GAS PROOF PLANTS 



WM. HUNT, ONT. AGRI. COLIvEGE, GUELPH. 



''' j "^ HE question is often asked " Are there 



X any plants that are proof against the 

 harmful effects of coal 'gas?" To this ques- 

 tion only one answer can be given, viz : 

 " That no plant life can long resist the per- 

 ishing effect that an excessive amount of 

 coal gas has on plant life in general." 



There are, however, some plants that will 

 endure this evil for a longer period than 

 others. Generally speaking, plants that are 

 natives of countries where a dry, arid tem- 

 perature prevails for a great part of the year 

 are among the best gas resisting plants that 

 we have. The class of plants known as suc- 

 culents, or plants that have the power of re- 

 taining moisture in their growth and leaves 

 for a great length of time without being 

 given a supply of water at the roots, are al- 

 most invariably the best plants to resist he 

 fumes of coal gas. Unfortunately, these 

 succulent plants are not usually of a very 

 graceful or decorative character, although 

 some of them are very pretty and effective 

 as window or house plants. 



Among the best and most ornamental of 

 these plants that will grow in an atmosphere 

 where the fumes of coal gas are prevalent, 

 the the Sansevieras or Bowstring Hemp 

 plants,- natives of tropical Africa and he 

 East Indies. The variety most commonly 

 known to plant growers, and in fact the 

 only one usually offered by commercial flor- 

 ists is the Sanseviera Zeylanica, a native of 

 the East Indies. This variety is one of the 

 best gas resisting decorative plants that we 

 have. It will resist the fumes of gas for a 

 very long time, and. given proper treatment 

 will grow and flourish much better in the 

 dry, arid atmosphere of a dwelling house, 

 than it will when treated as an ordinary win- 

 dow plant, or grown in a greenhouse and 

 given ordinary greenhouse treatment. 



As a proof of this, I was under the neces- 

 sity some 1 8 years ago of supplying plants 

 to place on the top of some ornamental 



pedestals standing in a large dining room, 

 where eight to 20 gas jets were burning al- 

 most every evening during the year. An 

 imitation log fire place in the room was also 

 frequently lighted with gas, so that there 

 was no question about the fumes of gas be- 

 ing prevalent. Two plants of Sanseviera 

 Zeylanica about 18 inches in height in five- 

 inch pots were placed on the top of these 

 pedestals in 1886, and were kept in the same 

 position until very recently. The plants 

 were only removed about every two or three 

 weeks to a sink to have a thorough watering 

 and to sponge the leaves. The growth of 

 the plants when finally removed was over 

 three feet in height, and instead of two or 

 three leaves as when placed there, four or 

 five additional leaves had been added to each 

 plant. 



Keeping the soil in which the Sanseviera 

 is growing in an almost dry condition, and 

 giving the plant a rather light sandy soil to 

 grow in, with plenty of drainage at the 

 roots, are the main essentials necessary to 

 be successful with these gas-resisting house 

 plants. A wet sodden condition of the soil 

 will be sure to have a bad effect and soon 

 kill the plants. Too much water usually 

 accounts for the indifferent success many 

 plant growers have with these and almost all 

 succulent plants in windows or greenhouses. 

 It is only when the plants are kept in a high 

 tropical temperature that most of the succu- 

 lent plants grown in greenhouses will live 

 and thrive in a moist atmosphere. , 



The tallest plants in the centre of the ac- 

 companying cut of a small collection of suc- 

 culent plants shows a small specimen of the 

 Sanseviera Zeylanica. The leaves of these 

 plants are very prettily marked, which has 

 sometimes led to their being called the Zebra 

 plant. The Sansevieras, like most succu- 

 lent plants, are very slow growing. This 

 peculiarity, and the fleshy moisture retain- 

 ing nature of their growth and leaves ac- 



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