12 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW ]12:1— Jan., 1916 



sort of thing. The teacher's problem is chiefly in knowing what 

 plants are best, and how these plants are affected by the various 

 factors of the indoor environment. The method of teaching 

 about these things then becomes a matter of directing the children's 

 attention so that they will make good observations and draw 

 proper conclusions. It is the purpose of this article to give some 

 help to the teacher or parent who has had little to do with indoor 

 plant culture. 



If the teacher will adopt the scientific attitude in finding out 

 about indoor plants time and money will be saved and disappoint- 

 ment avoided. The best plan is to choose a few plants at the 

 start. In the fall one or two kinds of bulbs should be chosen for 

 forcing. If from season to season results are carefully noted 

 (preferably in writing) and conclusions drawn, the individual 

 will accumulate a fund of experience. Practical experience will 

 insure the best results in trying to awaken an interest in home 

 plant culture. Mere reading about plants will not give the in- 

 formation in a way that will guarantee successful application of 

 the ideas thus gained. If one has had some experience it then 

 becomes easy to assimilate new ideas and apply them. Some time 

 ago a friend showed me a large Boston fern that was in poor condi- 

 tion and asked me what was the matter with it. The pot was 

 snugly fitted into a brass jardinere, and I inquired whether it was 

 ever removed. No, it had been in ever since being received from 

 the florist ; and the suggestion was offered that it be taken out for 

 a few weeks. This was done and with a little trimming the fern 

 began to look all right. Experience will emphasize the necessity 

 of air around the roots. Brass and glazed containers tend to 

 shut off such air supply, especially if they are not much oversize. 



It may be well to consider the factors affecting plant growth 

 indoors and the possibilities of modifying these factors. In the 

 colder months of the year when house plants are most useful in 

 beautifying our surroundings the rooms in which we live have an 

 extremely dry atmosphere. Most of the time the humidity is only 

 about a third of what it should be for the health of human beings. 

 But people go out of doors and thus escape the effects of constant 

 exposure to very dry air. Not so with plants, which suffer from 

 this same enfeebling dessication. The remedy usually applied 

 is excessive watering of the roots, no benefit however, being derived 

 from this. The proper remedy would be to put the plants out 



