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Show 1 -Sfc - RT!C0LT0Rp The Plumbago. From Farmers' Review: Among the best of winter-blooming plants adapted to amateur culture must be listed the Plumbago, with its large, loose sprays of dainty blossoms of the softest, most delicate lavender-blue. lavender-blue. I know of no other flower so exquisite in color. Individually the flowers are small about the size of, and almost identical in shape with, the aDnual phlox of our summer garden, gar-den, but there are so many in a cluster clus-ter that the plant is quite showy." Of course, because of its subdued coloring, color-ing, it cannot rival the geranium, or the Hibiscus, but what it lacks in brilliance it makes up for in refined beauty. To see a well-grown specimen speci-men of it in full bloom is to admire it, and make one feel envious of its owner. own-er. But there need be no envy of its possession, as any one can grow il with but little trouble. I would not advise attempting to grow it from cuttings, cut-tings, as I have found it a difficult plant to propagate in that way. Thq best way is to get a young plant ol the florist. It will probably have an unpromising look, when received, as many of its leaves will be shed, while in transit, but if the stalk is hard and green, no harm has been done by its journey. Pot it in a soil of ordinary garden loam made light and mellow by mixing coarse sand with it. Do not use a large pot at first Water moderately, mod-erately, and give it a place a little way back from the sun. In a short time it ought to begin to grow. When growth really sets in, its development will be rapid, and after two or three months a shift to a pot two or three sizes larger will be advisable. The habit of the plant is to send out branches terminated with flowers. As soon as the flowers have faded, cut back the branch to about one-third its original length. Soon the buds at the base of the stub will develop into branches from which you will get more Cowers. By continued cutting-back, cutting-back, as advised above, you keep the plant producing new branches, consequently conse-quently new flowers. It is an easy matter, therefore, to keep itaimG3t constantly in bloom, Old, plants often send out branches fiir and five feet'' in length, '- -v'eated cutting-back Ei:i"&lffl "a u uashy that there will be scores of flowering-points on each , gocd specimen. It is a good plan to force the plant to take a few weeks' rest In summer. This can be done by keeping it quite dry. No harm will be done if you allow the soil to dry out until most of the leaves fall. By and by cut it back about one-third, give more water, and allow it to begin the work of renewing itself, as it will soon do. Those who have never grown this charming flower will be delighted with it. The variety described de-scribed is catalogued a P. apensis. There are two other varieties in cultivation, cul-tivation, P. rosea, red, and P. alba, white. Both are pretty, but they lack the free-flowering qualities of the blue variety. Eben E. Rexford. Saving Seed Corn. From Farmers' Review: In, your issue of the 12th inst. an article on seed corn saving in the cellar by A. T. Evans, leads me to say that seed corn saving can be much simplified by making a flat box large enough to hold the seed required, with doors along one side and covered all over with screen wire similar to that used for window screens. Suspend this from the floor joists. This prevents all loss from mice or rats, which is sometimes some-times considerable, saves much time, labor and string. As to dampness, I have seen corn come out quite mouldy, but still vigorous, safe seed. Surely no cellar too damp for corn is fit to live over. A wet cellar should be drained and plastered on the outside out-side of the walls with portland cement. ce-ment. A damp one made dry by a ventilating hole in the chimney near the cellar bottom. W. L., Frisbie, Winnebago Win-nebago County, Illinois. From Farmers' Review: In regard to saving seed corn in a cellar I would say: Corn at this time of year should be sound and ripe. Any common cellar cel-lar on the farm will prove to be all right A green mould may form over it, but that will not prevent it from growing in the spring. Before shelling shell-ing hang it in the air and let it become be-come dry. A. T. Evans, Knox County Illinois. Little Chronicles. Its Destiny "What became of that little kitten you had here?" asked a lady visitor of the small girl. "Why, haven't you heard?" "No; was It drowned?" "No." "Lost?" "No." "Poisoned?" "No." "Then whatever did become of it?" said the lady. "It growed up into a cat," was the reply. |