14 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 1 12:1— Jan., 1916 



daily soaking as many think, but a bi-weekly soaking, gives the best 

 results. The soil should look as though it is beginning to dry out 

 before the soaking is repeated. Conversely, a little water every 

 day or twice a day is not according to Nature's plan. It rains, 

 the ground gets thoroughly moistened, then begins to dry out. 

 The plan indoors should follow this method. 



Sometime an algae or other growth (bacterial) on the exterior 

 of a pot will shut off the air supply to the roots by clogging the 

 pores of the pot. The remedy for this is scrubbing with soap and 

 water. The pot should be porous, and should be kept so. 



The condition of the soil is intimately bound up with the 

 problem of proper watering. When plants are received from the 

 grower the soil is usually quite loose. As time goes on it becomes 

 packed, hence often poorly drained and poorly supplied with air. 

 If such a soil gets very wet it tends to "sour" and plants may show 

 the phenomenon known as "damping off," i.e. molding of the 

 stem at the point where it enters the soil. This is especially 

 liable to happen in a rich soil. The remedy here is to stir up 

 the soil occasionally, just as would be done out of doors- The 

 chief ingredients of a good soil for indoor plants are loam, sand, 

 and either well-rotted manure or leaf mold, in about equal pro- 

 portions. If there is too much sand the soil fails to hold enough 

 moisture. If too much loam, which is needed to give weight 

 and stability, it tends to become soggy. The remedy for a poor 

 soil is to be applied only after observation with a view to discover- 

 ing what is lacking. Sometimes an apparently heavy soil merely 

 calls for some drainage (gravel, sand, bits of crushed flower pots) 

 to be placed in the base of the pot or box. Transplanting and 

 repotting should be done only when the need is obvious. Merely 

 putting a plant into a larger pot will not necessarily restore an 

 unhealthy plant . The cause of the bad condition should be sought . 

 If it be due to dense matting of the roots then a repotting is indi- 

 cated. Spring is the best time of the year for such adjustments. 



Amongst the flowering plants which the writer has found most 

 successful indoors are the primroses and petunias. They blossom 

 persistently, sometimes throughout the year. Of the bulbs, 

 success has been invariable with good hyacinths and the paper 

 narcissus. Chinese lillies grow very fast but only occasionally 

 have the flower buds escaped blasting by cool drafts. We have 

 had indifferent success with Cyclamen, Chrysanthemum, Azalea, 

 and Begonia. 



