THE TREE DOCTOR 161 



cause people have not been educated to take care of the roots. 

 They freely spend money to procure plants, then take them 

 home and keep them in the little earthen-ware flower pots in 

 which they are grown for convenience in the greenhouse. 

 They put them on the window-sill, table, stand or anywhere, 

 and sometimes water them, sometimes not, then wonder why 

 the leaves drop off! and ask "if there isn't a worm or bug at the 

 root," and complain that they have "no luck with plants." 

 How many people get "luck" with the Fern? Hereafter, instead 

 of trying to grow it in a six-inch flower-pot, with roots dried out, 

 make a neat box, like you see in Photo 145, (at Mr. E. H. Jen- 

 nings', Fifth Ave., Pittsburg, Pa.,) using plenty of leaf-mold or 

 some light soil ; plant out in this box, keep well-watered in hot 

 weather, and you'll get "good luck" as sure as I am telling it to 

 you. 



You should bear in mind that a plant, while in the green- 

 house, is surrounded by a moist atmosphere which is preserved 

 by watering, spraying, or dampening the floors ; hence, while a 

 plant is kept there it will remain fresh, like the orchids, hanging 

 overhead, or the tropical foliage plants, seen to the left, in Photo 

 144. The most favorable place in the dwelling-house for a 

 potted plant is the kitchen ; the steam from the cooking makes 

 almost a greenhouse atmosphere, but the tops would not suffer 

 so badly in the other (dry) rooms if one would give the needed 

 root protection. It is a mistake to try to "winter" a large num- 

 ber of plants in the ordinary house. A few Begonias, Fuchsias, 

 Geraniums, Primulas and, later, bringing in the potted bulbs, are 

 all that should be attempted. There is but very little satisfac- 

 tion from -the attempt to grow Roses and Carnations in the av- 

 erage living-room. A good-sized Begonia can be kept growing 

 in a four-inch pot if, once a year (in August), the plant be turned 

 out of the flower-pot, the ball of earth plunged in a pail of water 

 and nearly all the earth carefully soaked off, and repotted again. 

 For this purpose, if you have not good "potting soil" on hand, 

 purchase some of your florist. 



In potting or re-potting a plant, always put gravel, cinders 



or some other substance in the bottom for drainage; and don't 



fill the pot quite full of earth ; leave it below the rim an inch or 



so, so that it can "take water." Then, if you will take a larger 



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