THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 49 



other plants, of which some varieties are less pleasing than others, 

 it would be well to see one blossom fully expanded ; and in selecting; 

 from a number, choose those that are short, sturdy, and compact, 

 with plenty of healthy foliage and plump flower buds ; then, if one 

 bud is open to show the colour, you know what the rest will be, 

 and they are sure to open well and last their full time. "We have 

 heard novices praise plants because of their being " beautifully 

 tall," whereas the genuine gardener would bestow his praise on those 

 that were " beautifully short ;" for good culture produces a compact, 

 close, stubby growth, with small intervals between the successive 

 side shoots ; and the grower of window plants must aim at the same 

 object, by giving the plants abundance of light, frequent change of 

 air, and nipping out occasionally the points of the longest shoots, to 

 cause the side shoots to push and form a bushy mass. 



Watering and "Washing. — Water is necessary, not only to keep 

 the plants alive, but also to keep them clean. Yet there are many 

 window plants that should never be wetted on the leaves ; and, 

 happily for the novice, there is a rule for determining this point. 

 Take a nice Begonia rex, with its grand foliage in its highest 

 perfection of colouring ; sponge the leaves over with cold water, 

 and set the plant out on a balcony, and it will probably die in a few 

 hours. Serve a camellia the same way, and it will not be hurt. 

 The first has a succulent and absorbent leaf ; the second, a hard, 

 shiny leaf. Now, plants with soft, porous, and hairy leaves should 

 be very cautiously wetted overhead ; but plants with hard, varnished 

 leaves may be wetted frequently. Cinerarias will enjoy a moist 

 atmosphere, and absorb from it a large amount of water ; but to 

 bathe the leaves would be more harm than good ; a gardener may do 

 it, and have a reason why — as after fumigating ; and he will also 

 take care not to expose the plants to cold draughts after the opera- 

 tion ; but an unpractised hand should follow the rule of wetting 

 only such leaves as are of a firm, hard texture ; and for this purpose 

 it will be best to use tepid water, except in the height of summer. 

 At the same time, whatever other method can be devised to keep 

 plants clean should be adopted ; as, for instance, removing them 

 while sweeping, dusting, etc., are going on, for the leaves are the 

 lungs of plants, and if the leaves get coated with dust or soot, it is 

 impossible the plants should thrive. A soft brush serves admirably 

 for the removal of dust. When hard leaves are infested with 

 vermin, which will never come except through neglect, a sponging 

 with soap and water made into a lather will be effectual. It must 

 be followed with clear water to remove the soap. Never water a 

 plant unless it requires it. The rule of watering once a day is 

 mischievous. Some plants require water twice a day, some only 

 once a week. When plants are at rest, they require very little, or 

 none at all ; and the colder the weather, the less water must be 

 given. Unless the water percolates through the whole mass of soil, 

 and finds its way out freely at the bottom of the pot, the plant will 

 soon go to ruin. If the soil has got so hard that the water runs 

 away next the sides of the pot without wetting the roots, loosen it a 

 little with a skewer, or plunge the pot to the rim for half an hour, 



YOL. III. — NO. II. 4 



