INTRODUCTION 5 
to sensitive persons, but very few flowers, likely to be cultivated 
in a dwelling-room, are as strongly scented as that. 
We may therefore safely conclude that plants can do no 
injury to the health of anybody ; but, on the other hand, as they 
brighten the home and give diversity and interest to the most 
lonely place, their influence for good, in one way at least, is 
beyond all doubt. 
To begin in the right way always saves trouble and an- 
noyance in the end. Cheap, overgrown, and sickly plants 
peddled in the streets are expensive at any price, and will as a 
rule give more trouble than pleasure. The stock, to begin with, 
should be absolutely healthy, whether it be seeds or plants. It 
is far better to spend a little more money for first-class material 
than to buy cheap things that are unsightly in the beginning 
and almost sure to die. 
Many soft-wooded plants, when once on hand, are easily in- 
creased, and most such plants should be frequently renewed by 
means of cuttings, and there should be no hesitancy in throwing 
away old worthless and unsightly stuff. 
At present plants of all kinds are comparatively cheap. 
Even Orchids, the noblest of flowers, can be obtained at very 
low prices, considering the difficulty with which they are 
gathered and imported from far-away countries. Hundreds 
of thousands of Palms are raised annually in this country for 
home-decoration, and good plants of the best kinds can be 
bought for very little. For those of limited means there are 
numerous cheaper but not less beautiful kinds of plants. Many 
beautiful plants can be raised from seeds or grown from bulbs 
or tubers offered for sale by most seedsmen. 
Very little work, but considerable thoughtfulness is needed 
to make a success of everything. Cleanliness is very impor- 
