for delicacy of perfume and continuity of bloom the heliotrope may take the first rank among odorous house plants.its very namederived from two greek words, helio, the sun, and trope, to turnis charmingly suggestive of summertime.the plant does not belie its name.it cannot have too many sunkisses.as a cutflower it is perishable and unsatisfactory, but its growing bloom lasts long, and holds its odor even in decay; it is delightful up to its very last breath.to secure good winter bloom from the heliotrope, begin in early summer with the plant while in the ground, and by repeated pinchingback make it sturdy and robust.this done, choose some cloudy afternoon, about the middle of august, for potting.your soil should be thus prepared: onethird good loam, onethird leafmold, and onethird wellrotted manure; a few pinches of soot may be added, and enough white sand mixed through the whole to keep it light and dainty.pot carefully, and with as little root disturbance as may be.water thoroughly, and keep the plant in shade until its leaves recover their tone.after this it may stand in the sun, if given plenty of water, for a week or two, while the buds get under way.be sure to house before the faintest suspicion of frost, as this sunlover is extremely tender, and the slightest nipping harms it.give it a southern exposure in your room, and place close to the glass; and if you have not a double window, leave the flyscreen in to save the leaves and blossoms from immediate contact with frosty panes.a heliotrope should never once become wholly dry, and should have a weekly drink of manurewater, which must be about the color of moderately strong coffee.for insect pests, dust the leaves with a light featherbrush, and then wash thoroughly.this process must be repeated as often as the insects appear.the odorous sacred lily of china we all, no doubt, grow yearly in water, with a bottom layer or two of pebbles.it is well to make incisions lengthwise of the bulb with a sharp knife before planting, and there should be lumps of charcoal among the pebbles to keep the water sweet.a single bulb, thus treated, will give one seven flowerstalks.the oldfashioned plant, the calla, though less common than it was twenty years ago, if grown in an artistic vase and given an entire window, is beautiful.it has been said of the calla that it needs water like a mill, heat like a furnace, food like an army, and absolute rest during the summer.keep its feet in water, says the florist.in its native habitat it is in water to the depth of a foot or more, in broad open sunlight, and in soil as rich as decayed vegetation can make it.soon after flowering season the water subsides, and the soil becomes as dry as it is possible to get in the tropics.here, nature teaches us how to cultivate the calla.the canna thrives admirably as a house plant, and has a happy way of accommodating itself to circumstances, which makes it especially desirable for decorative effect.in a sunny window it will flower all winter if given abundant heat.in a north window of the same room it will give one beautiful foliage, and it will, at a pinch, take a back seat and hold its own in the shade, grouped with the statuary and screens, where, with its large, handsome leaves, it will impart to the drawingroom a certain air of oriental languor and magnificence.the canna should be lifted early in september and placed in rich loam, in a large, wellshaped pot or vase, and kept for a week or two in the open, in partial shade, and well watered.it must be carefully housed before the lightest frost appears.its vigor and beauty are increased by the addition of wood soot to the soil.all the begonias thrive well as house plants.my experience with the new and choice varieties has not been sufficient to enable me to give valuable advice in regard to their culture.i had formerly supposed that a north window might suit a begonia.it was a mistaken impression.the plant, i find, needs sunlight and a warm atmosphere.it must be regularly and carefully watered, and i have found it best to give the smallleaved begonia its water from the saucer.the smoothleaved begonias are said to affect a sunday morning cup of coffee by way of gloss to their foliage.i have seen a superb one thus treated, but have never tried the experiment.the plant likes an occasional watering with soot tea while making its summer growth in the garden.the coleus, as a window plant, affords fine color effects, but the plant is too tender to be agreeable for houseculture.it requires an invariably high temperature, a fair amount of sunlight, regular moisture, and very rich soil.this given it will grow superbly, but if overtaken, in some unguarded hour, with the slightest chill, it loses its beauty and vigor.the house coleus is almost sure to become infested with mealybugs.these may be picked off, and thereafter the plant should be given a careful wash of kerosene water, which must be repeated as often as the pests appear.the formula for this spray, which is used for roses at mount auburn, was thus given me by an expert.it is simply one wineglass of kerosene oil to a gallon of water.ferns, as decorative plants, are beautiful and easily grown, though all do not succeed with the maidenhair.all ferns should have an abundance of light, but not too much sun.i have found an eastern exposure the very best possible