24 



Milady's House Plants 



touch, as distinguished from a pasty condition, it is 

 time to water it. In every case, enough water should 

 be given to saturate the entire ball of earth at the 

 time. 



Good Drainage 



A certain firmness or compactness of the soil is 

 necessary to good drainage. If the earth has been 

 insufficiently "firmed" down, it is very slow to dry 

 out and will quickly suffer from too much water. 

 The soil in this case is like a loose sponge and remains 

 saturated for a long time and the water becomes 

 stagnant. It is worth remembering that many in- 

 experienced amateurs use pots much too large for 

 the needs of the plant and always leave the soil in a 

 loose, spongy condition, both of which are conducive 

 to ill health. No amount of drainage will help under 



/" 



Plant stand with tray of galvanized iron filled 

 with pebbles, as shown also in the window 

 picture. It should be just tall enough so that 

 the pots will not show from the outside, or it 

 may be encased in a box so that the pots may 

 be hidden from all points. In fact, very pretty 

 boxes in rattan effects are for sale for this 

 purpose. Remember, however, that the 

 pebbles holding the water are the essential 

 features (see page 25) 



