258 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



but I am inclined to think that the 

 great improvement was due to some- 

 thing else than iron filings. The sub- 

 ject is worth investigation, and if re- 

 peated experiments show a decided gain 

 in productiveness in trees, then there 

 will be no denying the facts. 

 Yours respectfully, 



P. HoYES Panton, 



Prof. Nat. History and Oeology. 

 Agricultural College, Guelph, 

 13th Oct., 1886. 



Jfl0tD«r0. 



TEN HOUSE PLANTS FOR THE 

 WINTER. 



The chief requisites of success in the 

 winter care of house plants are sun- 

 shine, moisture, uniform temperature 

 and cleanliness. It is not wise for the 

 cultivator to be too ambitious; one can- 

 not produce all the effect of a varied 

 conservatory in one window, and any 

 attempt to do so will result in disastrous 

 failure. When I say moisture is an in- 

 dispensable requisite to success, I do 

 not mean that the soil should be water- 

 logged, nor should the pot stand in a 

 saucer of water, unless it is an aquatic 

 plant. I mean that the atmosphere 

 should be moist, and here we encounter 

 the greatest of all difficulties in the 

 culture of house plants. Both stove 

 and furnace produce a dry heat, and 

 this is more or less trying to all plants. 

 Where possible, it is well to stand a 

 pan of water over the stove or furnace ; 

 the evaporation is very serviceable. If 

 this cannot be done, the only plan is to 

 water frequently, but discreetly. Gas 

 is also very trying to plants ; even 

 where there are no perceptible fumes 

 the light frequently causes the flowers 

 and buds to droj) off. When we are 

 arranging for the comfort of our floral 

 pets it is well to recollect that we our- 

 selves require sunlight as much as they, 



and it is hardly wise to entirely block 

 up the only sunny window in a room 

 during the dark winter days. A stand 

 or window -box is always preferable to 

 the numerous shelves we so often see 

 shutting out every ray of sunlight. For 

 these reasons plants noticeable for fine 

 foliage rather than for flowers may be 

 specially recommended, since they re- 

 quire less sunshine. 



We must give first place for beauty 

 and ease of culture to Ardisia crenulata, 

 a plant little known among amateur 

 growers, though becoming popular as 

 its virtues are becoming known. It is 

 a sturdy-growing, shrub-like plant, with 

 shining, ovate, dark-green leaves. In 

 August or September it bears small, 

 inconspicuous, greenish-white flowers. 

 These are followed by bunches of berries, 

 which, as they mature, turn bright red, 

 resembling, in size and appearance, the 

 Mountain Ash. These berries last the 

 entire season, keeping their beauty, in 

 fact, until a succeeding crop is ripe, so 

 the plant is never without them. The 

 effect is really beautiful, so bright and 

 Christmasy. The plant does well in 

 an ordinary living-room, with regular 

 watering, but it must not be water- 

 logged or stand in water. The leaves 

 may be sponged once a week, and it 

 will keep its brightness in a northern 

 window where there is little or no sun. 

 This plant is a charming decoration for 

 the dinner table ; in fact, it is infinitely 

 desirable in every way. 



The Climbing Asparagus (Asparagus 

 tenuissimus) is not yet very familiar, but 

 it is a charming thing and may be highly 

 commended as a window climber. No- 

 thing short of a hard frost or the absence 

 of water for two or three weeks will dis- 

 courage it. It climbs and twines like 

 smilax ; but the foliage is fine and 

 feathery, like common asparagus, only 

 more so. It does well in a room heated 

 by a stove, does not harbour insects, 

 and, in short, is a botanical paragon. 



