PLANTS IN THE PARLOR. 73 



water is necessary, it should be applied in the morning 

 of a mild sunny day. 



Manure water may be resorted to, to stimulate the 

 plants occasionally ; but an over-dose may be injurious, 

 if not destructive. 



It-is useless to expend time upon plants in rooms where 

 the windows face to the north. South, south-east, or 

 south-west exposures are the best ; of course a south win- 

 dow is the very best, as it admits the sun all day. 



Light is more important than great heat ; indeed, plants 

 are frequently ruined, by keeping the room excessively 

 hot. The hot, dry air of most sitting-rooms of the present 

 day is so injurious to the Camellia, (as well as to some other 

 plants) that it can hardly be made to flower, as the buds 

 will fall off long before the time of flowering. But I 

 have seen as fine blooms of the Camellia in an old-fash- 

 ioned sitting-room in the country, as I have in the green- 

 house. The room was so cold at night that the thermo- 

 meter would fall nearly to freezing, with a plenty of air 

 from the old window casements during the day. A good 

 temperature for the Camellia is a range of 40 by night, 

 to 60 during the day. I do not mean to be understood 

 that this should be the highest range in the sun ; but at 

 the back side of the room, in the shade. This tempera- 

 ture will also do for most plants ; some will thrive better 

 with a higher range, but their cultivation should not be 

 attempted in a sitting-room. 



Where there is too much heat, without a proper expo- 

 sure to light, the plants will spindle up, and make feeble, 

 sickly growth, and if they produce flowers, they will be 

 so weak and pale as to excite the pity of the beholder. 



Unless the pots are turned every day, the plants will 

 grow one-sided ; every plant should receive as much light 

 as possible. 



A stand for flowers should have rollers attached to the 

 4 



