plants for winter blooming, keep them pretty dry during summer. Repot in September, cutting the branches in well at that time. If allowed to bloom in summer, they can be kept over winter in the cellar. Old plants can be set out on the lawn in summer, where they will bloom with great profusion till the coming of cold weather.

Mimulus moschatus, or Musk Plant, so called on account of the peculiar musky odor of its foliage, has long been grown in window gardens, where it has given very good satisfaction. Its flowers of yellow blotched with maroon have a bright and cheerful look in midwinter. It is easily raised from seed. If wanted for winter blooming, sow in June, in pots or pans of very fine, light earth. Sprinkle the surface of the soil before sowing the seed, and press down smoothly with the hand. Then scatter the fine seed over the soil, after which press the earth in the pot or pan again to imbed the seed in it. Because it is so fine, it is hardly safe. to attempt to cover it, and it will germinate quite as well without being covered if it is kept moist. The young plants will soon appear. Do not force them or they will become weak and spindling. Give plenty of fresh air, and, after a little, the early morning sunshine. These directions, it will be well to bear in mind, are for a June sowing, for the purpose of raising plants for winter use.

When five or six leaves have been made, pick off the young plants into two or three-inch pots, filled with ordinary potting soil. Do not give too much heat, and keep sheltered from winds, as the plants are always tender and therefore easily bruised. If strong plants are desired, frequent shifts must be made. Pinch the branches back to make the plants bushy, and do not

allow them to bloom during the fall. A seven-inch pot will afford ample room for the roots of a good specimen. A liberal supply of water should be given, but the soil must be kept light and porous to prevent the bad effects of overwatering. Be sure to see that the drainage is perfect. When in bloom give a rather shady window. An east one is much preferable to a south one. This plant is excellent for basket use if you are particular to give it all the water it wants. The lately introduced varieties are much larger than the old M. moschatus, and have very rich flowers, rivaling in brilliance the Tiger Lily, which they somewhat resemble in the vividness of their markings.

The Cineraria

This is a most magnificent winter blooming plant. Its flowers are produced in great numbers, in flat clusters, and almost cover the plant, as seen in Fig 20. They are wonderfully rich and varied in coloring, and a good-sized plant, in full bloom, is a flower show in itself. The flowers are about an inch across, mostly single. Some will be dark in color the whole length of the petal, with a yellow center, while others will be rayed or banded with white. The prevailing color is a rich purplish-crimson, running through many shades. The flower stalks are thrown up among the strong foliage which covers the soil and spreads over the edges of the pot. This plant can be grown from seed, which should be sown as directed for the Mimulus. March or April sowings will generally give winter flowering plants. But I would advise buying young plants in spring rather than depending upon seedlings of your own raising. In order to grow good plants from seed the amateur is obliged to work very carefully, as young plants are extremely delicate, and

THE

CINERARIAALIFOR

a little mismanagement is likely to result in entire failure. I would not be understood as attempting to liscourage the amateur from experimenting in growing plants from seed, but what I mean is this: That he will always find it safer to depend on plants which he can buy of the florist.

The Cineraria should be repotted from time to time during the summer. By November it ought to be growing in a seven-inch pot. When you have brought it to this stage, do not shift again, but let the roots fill the soil until they become somewhat pot-bound, in

which condition it will bloom better than it will in a pot containing soil which is not completely filled with roots.

The great drawback to the successful culture of the Cineraria in the sitting room is its liability to attacks of the aphis. Quite often before you suspect the presence of this insect the underside of the leaves will be covered with them. If not driven away your plants will be ruined. I have found the soap insecticide heretofore spoken of most effective in fighting this pest. Dip the plants in the liquid, instead of showering them, and let it dry on the lower side of the leaf, where it seems to leave a "tang" which the aphis is not fond of. Give ordinary soil, and moderate amount of water, with plenty of light.

Do not attempt to carry over old plants for a second season's flowering. Get young, strong plants each season, in fall, if you want fine flowers from the Cineraria.

The Calceolaria

This is a fine plant for late summer and fall use. It produces a wonderful profusion of flowers in large, branching clusters, very peculiar in shape. Each flower is a sort of bag, like our native Moccasin Flower. The colors range through yellow, maroon and crimson, most varieties being thickly spotted with contrasting colors. The plants can be grown from seed, or you can buy them in spring from the florist. The seed, like that of most greenhouse plants, is very fine, and extreme care must be taken in sowing it not to cover deeply with soil or it will fail to germinate. The directions given for Mimulus apply equally well to the Calceolaria. Give it a moderate amount of water, ordinary soil and sunshine. Like the Cineraria, it is subject to attacks from the aphis, and must be

watched carefully to guard against the depredations of this insect. Apply the soap insecticide as advised for the Cineraria. Late-sown plants can be made to bloom in winter if the air in which they are grown can be kept moist enough to keep the red spider from working. A well-grown specimen plant is seen in Fig 21.