PLANT PESTS IN THE WINDOW GARDEN. 



KEEN aphis, black flies, white 

 worms and neutral tinted 

 slugs are an assured nuisance 

 to the window gardener, whether con- 

 sidered individually or collectively. Just 

 how to dispose of this artistic quartette 

 is often a problem outside of green- 

 houses, for living rooms are not open to 

 the wholesale treatment given elsewhere. 

 For a light attack of verdant lice, hand- 

 picking and frequent showering is often 

 all that is necessary, especially if tar or 

 tobacco soapsuds are used in the sprink- 

 ler. 



But when the vermin lie thick on vein, 

 crevice or fold, tobacco fumes alone are 

 equal to the occasion ; the smoke, how- 

 ever, must be confined, or it is of little 

 use. I often group a number of afflicted 

 plants on a table, closely covering the 

 same with newspapers, cone fashion, 

 leaving space at the bottom to introduce 

 the smoke ; a cigar or two may be thus 



comfortably utilized, or the tobacco may 

 be burned on coals if due precaution is 

 used. The paper should be left on 24 

 hours to prevent possible resuscitation 

 of the narcotic victims. 



The black flies and white worms are 

 more closely related than appearance or 

 habit would indicate. If the soil is 

 badly infested it is well to repot the 

 plant if it is small, butthe larger growths 

 will not bear having their roots shaken 

 free. A teaspoonful of saltpetre in a 

 quart of water used at intervals of a few 

 days speedily lessens and eventually 

 quiets the pests and serves as a fertilizer 

 as well. Hand-picking is first in order 

 for the slugs, which never in life or death 

 relax their hold. I found a maidenhair 

 fern thus infested, and after clearing the 

 stipes I showered freely with whale oil 

 suds, and have not since been troubled. 

 — G. T. WooLSON, Vermont, in Ameri- 

 can Agriculturist. 



THE WINDOW GARDEN. 



The window garden is a busy place 

 from now on until plants can be put in 

 the cold frame or their permanent places 

 in the garden. To start seedlings, flats 

 or boxes of convenient size are generally 

 used. These are about three inches 

 deep, filled to within half an inch with 

 soil that has been sifted and is half 

 sand. Firm this down well, scatter the 

 seeds thinly, press them into the soil, 

 then scatter a little fine, sandy soil over 

 them, just to cover the seeds, and water 

 with a fine spray. These may be placed 

 in any convenient warm place until a 

 little green begins to appear, when they 

 should be removed to a strong light, but 

 not into the sunshine until they have 



strength enough to stand without wilt- 

 ing. As soon as the fourth leaf appears, 

 the seedlings should be transplanted 

 into larger boxes, kept shaded a day, 

 then kept in the full sun unless it is 

 very hot. Keep them as close to the 

 glass as possible, to avoid their being 

 drawn. We have used seed pans, as 

 florists call them, and also six or eight- 

 inch flower pots, with good success. 

 We like them better than boxes, espe- 

 cially for fine seeds, for if kept standing 

 in saucers of water, the seed will ger- 

 minate better than when water comes 

 entirely from the top. — American Agri- 

 culturist. 



68 



