HOUSE PLANTS. 11 



perature of sixty degrees, and at fifteen above freezing- on 

 the coldest night they will probably not be injured by the 

 cold. 



How TO WATER PLANTS. 



There is one thing that should be remembered, and it is 

 this, that the warmer the room is, the more water the plants 

 will require, as they then have to depend absolutely on the 

 moisture in the soil, and consequently absorb the moisture 

 much quicker from the same, and must therefore be watered 

 much oftener. The watering of plants is a very important 

 thing, and very often it is not attended to as it ought to be 

 done, and then in many cases it is attended to too well, a 

 great many people having the idea that plants should be 

 watered every day. In some cases they would stand it but in 

 others they would not. How often should we water our 

 plants ? is a question that is asked me more than any other, 

 and I invariably have a smile when I answer "when they 

 need it." There is no such thing as having to water a plant 

 every day, every two days or every three days. You might 

 water a plant to-day and it might need it again to-morrow, 

 or it might not need it for two days. Then you will natur- 

 ally ask the question, How are we to know when to water 

 our plants ? This would depend upon the circumstances 

 under which the plant is being grown. If it is over a tank 

 containing water like the one previously mentioned, you 

 would not have any trouble in finding out when the plant 

 needs watering, as you could tell by tapping the pot, and if 

 it has a clear bell-like sound it is dry and needs watering, 

 but if it has a dull sound it does not require water. Avoid 

 extremes in all cases, and do not let the plant be too dry or 

 too wet, and above all do not let your plants stand in water. 



House plants ought to be kept free from dust, as the 

 minute particles enter the pores of the leaves and thus pre- 

 vent the healthy growth of the plants. They should be 

 sponged over once a week with soapy water, or which is 

 better, water containing a little fir tree oil. This will also 

 improve the appearance of the plants and keep them free 

 from insects of various kinds. 



