Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-04
PLANTS FOR THE PARLOR.
What Ones Should Be Selected and How
They should Re Cared For.

They Should he Cared For.
For lack Of moisture, it is hard to persuade
Towering plants to grow and bloom in the
atmosphere of a dwelling room. Park Com
missioner Saunders has prepared for printing
some hints on this subject which are likely to
befound useful by drawing room horticuiturists.
He says that the difficulties in the way can be
got over to great extent by providing deep
bay window for the accommodation Of the pot
ted ornaments. Such bay window can be
shut off from the rest of the parlor by sliding
sashes on line with the walls of the room so
that when the sashes are closed a sort of cabinet
Will be provided for the plants, the air OF which
can be kept in a condition congenial to vegeta-
BILE growth. while the plants themselves serve
to adorn the apartment.
The plants which suffer most from want Of
moisture in a drawing room are those which
have the biggest leaves, because they offer a
greater surface for evaporation than plants
with smaller foliage. Accordingly it is judicious
to select the latter. There are various species
of oxalis or wood sorrel, which particularly
well adapted for parlor culture. They are
usually very prolific in flowers. Most of them
are tuberous rooted. and the leaves indicate the
maturity of the bulbs by turning yellow and
fadins. When this happens they can be set out
in the garden, to be taken up and put into pots
again toward autumn Among the best Hover
ing kinds may be mentioned the ''oxalis versi-
color" the ''oxalis rosea' and the "oxalis
fava"
Well adapted for the parlor are the smaller
forms of the cactus family, many of which are
novel and interesting plants, with handsome
and sometimes snowy flowers. The night
| blooming cereus does well in a room, though
| not so well adapted as some others on account
| of the space occupied by Its long stems. The
| crab cactuses, as the flat-stemmed 'epiph-
| yllums' are sometimes called, make fine draw
| ing room plants blooming profuselv with ordi-
| nary care. The "cyclamen fersicum" is now a
popular winter-howering plant. OF late years
| many varieties of this species have been pro-
| duced, some OF them having a delightful fra
| GRANGE. They flower during the winter and
early spring. About the end of May they can
be set out in the yard and by the LIST of Sep
TENDER the bulbs should be carefully taken up,
placed in pots and brought into the house,
where they will again flower in due season.
| One of the best parlor plants for winter
| flowers is the Chinese primrose. especially tho
varieties which have double blossoms. They
keep in bloom for months. Though somewhat
difficult to preserve during the summer, it may
be accomplished by putting them in a shaded
place. keeping them in the pots and watering
| them only when they are very dry. They need
| to be watered with care at all times If KEEP,
too wet the stems will decay; hence the soil for
them should be porous and the drainage in the
pots should be perfect. The single varieties
are best treated as ANIMALS, supply of young
plants being raised each year from seeds sow
| in the fall.