"Mrs. J. G. M," Buffalo, N. Y., says: "I write to ask if you, or some correspondent of the Gardeners' Monthly, can tell me what is the reason my lilacs do not grow. I have two, one purple and one white, in different parts of the grounds. All other shrubs, such as syringas, deutzias, Forsythias, etc., do well, but the lilacs do not. If they need any particular kind of food or care I should be glad to know it. This is the second summer. Also, I would like to have some names of palms and ferns, not too expensive, that will do well in the house. I have a small conservatory, 9x5, and want some ferns to stand low and fill up the centre where there are no benches. I find it difficult to keep this cool enough, and do not know either ferns or palms well enough to choose such as will endure what they must. The palms, growing tall, would get more heat than the benches. Also, what can I do with my chrysanthemums this winter ? They have been in pots all summer, and when they are done blooming our ground, I fear, will be frozen.

Can I keep them in pots?

My cellar has furnace pipes all through it, and I fear it is too hot. Would an attic do for storage place ?

[We leave the list of many palms adapted to house culture to some of our correspondents, as requested; but as the chrysanthemums must be attended to at once, take occasion to say that they will not do much in a cellar where there is warmth much above freezing. They grow under low temperature, and rest is desirable. A moderate degree of frost will not hurt them, and it would be better to place them in a place where there was just enough of frost to arrest growth, than above. A barn or cold cellar would be better than a warm cellar, and in the absence of these a sheltered corner in the open ground, with some protection to keep off extremes of cold. - Ed. G. M].