House Plants For Winter

Many of our readers, we hope, will give themsolves tlie pleasure uf ha ving a few plañís iu the window to clieer the long Winter season not far bofore us. No passer-by sees flowers peeping through the frosted window, without a new feeling of eheerfuhtess, and without reflecting that sucli a hoaseliold possesses a certain sorl of rcfirx'.ment ani happiness which Othera do not. An oíd Germán poet sDg, M a llover lo bnt plaoo nar thy wüidoir Lla, And tfcrough it i;o ima of evii shall passi." Uut wc do uui oace, jast now, to picad for window plauts. We kuow thatmnny of our readers are dotermiued to treat theruselves to tbis Iuxury, and will thank us for ony hiuts that may be givcn. It is not a good practico, gonerally, to me plauts for Winter blooming, which have beon in flower throughout the Sura nier. The attempt to do so will be only partially successful, at best, and the plauts will suffer from the unnatural forcing. If such are to be used at all, tlwv should be taken up quito early in the Fall, (say Sept. lst,) potted and set awáy in partial shade, to rest. Ou the approaeh of frosty nights, they should go into a cold frame or othcr shcltered spot; and rest for another month or two. ]5y December, or January, they may be brought into a warm roum and cneouraged to grow. A botter way, howcver, is to have two gets of planta, tho winter-blooniera being kept iu a comparatively dormant sinte during the Bummer. They may be plunged in coai ashos, o;i the north sido of a building, and should re:eive only just enough water to keep them from wtltÏDg. A few plants, like tho Petunia and tícarlet Geraniums, will bloom a large part of tho ycar. To prepare them well for Winter Üowering, b.gin early in September ; cut a circle aroufld each plant with a sharp spade, sevcriug the roots so that they can be got into tho intonded pot. Now, w,ater the plant well, nd young roots will begin to slioot out within the proposod baü of earth. In a month's time, out back about half of the top, and ncw shoots will strike out, aud flower buds soon appcar. If this treatment is neglected, aud the plants are taken up at the beginning of Winter, it it will take a long tuuo for them to recover, and tlieir blossoms will not appear nntil nearly Spring. If verbenas are ■wanted for Winter blooming, they should be got ready at once. Find runners that aro well rootcd, cut them off above and bclow a joint, and put them in a sandy loam. Piunge the pots in the border for a fow weeks until the planta are well ealablished, then remove to tho frame and ubsequently to the parlor window. Succoss in window gardening depends also upon tho right management of light, heat and water, and air, etc, but upon these points we can bettor enlarge at the appropmte time.-