The New Practical Window Gardener. 37 



on the health of the poor plant. In order to prevent 

 this, -worms should be carefully looked for before the 

 soil is used ; but even after that they may appear, for 

 very small ones and eggs will escape notice. 



In giving drainage to window boxes you must 

 proceed much in the same way as for pots, covering 

 each hole with a large crock, and an inch or more of 

 broken tile or crocks over it, the whole being covered 

 with a little sphagnum moss to keep the drainage 

 clean. 



There are many different kinds of manures and 

 fertilisers used for pot plants. The most easily come 

 at sometimes are a few sheep droppings or dry cow- 

 dung ; but the best for mixing with the soil is bone- 

 meal or bones ground down, mixed with a very small 

 quantity of lime. For top dressing or mixing in the 

 water a thimbleful of guano is very good. But I think 

 you will find ' Standen's Gardener and Amateur's 

 Friend' preferable to any other fertiliser. It is sold 

 by all- seedsmen and nurserymen in canisters, with 

 full directions how to apply it. Liquid ammonia is 

 an excellent fertiliser, ten drops to a quart of water 

 being sufficient. It is very easily applied and no dirt 

 attending it. A very safe liquid manure is made with 

 sheep-droppings dissolved in water, not too strong, 

 just sufficient to give the water a dark brown appear- 

 ance. Tobacco-water is also a good manure, and so 

 is very weak glue- water. Manures applied to the soil 

 should be well incorporated with the mass by frequent 

 turning. Liquid manure should be applied as often 

 as twice a week, or once a week at any rate. 



