PLANTS 



no branches. There is simply the one straight 

 stalk. If the lower leaves have fallen, the plant 

 is unsightly unless kept among others which 

 hide its nakedness. A branching plant is al- 

 ways preferable, as it is likely to have more 

 leaves than the branchless one and does not 

 attain the height of the latter. Such a plant 

 your florist will furnish for you if you ask him 

 to. But if you simply order a Ficus, quite 

 likely you will get one on which no signs of 

 branches are to be seen, and it will keep going 

 up, up, up, in a straight stalk, until it gets to 

 the top of the window. Then it will be too late 

 to cut away its top, hoping to encourage by so 

 doing the production of branches below. To 

 grow any plant into a fine specimen you must 

 take it in hand when small and keep it in hand 

 as it develops until it is what you want it to be. 

 Most plants are tractable and can be made to 

 do what we would have them if we exercise 

 patience and perseverance in the training of 

 them. Spasmodic attention is not what is 

 needed. We must give them daily care and 

 they must be constantly under control. 



The ordinary Ficus has plain green foliage. 

 F. elastica variegata has leaves broadly and 

 irregularly marked with white and pale green 



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