House Plants. 227 



port ; whereas they should be as inconspicuous as the cir- 

 cumstances will permit. Light, tapering stakes, easily 

 made from soft, straight splitting pine, and painted green 

 of a medium tint, are the best. 



There is, and always has been, a great diversity of opin- 

 ion regarding the soil used in the pot culture of plants, some 

 cultivators being as particular about the compounding of 

 the various ingredients for their several plants, as a physi- 

 cian usually is in preparing a homeopathic dose for a suffer- 

 ing patient. There is little doubt that some plants delight, 

 in a soil, perhaps lighter, sandier and richer than that best, 

 calculated to produce the best results in others. But it is< 

 doubtful if any plant requires a soil so nicely compounded! 

 as we sometimes see recommended. Peat is a substances 

 thought almost indispensable by old-world horticulturists, 

 and, no doubt, is excellent for many plants, but it is difficult 

 to procure it of good quality here, so it is seldom used, leaf- 

 mould being substituted. When one has a good, medium 

 light, loamy soil, some well-rotted leaf-mould, a quantity of 

 thoroughly decomposed cow manure, and some sharp river,, 

 or clear, bank sand, he has the means of composing a soil 

 suitable to any plant usually cultivated in our homes. A 

 little reading, but better still, experience and observation, 

 will soon enable any one to prepare soils suitable to any of 

 the plants grown. 



The potting of plants is a very simple process, but, yet, in 

 this, many plant-growers, especially beginners err, in one or 

 two particulars. Often they err in potting a plant at a time 

 when it is very injudicious to do so. It is proper to pot 

 newly rooted cuttings at any season of the year; but in re- 

 potting old plants, it is, as a rule, wrong to do so when they 

 are in a condition to immediately produce flowers. The ma- 

 jority of plants produce their flowers more freely when their 

 roots are pretty well confined in the pots, or, as gardners say, 

 when they are pot bound. Plants should not be repotted 

 just before their resting season, but immediately after it 

 when they are preparing to put forth new roots. It is then 

 that the new soil is of some benefit to them. Another mis- 

 take, frequently made, is the over-potting of plants. Those 



