XIV 



THE GENERAL CARE OF 



HOUSE-PLANTS 



HE care given most collec- 

 tions of house-plants con- 

 sists, I am sorry to say, of 

 watering in haphazard 

 fashion, keeping them in a 

 temperature many degrees 

 too high for health, and 

 zealously preventing any fresh air from get- 

 ting to them. 



The care that ought to be given them is 

 quite different. It may be urged by those to 

 whom what I have said about the care gener- 

 ally given applies, that it is not an easy matter 

 to overcome the various obstacles in the way 

 of success. This, I grant, is true. But the 

 woman who really loves plants, will, as I 

 have said elsewhere, endeavor to make their 

 life as pleasant as possible, even if a good 

 deal of labor is involved in the attempt. 

 If she is not willing to do this, she ought 



103 



