Evening star., 1948-09-21


intrigued me, particularly for it
washable qualities, and I got on,
that matches the color scheme II
our children's room. Now, my
problem Is to keep 1t down, insteae
Of runpling on the waxed floor.
have heard of some sort Of taps
that is sewn or ironed to the edges
of rugs to keep them from slipping
but do not know what 1t is, anc
hope that some one can tell me.
COAT QUERY?
,(Fron. Mrs. II. w., Arlington.)
Some Of you must have solved
the problem with which I am now
confronted. II 50, please give me
your expert advice! Is there any
type of coat that will give me the
warmth Of a fur coat? My old one
cannot possibly survive another
winter. The price, plus tax, makes
me search for a substitute. Rather
than buy cheap fur, would
prefer buying a good cloth coat II
equally as warm. One store re-
Gently advertised fur-lined, leather
lined and 1pped-in-lining coats
Does the fur shed on wool suits OF
dresses?f Is leather satisfactory?
What are the pros" and ICONS" on
these coats?
"PICK-A-BACK" PLANTS.
/F,ou Mrs. E. S. c., Washington
So many people were interested in
the Pick-a-Back plants that I
thought I would send this informa-
ton along.
EJ. Alexander writes the follow
Ing in the September, 1910, issue OF
the journal of the New York Bo-
tanical Gardens.
"'pick-a-Back' the New York
florists call it, and indeed the new
plants do ride 'piggy-back' on the
old leaves of Tolmiea Menziesl!, Tor
which it is eminently suited. Some
growers call it 'Youth-on-Age.' 1t
is quite capable of enduring the dry
air conditions of living rooms, to
say nothing of dust and other air
impurities, asking only to be well
watered and kept out of strong sun
light. That these would be its re-
quirements is not surprising, for 1t
is native along mountain streams
and in shady woods of the Pacific
Coast region from Northern Cali
fornia to Southern Alaska, one of
the heaviest rainfall areas Of North
America.
"Tolmiea was given its generic
name to honor DR.. William Frazer
Tolmie, medical officer of the Hud-
sons Bay Co., Fort Vancouver,
Puget Sound, in 1882 and after. DR..
Tolmie was also a botanical collec-
tor, and one whose name is always
associated with the flora of the
northwest coast of North America.
Tolmiea receives its specific name
Menziesii In honor of the man who
first collected it, DR.. Archibald Men
zies, physician, surgeon, and one OF
the foremost botanists of his day,
who accompanied Capt. Vancouver
on the voyage of the Discovery in
the 1790s.
This very interesting plant is an
extremely hardy, as well as ideal
and graceful house plant. 1t also
lends itself beautifully in hanging
basket arrangements. 1t is one OF
the rare plants that reproduces
itself, not from seed or the shoots
forming ut the roots, but by forming
young plants at the base OF the old
leaf. ANY amateur who desires to
grow young plants-all his own
can do so by simply removing leaf
with the y\ung plant attached and
putting it IN soil or sand, as 1t will
root equally as well in either. Here
we would like to mention for the
benefit of amateur foriculturists
that in order to make young plants
the leaf should not be removed until
that leaf has made little red-colored
air roots at the bottom of it, where
the leaf joins the stem. When you
see these little air roots, remove the
leaf from the mother plant.
THE plant you are now buying
can be transplanted into a 3-inch
or 4-inch pot any time you desire
to do so. Plants will grow much
faster after transplanting. You can
use any soil that may be available
and which you would use for any
other plants. If obtainable, 1t would
be preferable to use a light soil con-
sisting of equal parts of leaf mold,
peat moss and garden soil, AND
REMEMBER, your 'Pick-a-Back'
plant, in order to thrive, needs
plenty Of water AT ALL TIMES!"
~vYYs II