DECEMBER: FIRST WEEK 317 



plant room opened at the top to allow the escape of dead 

 air, makes an ideal arrangement, and one that incidentally 

 will be very beneficial to the human as well as to the botan- 

 ical inmates of the room. 



Next to the variations in temperature the chief drawback 

 to growing plants in the house is the burned-out condition 

 of the atmosphere. Steam, hot air and hot water all rap- 

 idly dry up the normal amount of moisture in the air. 

 A certain degree of air moisture, however, is just as essen- 

 tial to plant growth as is soil moisture. The only sure 

 way of keeping the air moist is to have a special place, 

 large or small, for the plants, that can be regulated inde- 

 pendently of the living-room. When plants are kept in 

 the living-room, however, moisture can be maintained to 

 a satisfactory degree by frequently changing the air and 

 by keeping bowls or pans of water on or near the stoves 

 or radiators, where it will evaporate. Another thing to 

 be kept in mind is to select a place for the plants where 

 they may readily be got at, watered and cared for. Inac- 

 cessibility is frequently one of the causes of troubles; 

 bugs get a start or pots dry out before one notices; 

 or because of the trouble of tending them the plants are 

 neglected. 



If you plan to keep anything more than a rubber tree, a 

 fern dish or a single geranium in your winter window garden 

 it will pay to fix a place of suitable size that can be shut 

 off from the rest of the room temporarily when required, 

 and where watering can be done without making a muss. 

 If you have a bay window that can be devoted to the pur- 

 pose and that can be shut off by glass doors or heavy cur- 

 tains, nothing better could be asked. 



A Window Conservatory 



If you cannot use a bay window, here is a simple plan 

 that will be found satisfactory: Secure a wide cypress or 

 white-pine board an inch thick and as long as or a little 

 longer than the window. Round the edges nail thin strips 



