/or December, 1920 



401 



between the plants and let the water run gently. A good 

 method is to have a piece of extra hose about a foot long 

 attached to the regular hose. Cut this short piece, or 

 rather split it down about three inches, and flatten out 

 the end to a level surface, and hold it in this position by 

 a piece of stout wire, passed under it and the ends bent 

 over the two cut edges of the hose. As the water runs 

 over this flattened surface it will spread out into a flat 

 thin stream that will not wash the soil, and saves one the 

 necessity of having to break the force of the cold water 

 with the fingers, a none too pleasant task, when it has 

 to be kejJt up for any length of time in very cold weather. 



House 

 Plants 



House plants need more attention 

 during the Winter months, under 

 the conditions that obtain in the 

 average home when the furnace is running. The dry- 

 arid atmosphere usually created is anything but beneficial 

 to them. Some heating systems are worse than others. 

 Hot water heat is the best for the average home, not only 

 for the plants, but for the members of the family. Steam 

 gives off a dry heat, but it is to be preferred to that of an 

 hot air system. The heat of the latter will cause the skin 

 and throat of persons in the rooms to feel dry and 

 parched, hence growing plants that demand a humid 

 atmosphere have a hard time to survive such conditions. 

 Something can be done to alleviate this, however, by 

 placing vessels about the rooms containing water. A pan 

 of water set over the kitchen range will keep the atmos- 

 phere there moist, but generally water for one thing or 

 another is usually being boiled, so any special effort 

 is hardly necessary. We know of one enthusiastic lover 

 of house plants, who was blessed with a hot air heater, 

 who conceived the idea of placing a pan of water inside 

 of the wall register. The pan was a little narrower than 

 the opening through which the heat came, but long enough 

 to be placed in position, and as the heat made its way up 

 it had to pass round the side of the pan and over it. In 

 doing so moisture was carried along at the same time, 

 which did much to relieve the dryness of the atmosphere 

 in the room. 



Flower vases and other receptacles filled with water 

 and set round the rooms will serve a like purpose, though 

 not so effectively, and the real purpose of them need not 

 be known. Watering under '\\'inter conditions in the 

 home will need careful attention, since the plants are 

 bound to dry out quicker, and when water is given it 

 should be given copiously, and not again until the plants 

 again show signs of being dry again. About as good a 

 way as any is to take the plants to the kitchen sink and 

 set each one in a pail of water in turn, until it is thor- 

 oughly saturated, then set it on the drain-board to drain. 

 Evergreens of small proportions that are readily handled 

 may be syringed off while at the sink, care being taken 

 not to use enough force or volume of water to damage 

 the plants. 



Saucers or jardinieres used to set plants in tor purposes 

 of cleanliness or adornment should never be allowed to 

 stand full of water for any length of time. 



It is true, of course, that moistening the atmosi)here of 

 the room is accomplished in this way. The hole in the 

 bottom of all plant pots is not only for purposes of drain- 

 age, but also to permit the air to pass more freely throuL'h 

 the soil, and when saucers and other receptacles are al- 

 lowed to stand fi'll of water air cannot circulate, anH the 

 plant suffers. Moreover, water standing around plants 

 in this wav soon emits an odor that is far from entranc- 

 insT. and particularly is this so with deen iardirieres. 



Cleanliness is. of course, essential. Tt is iust as n^ces- 

 sarv If) dust the leaves of the nlants cverv day as it is to 

 dust thf' ni-ino. Plants breathe much the sam" as do 

 human beings, and if their leaves are covered with dust 



they cannot properly perform this or the other functions 

 they must carry on if they are to flourish. 



During the not far distant holidays thousands of plants, 

 will find their way into the living rooms, that have been 

 grown in the genial atmosphere of the greenhouse, ideal 

 conditions suited to the needs of the respective plants 

 have been maintained, and it is not a matter for surprise 

 they soon show resentment in heated rooms. Don't be 

 all attention and kill them with kindness, but study the 

 plant, keep it clean, give it water when dry, and' then 

 thoroughly. If it is a hardwooded plant like Erica, for 

 instance, don't keep it in a room w-here the thermometer 

 runs up to seventy degrees night and day. A cooler room 

 will suit it iinich lietter. 



LILACS— SYRINGAS 



(Continued from page 399) 



growth than single-flowered varieties, and of more com- 

 pact form : they flower less freely, but their blooms keep 

 longer before fading. The panicles of flowers are not as 

 a rule placed as gracefully on the branches as are those 

 of the single varieties. 



SOIL AXP LOCATION 



Syringas, except the variety cmodi, are hardy in the 

 North. They will flourish either in full sunlight or in 

 a partly shaded place. While they will grow in ahnost 

 any soil they prefer one that is rich and moderately moist. 



CULTURE AND PRUNING 



Applications of bone meal several times during the 

 Summer raked in lightly and a mulch of stable manure 

 in late Autumn will help to increase the number of buds 

 and size of the flower clusters. After the flowering 

 period is over the dry flowers and seed pods should be 

 removed, and such pruning as is necessary to keep the 

 bush or tree in the desired form should be done directly. 

 Avoid Winter and Spring pruning. Transplanting may 

 be done any time after the foliage drops in Autumn, when 

 the ground can be worked, until Spring. 



PROPAGATING 



Syringas may be propagated from green cuttings 

 placed in frames under glass in Summer or from ripe 

 wood taken in Winter and placed upright nearly to the 

 tops in boxes of moist sand in a cool cellar or pit, and 

 from thence transferred, after they have formed calluses, 

 to the garden in the Spring, or new plants may be obtained 

 from root cuttings handled the same as ripe wood ; also 

 from suckers, or -by layering, or by grafting on stocks of 

 Syringa vulgaris. 



DISEASES AND INSECTS 



Syringas are generally free from injurious insects and 

 from diseases, but sometimes the species vulgaris is in- 

 jured by a borer, Trochilium dcnudatum, which lives 

 within the branches and stems. This rarely attacks other 

 species or varieties, and can be destroyed only by the use 

 of a knife or sharp pointed wire, or by Inirning the 

 affected parts. 



In late Summer or very early Autumn a fungus, Micro- 

 sphccra alni, sometimes comes upon the foliage of the 

 species, vulgaris, Chincnsis, Pcrsica and oblata, resem- 

 bling a covering of meal. Other species are seldom af- 

 fected with this. This disease can be remedied by spray- 

 in"' with some I'fficient fungicide. 



Decide your future — determine that you desire some- 

 thing more intensely than you have ever wanted anything- 

 before in your life — and then, work hard, work persist- 

 ently, to accomplish or attain your desire. Realize that 

 success is largely made up of three ingredients : deter- 

 mination, persistency, and hard work. .\nd of these, 

 the last is the mo.st essential. — Sparks. 



