PARLOR PLANTS. 77 



emptied. Watering may be more or less frequent according to 

 the nature of the plant, but should always be thorough ; not little 

 driblets, given now and then, moistening the surface soil, and 

 leaving the centre of the ball dust drj^, but a good soaking, 

 thoroughly wetting all the soil until the water runs off; then do 

 not water again until the plant is dry. The temperature of the 

 water should never be below that of the air of the room ; it may 

 be higher, and the water may even be lukewarm ; but the rauu}^ 

 paragraphs found in newspapers advising the use of hot water 

 are no less pernicious than absurd. In a future paper treating of 

 the best plants for parlor culture, we propose to prescribe more 

 fully as to watering.^ The best mode of enriching the soil is in 

 the water ; guano, the salts of ammonia, and other manures may 

 be applied in a soluble form ; caution is necessary, however, lest 

 the manure be too strong, thereb}^ injuring the plant ; and usually, 

 if the soil is good, no manure will be required. If a plant 

 exhausts the soil, the best remedy is repotting. 



Soil. — The soil in which the plant is grown is an important 

 element of culture. For most house plants a, rich light soil is 

 suitable, such as may be easily made by a slight mixture of fine 

 fresh sand with good garden loam. In this, if good drainage is 

 secured, most plants will do well. Where, however, it can be 

 obtained, a mixture of two parts well rotted turf and one part 

 sharp sand is preferable. 



If there is a neighboring greenhouse it is easy to obtain such 

 soil, but any sweet earth which is not close, or by becoming so, 

 allowed to get sour, will grow common plants well. The soil 

 specially suited for particular plants will be prescribed when treat- 

 ing of those plants. It is a good plan to stir the surftice of the 

 soil in tlie pots whenever it becomes hard ; this is especially bene- 

 ficial to roses. The addition of a few bits of charcoal to the soil 

 often increases the brilliancy of the flowers, and to some plants 

 powdered bone imparts a more vigorous growth. 



To conclude : while plants may live and often bloom with little 

 care, and often in spite of neglect, they will repay well directed 

 care by vigor of growth and profusion of bloom. While their 

 wants are but few, attention to these is essential to their health ; 

 and in the parlor culture of plants, if they are worth growing at 

 all, they are well worth the care which is necessarj' for successful 

 culture. 



