IN MY LADY'S GARDEN 



summer. The daturas are taken up towards the end of 

 September from the garden, first cutting the roots round 

 with a small sharp spade to the size required to fit into the 

 large pot provided for each, after which operation the roots 

 are soaked with liquid manure, which induces them to throw 

 out a quantity of fresh rootlets very quickly. Ten days 

 later the plant is carefully raised from its summer quarters 

 and potted, filling the interstices with the richest possible 

 soil, but leaving ample room for the water supply, for 

 daturas are exceedingly hungry and thirsty plants, quickly 

 falling a prey to their special enemy, red spider, if kept on 

 short commons in either particular. After potting, these 

 plants should stand in the shade of a north wall for a week 

 or two, or their fine foliage will droop hopelessly. They 

 can then be placed in the conservatory, where they will 

 continue to open their buds till the end of the year or later 

 if well supplied with liquid manure and tepid water. After 

 that time it is desirable to rest the plants in a cooler place 

 (from which frost is excluded, however) for about six weeks, 

 when they should be repotted, pruning away some of the 

 older wood, shaking out most of their soil, and substituting 

 a very rich compost of loam, old manure, and a little soot 

 for it. Increased warmth and more water will soon be 

 needed for them, and before the plants are placed in the 

 garden (early in June) they should again be covered with 

 buds. A large hole should be made for each plant, and a 

 considerable quantity of manure incorporated with the soil 

 before turning the datura out of its pot. Every fine day in 

 summer the roots should be soaked with water and the 

 whole plant syringed. If red spider should appear, the 

 foliage can be sponged (especial care being taken to reach 

 the reverses of the leaves) with warm soap and water, to 

 which a little powdered sulphur has been added, and the 

 syringe must be used daily on the foliage whilst the datura 

 is growing under glass. 



Arum lilies which have spent the summer in the open 

 ground should now be potted up, dividing the roots into 

 single crowns, and giving each of these a pot 7 or 8 inches 



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