January, 1912 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



worms is detrimental. They seem to 

 o^rind the soil too fine, and it gets sour 

 and wet. In such cases re-pot into clean 

 pots, using fresh soil. Shake off all the 

 poor soil from the roots, and place them 

 in a pot that will take about an inch of 

 soil around the outside. 



Ferns enjoy a cool position, about fifty 

 degrees, in preference to being near radi- 

 ators or hot pipes. Watering must be 



done with a system and applied in good 

 quantity, when the soil gets dry. In win- 

 ter a whole week may elap.se without 

 water being required, and when given it 

 should be tepid. Ferns like all the win- 

 ter sun and light procurable. Transfer 

 them from the dining room table and 

 other decorative points to the window. 

 Take them to the bathroom, and give 

 them a spray, to wash dust off, and clean 



the plants generally. Plants in four, 

 five and six inch pots that are full of 

 roots, will benefit by being put into a size 

 larger pot. Re-potting should be done in 

 February at the earliest. Clay's fertilizer 

 and a weak solution of soft coal soot in 

 water are excellent stimulants. The finer 

 sorts are rather fastidious to manage, 

 and want closer attention. The standard 

 Boston fern, with long, hardy fronds, is 

 still the leader of all ferns. 



Plants and Flowers for Every Window 



THE first thing to be considered in 

 connection with winter gardening 

 is the selection of suitable plants 

 for the windows they are to grow and 

 flower in. It would be useless to select 

 flowering plants that require a good deal 

 of sunshine for a window, where very 



White Swan Geranium 



This is a well grown plant for winter flowering. 



little light or sunshine prevailed. On 

 the other hand, there are only a few foli- 

 age plants that will not succeed much 

 better in comparative shade, than they 

 will, in a very hot, sunny window. Col- 

 eus and Iresine are exceptions, as these 

 require some sun. Ferns also like a posi- 

 tion where there is very little direct sun- 

 light, r. 

 As a rule, it is safe to select all foliage 

 plants (except the Coleus and Iresine 

 named) and ferns, for a window where 

 there is very little sunlight. For a bright, 

 sunny window, flowering plants as a rule 

 are best. No one rule, however, will ap- 

 ply strictly in all cases. A great deal 

 must be learned by local experience as to 

 what plants are best suited for their par- 

 ticular surroundings and conditions. 

 ENVIRONMENT AND OARE 



Temperature and atmospheric condi- 

 tions are great factors in attaining suc- 

 cess in plant growing. The temperature 

 of most dwelling houses is warm enough 



Wm. Hunt, O. A. C, Guelph, Ont. 



for almost all window plants. A temper- 

 ature of from fifty to sixty degrees Fah- 

 renheit at night and from sixty-five to 

 seventy in the day time, will be high 

 enough for almost any collection of win- 

 dow plants. 



Plants like a slightly lower tempera- 

 ture at night than in the day time. It is 

 natural that plants should have rest at 

 night. A slightly lower temperature and 

 darkness induces rest in plant life. Cold 

 draughts of air should be prevented as 

 much as possible, from striking directly 

 on the plants. A thick window blind or 

 thick sheets of paper between the window 

 and the plants on cold winter nights, 

 are often advisable. In giving ventila- 

 tion, open the windows at the top and 

 ventilate only on fine, calm days. Venti- 

 late as often as possible under these con- 

 ditions. Plants like fresh air. 



ATMOSPHERIC CONBITIONS 



A moist, humid atmosphere, although 

 it is one of the main factors necessary to 

 success, is often lost sight of by plant 

 lovers. The remark is often made, "It 

 is easy enough to grow plants in green- 

 houses where there is plenty of heat and 

 light." Few greenhouses are, however, 

 run at a higher temperature than most 

 dwellinghouses. In the matter of light. 

 greenhouses certainly have an advan- 

 tage. By a proper selection of plants for 

 a window this trouble can be modified fn 

 a great extent. But the moist atmos- 

 phere that is so essential to plant life •« 

 not so easy to obtain. 



The dry, arid condition of the atmos- 

 phere of most dwellinghouses is one of 

 the worst conditions to contend with in 

 growing plants. The fumes from illu- 

 minating, furnace or stove gas are also 

 very harmful. These last, however, 

 should never be allowed to exist to any 

 great extent in any dwellinghouse. The 

 hi^st clement, however, to counteract all 

 of these conditions is atmospheric mois- 

 *vire, the most difficult element to obtain 

 nder ordinary dwellinghouse conditions. 



In a greenhouse, water can be freely 

 used to obtain a moist atmosnhere. Not 

 so in a dwellinghouse. There are, how- 

 ever, various factors that ran be brou^hl 

 to bear to help secure these conditions. 

 One is to spr.-iv the foliage of the plants 

 with clear tepid water on fine warm days. 



The under side of the foliage especially 

 should be sprayed. There is no better 

 appliance for that purpose than one of 

 the "Scollay Rubber Sprinklers," having 

 an angle nozzle attachment. The angle 

 or bent nozzle is indispensable. The 

 plants can be sprayed with this without 

 the necessity of removing them to the 

 sink or bathroom to spray them. All 

 seed stores offer this sprinkler for sale. 

 It is one of the best appliances also to 

 use for applying liquid insect remedies. 

 If pure water is judiciously used in 

 spraying, it will help materially to keep 

 down insects, especially aphis, red 

 spider, and thrip. Rough or hairy plants 

 should not be sprayed very frequently or 

 heavily. 



AIDING EVAPORATION 



The window bench or table the plants 

 stand on should be made so that about 

 half an inch in depth of fine clean gravel 

 can be spread over it. The gravel not 

 only has a nice clean appearance, but it 

 can be sprinkled frequently so as to keep 

 it moist. The evaporation of the moist- 

 ure from the gravel will assist materially 

 in creating a moist atmosphere around 



A Chrysanthemum Plant of the Pompon Type. 



