THE COUNTRY HOME [chapter 



a place where water cannot settle around the pots. 

 Leave them there until you find by examination 

 that the roots have well filled the pots, which ought 

 to occur within four to six weeks, sometimes 

 sooner. If freezing weather sets in, cover with straw 

 or litter, and boards over that. When you are 

 ready for bloom, bring the pots into a warm room 

 and water freely ; it will need another month to fully 

 develop the flowers. Be regular about applying 

 the water, but never allow it to remain in the sau- 

 cer. It is not diflBcult to produce a sickly condi- 

 tion of plant roots, especially bulb roots, if they 

 must remain over-saturated. 



House plants are as good as house doctors, if 

 properly treated, but water-logged or half -rotten 

 plants are disease-breeders, and should never be 

 permitted to remain in the same room with human 

 beings. The pot in which plants are grown should 

 be cleaned inside and out, and should never be al- 

 lowed to develop fungus growth, while the soil 

 should be pure and sweet. The use of dirt taken 

 from a half-fermented pile of compost is danger- 

 ous. It will kill your plants, and it will certainly 

 poison yourself. Many a mysterious illness comes 

 from carelessness about house plants. Nothing can, 



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