIMI, Sept. 10.-''What is
the use of flowers? we are often asked,
and we may look at large, cheap
chrome, nicely framed and occupying a
prominent place ON the wall, and ask,
"What is the use of that gaudy pic
ture?" One question is just as sensible
as the other, yet the flower will win the
day every time among the refined and
highly educated, and in the hearts of all
away down in the scale of humanity
there will be found the same sentiment
of love for those pets of the wealthy,
who build magnificent glass structures
wherein to grow their rare and costly
plants, which will be carried into the
living rooms
TO DECORATE WINDOWS
and tables when these plants come into
blossom. You may hang the most costly
and the richest of fabrics before the
windows of your house for those that
pass by to admire, but it will never at
tract the admiring eye as would we'll
grown geranium in bloom; for the one
is lifeless, the other a living substance
that seems somehow, or i'll some way
part or parcel of our living
organism that is not endowed by the
great creator with motion, and it ap-
pealS to our sense of admiration in its
own mute language. In leaf, in bud
and blossom, it appeals to our charity
i'll its helpleSSneSS for our care and pro-
lection, and when we become well ac
quainted with plant, care for its well
fare. give it protection from all the ills
fhaf fhrnafnn lie aXyictanan If
to become part of our life. endowed
with something akin to human life, and
to be treated with the kindness we give
the babe in its swaddling clothes, and
cherish it in our homes in its helpless
state. And sometimes
PLANTS AND BABIES
too, will bear a little neglect in their
food supply. The old-time superstition
that plants were injurious to the
health of all or some one member of the
family when kept in the house, has
about vanished into the thinnest kind
of substance, as it has become we'll
known fact that plants absorb all poiS-
OnOuS gases generated about clearly
home. l believe it is well known that
when vegetation grows rank and thrifty
the year proves healthy. 1t is we'll
known fact that sunf1owers planted in
IOM DltCCS Illdb UlCCu lSNCIO
will absorb the poison that is so deadly
to the inhabitants living in the vicin-
ity, thus rendering the locality healthy.
Since writing the preceding pages |
have been taking off slips of verbena
and petunia to
ROOT FOR WINTER BLOOMING.
After filling flower-pOtS with sandy
loan, and watering it, L gathered slips
and set them close around the side of
the flower-pOt. Geranium slips are set
close, even to touch each other, if one
has many to plant and is short of room,
and has many slips to root. Verbenas
and petuniaS may be set the same way,
only may not touch each other, the soil
packed solid against them, and water
very sparingly-keep nearly dry with
out willing, and in a shady spot, in the
house, or out of doors, as one feels dis
posed. l keep them on the table with
other plants. that l may not forget to
water them at any time when they re-
quire water. These plants can be
rooted all through the month of Sep
TENDER, and often during October,
if the weather is not too cold.
have rooted slips at any
and all times during, the winter my
only trouble being the overwhelming l
sometimes give them. If one grows
flowers for winter decoration they will
find that all colOrs and shades of color
pertaining to verbena and petunia will
give a fine display, and you need not
cut them off the parent stem, but have
a cover for the whole flower pot, made
of some bright cOlOred paper to suit
their own fancy. Then cover the top of
with white paper, cut to fit, cut circu-
lar hole in the center and a slit from
outside to center to let the stem of the
plant through, and you have cover
ready and set the flower pot on the
table. Mrs. MARTHA CRANDALL.