.^o 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



growing cnrnations. sniilax and forcing there is a jxjssibility of securing an income 

 bulbs, besides keeping my stock over the from your labor by growing flowers for ex- 

 winter. With a greenhouse such as this. hibitions, ])rizes, etc. 



THE WINTER CARE OF WINDOW PLANTS 



W M. HINT, OXT. AGKI. COIJ.EOE, GUELPH. 



^> I'RINKLING the foliage of most win- 

 v3 (low plants with clear water on fine, 

 warm, sunny days is desirable. Rex Be- 

 gonias and even geraniums, however, do 

 not like the leaves moistened too heavily. 

 The true Rex Begonias would be better 

 without any sprinkling or sponging of the 

 leaves. Fuchsias, roses, heliotrope and 

 most foliage plants, except coleus, like a 

 sprinkling or sponging of their foliage 

 every few days. This operation can be 

 performed with a small rubber sprinkler, or 

 the plants can be taken to a sink in a warm 

 room and the foliage well sprinkled. As 

 a rule all glossy, smooth leaved plants re- 

 quire freciuent syringing or sponging with 

 clear water. It removes dust, and coun- 

 teracts the evil effects of the dry atmos- 

 phere prevailing in most dwelling houses. 



Almost all window plants delight in a 

 moist atmosphere, except a few cacti and 

 similar plants. A few shallow pans of 

 water placed under the hot water or steam 

 radiators will help to give the plants a taste 

 of their natural environments. 



Prepared commercial plant foods are the 

 best fertilizers for windo^v plants. If, how- 

 ever, good potting compost is used, there 

 will be little need of plant foods. Plants, 

 whose pots have become too full of roots 

 and which have exhausted the soil they are 

 in, are usually the only plants that require 

 fertilizers when properly prepared potting 

 soil has been Ksed. 



TEMPERATURE. 



More plants are injured and destroyed 

 in these days of self-feeders, hot air furna- 

 ces, and steam and hot water boilers, by 



over-heated and dry atmospheric conditions, 

 than are destroyed by a too low temperature. 

 A temperature of 65 or 70 degrees Faren- 

 heit in the day time is ample for most win- 

 dow plants, with a night temperature of 

 50 to 55 degrees. Plants like a rest at 

 night as well as people. One point in re- 

 gard to temperature is of importance, and 

 that is to avoid extremes of either heat or 

 cold, as they are dangerous to plant life. 



The insect pests that trouble house plants 

 most are the green and black aphis or fly, 

 red spider, scale, and mealy bug. A dry 

 arid atmosphere is conducive to the increase 

 of all these pests, hence the necessity of 

 keeping the foliage of plants they infest as 

 moist as possible. For the aphis, use a 

 strong solution of tobacco water and 

 sprinkle it on where the insects are. Raw 

 leaf tobacco or tobacco stems from the cigar 

 factory make the best tobacco solution, as 

 the ordinary commercial plug tobacco is of 

 little use for plants. 



To make the tobacco solution till a pail 

 about three parts full of the leaves or stems 

 and press them down rather firmly. Pour 

 in enough boiling water to cover them about 

 an inch in depth and nearly fill the 

 pail. Cover the pail with an old bag to 

 retain the steam. Let it stand until cold, 

 in which condition it is fit for use. It will 

 not require diluting, as tobacco water does 

 not injure the foliage like many insecticides. 

 A pint of boiling Avater poured on a bruised 

 cigar will also make a good tobacco solu- 

 tion. Fumigating with tobacco smoke is 

 very effective, but is scarcely practicable in 

 a window. 



' E.xtract fr.Mn .iii address delivered at the convention of delegate^; froin horticultural societies, held in Toronto Nov 15-16. 



