House Plants. 103 



HOUSE PLANTS. 



By E. W. Dole, Beatrice. 



It is possible for every lover of flowers to possess such a floral 

 treasure as a window garden, no matter how humble the home or its 

 surroundings. Indeed, tne smaller and' more poorly furnished the 

 home, the more necessity there is for a window garden, for, while it is 

 practically inexpensive, it adds a pleasure to living that can come from 

 no other source. A mistake which many window gardeners make, is 

 attempting to grow too many plants in a limited space, or to grow in 

 the same window, plants requiring different temperatures. Flowers to 

 do their best and keep healthy, must have plenty of space for sunlight 

 and air to get all around them. One will get more satisfaction from a 

 few specimens well cared for, than from a large number of poorly 

 tended plants. 



An overheated, dry atmosphere or escaping gasses from imperfect 

 stoves or old fashioned gas jets, are injurious to plants. Their foliage 

 should be washed at intervals to remove dust and insects. On wash 

 day one might dip the plants in the suds, then rinse with clear water, 

 and there would be little trouble from insects. 



Daily watering may be successful with many plants, but this can- 

 not be considered a fixed rule. Semi-aquatic plants may be grown with 

 the pots standing in saucers or jardineers of water, but most plants 

 require to have their soil become dry enough before watering to admit 

 some air, which aids decomposition of vegetable matter and counteracts 

 the excessive acid in the soil. This does not mean, however, that the 

 soil should lose all trace of moisture. When watering a plant, put on 

 plenty, or it may not reach the bottom of the pot and the lower roots 

 may suffer while the top of the soil keeps moist. The frequency of 

 watering should be governed by the heat and moisture in the room, the 

 activity of plant growth, and the season. During short days of winter, 

 plants which seem to slack their growth and take a rest, should have 

 less water until new growth begins. Plants that are root bound and 

 have an abundance of foliage, require more water than those freshly 

 potted, or weak or severely cut back. 



The elaborate preparation of soil, the use of commercial fertilizers, 

 etc., which we sometimes read about, do not necessarily apply to our 

 rich, black, western soil. Rooted cuttings or young seedlings need 



