one end of the greenhouse, running beneath the bench on that side of
the house and emptying into a brick chimney outside. If you run the
flue all the way around you do not make the temperature right, for some
plants want abundance of heat while others delight in cool, shady places.
The heat may be generated either from wood or coal. The first is
preferable, but hard coal does very well, provided you care to run the
risk of gas destroying your plants.
For a cold pit : Select a spot with a southern exposure, protected
from the north wind, if possible. The pit should be dug out about four
feet deep, four wide and ten long, and then neatly bricked. Put a
shelf the whole length of the pit on each side about two feet from the
ground, for the flower jars. The pit must be surrounded by a brick
inclosure two feet high on the north side, sloping to one foot on the
south. Have three closely-fitting sashes with thick window glass to
cover with. These may open on hinges or be made to slide. For pro-
tection against hail or snow have at hand three light wooden shutters,
larger than the glass frames, to place over them.
Water the plants thoroughly on warm, sunny days, but not oftener
than once a month. With a little care such a pit will secure a constant
bloom of geraniums, begonias, justitias and salvias, which, mingled with
graceful smilax, a few ferns and delicate ivy, form an exquisite winter
picture. The linum tigrynum, with its myriad of golden blossoms, the
clustered sky-blue plumbago and several varieties of cactus are recom-
mended as winter bloomers.
FAVORITE PLANTS FOR IN-DOORS.
There are many plants desirable for in-door gardens, but none that
give such complete satisfaction as begonias, carnations, fuchsias, gerani-
ums, pansies, roses, tuberoses, tulips, verbenas, hyacinths, and lilies.
These are hardy, easily grown, and very satisfactory.
BEGONIAS
Begonias require a warmer temperature than geraniums or roses, and
our living-rooms, which in winter are too warm for many plants, are
none too warm for begonias. An average of about seventy degrees is
about right. They thrive best in two parts good garden soil, one part
well-decayed manure, one part sand. In potting them, put in about
two inches of charcoal for drainage, and fill up the pot to within an inch
of the top to allow watering.
The ornamental-leaved class are cultivated for the beauty of the
foliage, and are used only as pot plants or in Wardian cases, being too
tender to bear our summer sun. The leaves are large, variegated and
margined with a silvery and metallic gloss. Care must be taken to
keep the foliage free from dust, as the leaves of these varieties will not
CARNATIONS. 109
bear washing or showering, although they like an abundance of water
at their roots. In this section are the famous rex begonia, which every
flower-lover longs to possess, and some others of most beautiful
markings.
Begonias are propagated from seeds, cuttings and leaves. Take a
leaf of the rex variety and cut it into six or seven pieces, lay them on
damp sand, where they can get a little sun, punch holes through the
veins with a penknife, and thus they root.
Page 96
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
one end of the greenhouse, running beneath the bench on that side of the house and emptying into a brick chimney outside. If you run the flue all the way around you do not make the temperature right, for some plants want abundance of heat while others delight in cool, shady places. The heat may be generated either from wood or coal. The first is preferable, but hard coal does very well, provided you care to run the risk of gas destroying your plants.
For a cold pit : Select a spot with a southern exposure, protected from the north wind, if possible. The pit should be dug out about four feet deep, four wide and ten long, and then neatly bricked. Put a shelf the whole length of the pit on each side about two feet from the ground, for the flower jars. The pit must be surrounded by a brick inclosure two feet high on the north side, sloping to one foot on the south. Have three closely-fitting sashes with thick window glass to cover with. These may open on hinges or be made to slide. For protection against hail or snow have at hand three light wooden shutters, larger than the glass frames, to place over them.
Water the plants thoroughly on warm, sunny days, but not oftener than once a month. With a little care such a pit will secure a constant bloom of geraniums, begonias, justitias and salvias, which, mingled with graceful smilax, a few ferns and delicate ivy, form an exquisite winter picture. The linum tigrynum, with its myriad of golden blossoms, the clustered sky-blue plumbago and several varieties of cactus are recommended as winter bloomers.
FAVORITE PLANTS FOR IN-DOORS.
There are many plants desirable for in-door gardens, but none that give such complete satisfaction as begonias, carnations, fuchsias, geraniums, pansies, roses, tuberoses, tulips, verbenas, hyacinths, and lilies. These are hardy, easily grown, and very satisfactory.
BEGONIAS
Begonias require a warmer temperature than geraniums or roses, and our living-rooms, which in winter are too warm for many plants, are none too warm for begonias. An average of about seventy degrees is about right. They thrive best in two parts good garden soil, one part well-decayed manure, one part sand. In potting them, put in about two inches of charcoal for drainage, and fill up the pot to within an inch of the top to allow watering.
The ornamental-leaved class are cultivated for the beauty of the foliage, and are used only as pot plants or in Wardian cases, being too tender to bear our summer sun. The leaves are large, variegated and margined with a silvery and metallic gloss. Care must be taken to keep the foliage free from dust, as the leaves of these varieties will not
CARNATIONS. 109
bear washing or showering, although they like an abundance of water at their roots. In this section are the famous rex begonia, which every flower-lover longs to possess, and some others of most beautiful markings.
Begonias are propagated from seeds, cuttings and leaves. Take a leaf of the rex variety and cut it into six or seven pieces, lay them on damp sand, where they can get a little sun, punch holes through the veins with a penknife, and thus they root.