47b 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



HOW TO GROW HOUSE PLANTS SUCCESSFULLY. 



F"TER a long- experience with a larg-e 

 variety of plants I wish it might be 

 1^ possible for me to convince people 

 ^^^ who are thoroughly discouraged 

 with trying to grow them, that if they will 

 only follow a few simple rules they may en- 

 joy perfectly healthy and beautiful specimens 

 in their homes under almost all conditions. 

 Do not think for a moment that you can 

 take any plant which you may have, or buy, 

 and put it just where you most desire to 

 have it for effect, without regard to what 

 that particular plant needs. Some cannot 

 thrive without a large amount of sun, while 

 others require very little. I believe every 

 variety needs direct light and a little sun 

 for perfect health, and if they do not get it, 

 death is sure to come sooner or later. 



At different seasons of the year the same 

 plants need to be changed from perhaps an 

 eastern to a southern exposure, or vice versa. 

 Begonias and ferns are especially happy in 

 a south window until about February ist, 

 when the sun becomes so powerful that the 

 curtain must be drawn from ten in the morn- 

 ing until about three in the afternoon or they 

 will be seriously burned. 



Every day give them plenty of fresh air, 

 always open the windows and doors for a 

 few moments, even in the coldest weather, 

 but do not have the draught come directly 

 across your plants. Try to follow nature as 

 possible, remembering that she never makes 

 mistakes in caring for her children. 



Great care should be used in watering-. 

 I am sure hundreds of noble healthy speci- 

 mens are ruined by continued daily watering. 

 Always have the water lake warm for the 

 reason that a large number of our house 

 plants come from the tropics. Give them a 

 very generous soaking, not all at once, but 

 wait five minutes between waterings and 

 you will be surprised to see how much some 

 of the plants will take up. 1 always water 



twice, and sometimes thrice, until the 

 saucers are full, then g"ive them a grand rest 

 for three or four days, until the surface 

 earth is dry to touch. My heart has ached 

 so often when shown choice plants which 

 were truly dying of consumption from daily 

 drinks of ice cold water. \o\\ will be great- 

 ly pleased to find how clean your pots will 

 keep when you find out the secret of correct 

 watering. 



Watch your plants and if they do not look 

 quite right, just carefully turn the pot down, 

 striking the rim against some object by a 

 quick rap, holding the plant and earth in 

 the other hand, and you may be greatly sur- 

 prised at what you find. Often the writer 

 has found worms and insects sucking- the 

 life of the plant day by day. Never allow 

 the pots to stand in the sun, without being 

 protected either by cardboard or by sinking 

 them in a box of sand. Nature is never so 

 unkind as to submit roots to a baking- pro- 

 cess. 



Do not think that, because you purchased 

 your plants at a florists, they must be all 

 rig-ht, for many times I have found sad con- 

 ditions, which in a few months would result 

 in the ruin of the most healthy plant. 



It is much cheaper in the end, when repot- 

 ting in the fall, to buy of a florist a bushel of 

 prepared loam, at fifty cents, than to use 

 any common garden soil, for with such pre- 

 paration you will have no use for tonics of 

 any sort during the winter. 



Do not forget to always give good drain- 

 age, even in a small four inch pot, using- 

 small pieces of crockery, stones or charcoal; 

 the latter is most excellent, serving also as 

 a dressing. 



Many people will tell you that it is impos- 

 sible to have healthy plants if your house is 

 heated by a furnace, or lighted by gas, but 

 I have found, after using both for many 

 vears, that it is not the fact. I believe if 



