MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 8

MISCELLANEOUS.

FERNS IN MALTESE VASES. A pretty way of growing ferns is that followed in Malta. The ferns cover the pots, and are brought thus to England for drawing-room decoration. The vases or bottles— both are used •—are made of quite porous materials. They are covered first with about half an inoh of damp olay, which is .kept moist by the water soaking through the vase. There -is no drip, but the ferns are kept sufficiently moist to promote luxuriant • growth. The fern' generally used, the common maidenhair (Adiantum capillus-veneris). This plant has rhizomes which soon cover • and, bidd ■ together the clay surf ace*. " Plant seedlings,, putting them 2in apart ever the vase: Keep the bottles or vases, as the .case may be, well filled' with water. It should not be poured around them.' GLOXINIA, These seeds should be sown on the surface of equal parts sandy peat and leaf mould. Do nob cover the, deeds. Cover the pot or pan with a pane of glass and sheet of .paper until the seeds germinate, then gradually expose to the light and air. Apply water by holding the pan or pot to its rim in a vessel of tepid water. SALSAFX. Salsafy is a vegetable which might well be more cultivated than at present, especially by the owners of small gardens who want a change in winter from potatoes and greens, which are often the only vegetables provided by the greengrocer. - It needs a good soil like most vegetables, but requires little' care. Sown at the end of March in drills about 2in deep and well thinned out (7tn or Bin apart ensures -a* good .growth), the plants may be left alone, except for an occasional weeding, till late autumn, when they may either be dug up and stored in a cool place, or left in the ground till wanted. The roots make a capital vegetable, and are improved by a touch of frost, so that it is -especially useful in hard winters. They may be boiled with butter sauce or fried ; they make an excellent substitute for oysters in soup, and are first-rate eating scallopped, so that from any point of view they are an acquisition.— M.P.S. THE CODLIN MOTH IN ENGLAND. Aoting on Miss Ormerod's suggestion, writes our (Adelaide Observer's) London correspondent, Mr Playford, the Agent-general, wrote to Professor J. Ritzema Bos, the celebrated Dutch entomologist;, who has replied that the oodlin moth does little damage in Europe,- but he is unable to say what keeps, it ia check, and refers Mr Playford to a Mr Goe.the, of Gersentheim, who he believes can, Mr Play ford has therefore written to that; gentleman. The fact appears to be th,a't. the' moth doing but little harm, entomologists in Europe paid but little attention to it, but Mr Playford hopes to get some valuable information from the American authorities on the subjeot, notably from Mr L. 0. Howard, of Washington, and- Mr W. gftundeK) f «f Ottawa, to both of whom to Am

written, bub without replies up' to the present. Mr Playford, as Agenfc-general, is much better employed in tins way than hanging about the reception room of the colonial offioa, WATERING PLANTS. Mechanical or calendarial watering of plants is a very bad practice at this time of year. They should only ba supplied with water when they need it. Rap the pots with the knuckles, and if a sharp ring is the result, the soil is dry and water may be applied ; if a heavy, dull response is given, the soil is web enough. GRo'fflNG FLOWERS IN BAY WINDOWS. In good hands a bay window (especially in a south or south-easterly aspect) m'iy be made to do duby for a small conservatory, giving a most elegant appearance to the room which contains it, and supplying its owner with flowers even in winter. But to be thoroughly successful in cultivating flowers indoors, ib is necessary not only to select those plants which are suitable, but also to usderstand their special needs and their special dangers, so bhab a little thoughtful consideration given to these points will not be thrown away. In the first place arrangements should be made to place the plants as near the glass as possible, and with this object brackets may bepub up.between the different angles of the window, -with projections in front of the glass on 'each side ; a strong bracket to take three small pots, a fern in the- centre, with trailing flowors on each side, will have an excellent effecb. The principal group may be arranged either on a wire stand in tiers to face ', .the window, or on a table; if the. latter ba selected it' should be fitted with a zino tray, with slightly turned up edges, to prevent water from injuring the carpet. Where a considerable number of plants are grown ib will be ■found desir&ble to cover; the floor in the bow window with a neat tile-patterned oilcloth, for nothing looks worse tbau a wet and stained carpet, and it is muoh morejatisfaotory to have something impervious to watsr. Wire baskets will hang well iv front of each window, and a serie3 of narrow boxes (for' ferns, &c ) below the glass may be added if the window he roomy, otherwise it h belter to keep the flowers higher up, or they get sometimes knocked about. The zinc tray on a table is a useful adjunct;, because it not only keeps things tidy, bub admits of water standing in it to the depth of half an inch, covered over with fresh | green moss, from which will arise a constant moistening of the air, most conducive to the welfare of room, plants, especially azaleas, heaths, ferns, &3. Where a wire stand is used, a tray of wet moss underneath it will have a similiar effect, and enable the plants to imbibe the cool moist air that they love. Another neccsfary consideration is the ventilation. For human beings as well as for plants, constant fresh air is necessary to health, and to ensnre this the vitiated air must be allowed a free escape at the top of the room, while pure air should enter lower down. The simplest way to ventilate a room is t) keep the top sash open an inch or bwo (more, of course, in' summer), lowering ib until there is a crack between the upper and lower glasses at J>he I middle so as to admit a constant stream of ! outer air without a draught, which is equally ' injurious to plants as to ourselves. Plants kept without air grow tall aud weakly, nev.er flowering satisfactorily, and many amateurs coddle their plants a great deal too much. It will do no'harm to open the lower sashes during mild weather, or at any time (except during severe frost) with the door of the room shut, to avoid , a sharp draught. To complete the arrangements for a truly beautiful bay window, there should be window boxes outside on the sills. In future nodes the best plants to start with at this time of year will be considered.— Lady Gardeneb, in Amateur Gardening,