REPORTS OF AUXILIARY SOCIETIES. 249 



in of clear sand for the pots to stand npon. The shelves are arranged upon 

 iron brackets, and are strong enough to support a good deal of weiglit. 



Plants, as I said, need a moist atmosphere, and this in a room where there is 

 no steam produced is rather hard to furnish them, still they can in a measure 

 be afforded this luxury. The sand on which the pots are placed should be kept 

 wet, and this serves to keep the bottom of the pots damp; and another way I 

 have found to be very beneficial to the plants is to sprinkle them frequently, 

 although judgment must be exercised in this matter for rough, hairy plants, 

 like the Begonia rex and Chinese primroses, are injured more by sprinkling 

 than otherwise, but most of the smooth leaved plants seem to like the showering; 

 and still another point about sprinkling: The leavesought not to be wet while 

 the sun is shining on them, for the drops of water act as lenses and are apt to 

 burn the leaves. This is one of the things which nature teaches, for she very 

 seldom waters her plants when the sun is shining brightly upon them. 



Care must be taken in supplying the plants with water. The earth must not 

 be kept soaked, but water must be lurnished when the earth is dry and before 

 the plants wilt. It is much better to give them a copious supply at one time than 

 to give a little every day when they do not need it. Often the pots are tilled so 

 full of dirt that they will not hold enough water to reach the bottom of the 

 pot and consequently when the plant is turned out of the pot only the top 

 earth comes out with the plant and perhaps the crock is half full of dry dirt. 

 This ought not to be so. In sprinkling my plants I use a whitk broom— dip 

 it into the wnter and shake it over them. I find it better than a sprinkl.ng 

 can, for with that the water is as apt to go on the carpet as where you wish it 

 to, and with the broom you can put the water where needed. As the water 

 drips off the plants the sand absorbs it, and in that way the sand is kept wet. 



I do not know as plants require any Iresher air than people do, so I will only 

 say in regard to that, that if one's house is supplied with as fresh air as it 

 ought to be for health the plants will not suffer for the want of pure air. 

 There is another hindrance which many find to successlul plant-growing, and 

 that is insects; but I have had no trouble in that direction since I have treated 

 my plants to a shower bath in the morning. Plants grown for foliage simply 

 ought not to have the roots crowded, but as soon as the pots are well filled 

 they ought to be repotted; but with geraniums, when you particularly desire 

 the flowers, you will have more bloom to keep the plants crowded into pretty 

 small pots and feed them well with liquid manure, but do not fertilize plants 

 that are not in a healthy growing condition. 



If in the few thoughts which I have given, anything has been written that 

 will be of benefit to anyboay I shall be repaid for giving my bit of knowledge 

 in caring for house plants. 



