Fundamental Requirements of all Plants 25 



these conditions, and if, as is often necessary for 

 reasons of cleanliness, the plants stand in saucers, it 

 will be almost impossible to maintain these over- 

 potted ones in good health. 



Saucers, Trays and Pebbles 



The use of saucers in which to stand potted plants 

 may be a benefit or an evil, according to the degree 

 of intelligence exercised. Some provision, of course, 

 is necessary to prevent water which runs through the 

 pot from injuring the floor or furniture. On the 

 other hand, many plants suffer from standing satu- 

 rated all the time in a saucer full of water. This evil 

 can easily be obviated by using a saucer two sizes 

 larger than the pot and filling it half-full of small 

 pebbles. In a similar way, the very best arrange- 

 ment for a group of window plants is to provide a 

 shelf the full length of the window and about twelve 

 inches wide. This should be covered entirely with 

 a flat tray of galvanized iron two inches deep and 

 filled with a layer of these smalJ pebbles one and one- 

 half inches deep. Plants standing on this may be 

 watered without any fear of overdoing it. The 

 superfluous water runs in among the pebbles and 

 quickly evaporates so that there is no need of pro- 

 viding any special means of drawing it ofi". This con- 

 stant evaporation is of great benefit to the plants by 

 providing a moist atmosphere and the whole afi"air 

 is neat and practical. The pebbles referred to are 

 those used by roofers and may be obtained of any 

 seed or hardware store. They are inexpensive and 

 useful in many ways. 



