PROPER TREATMENT. 51 



4. Special care should be taken where the roots are 

 very fine and delicate, like those of Carnations and Ge- 

 raniums. Such plants, even in the open ground, must 

 have the best drainage, and are often injured by excessive 

 rains. So you will need to become acquainted with the 

 character of the roots as they appear on the outside of 

 the ball, and act accordingly. 



5. Light and heat are further very important regulat- 

 ing conditions. They not only cause evaporation, but 

 stimulate action in the plant. Just in proportion, there- 

 fore, as they increase, should the supply of water be in- 

 creased, and vice versa. Remember this in any long 

 spell of cold and cloudy weather, and especially during 

 the very ' ' cold snaps " of winter, when you find it diffi- 

 cult to keep your rooms at even a moderate temperature. 

 Be sparing -of water then, and you will avoid one of the 

 most common causes of injury to house plants in winter 

 time. 



6. The best hour of the day for watering, especially in 

 cold weather, is the early morning, when the heat of the 

 room is to be increased, and will counteract the cooling 

 effect. Near the beginning and close of winter, when 

 the sunshine is abundant, evening may be preferable. 

 You will not be likely to select the sunniest part of the 

 day, if you follow copy, since it is generally cloudy when 

 it rains. 



7. The temperature of the water should not be lower 

 than that of the room, and in cold weather it may better 

 be as high as blood heat, if not higher. It is said that 

 even 120 may be allowed occasionally with benefit, espe- 

 cially if the plants are not thrifty, or the soil has become 

 sour. In greenhouses, with the heat under the benches, 

 little or no attention is paid to the temperature of the 

 water ; but your windows are the coldest places in the 

 room, and the plants may well have a little warming in 

 the watering. The warm rains of spring and summer, 



