776 



HOUSE PLANTS 



HOUSE PLANTS 



concrete and water used without stint. In such a room 

 plants can be grown and brought into the living rooms 

 when in their best condition. 



In rooms in which plants are kept, any device by which 

 the atmospheric moisture can be increased is desirable: 

 oilcloth on the floor, or a floor of porous tiles; a zinc 

 tray, in which the pots can be set and surrounded with 

 moss; saucers under the pots, the pots being raised 

 slightly to prevent the roots of the plants standing in 

 the water which runs through. By these aids not only 

 can plenty of water be given to the roots, but there will 

 also be some opportunity to sprinkle the leaves, while 

 the evaporation of surplus water will dampen the air. 

 The Japanese porcelain pots are not only ornamental 

 but useful; the glaze prevents undue evaporation from 

 the sides, and the legs hold the pot well above the water 

 which may collect in the saucer: they are in every way 

 fixcellent. AVnoden tubs are serviceable for large plants 

 or for any which are likely to be exposed to frost, either 

 before or after bringing into the house. Plants should 

 never be overpotted, but the larger the bulk of earth the 

 easier it can be kept uniformly moist; from the wider 

 surface, too, there is more evaporation. For these rea- 

 sons it is sometimes a good plan to have window boxes 

 in which several plants can be grown; or the boxes can 

 be filled with moss in which the pots can be plunged. 

 All pots, tubs or boxes for growing plants should have 

 holes in the Ijottom through which water con pass freely. 



1103. A window-garden. 



Much trouble is likely to come from the use of unsuit- 

 able potting soil. Procure it from an experienced florist, 

 or make it yourself of equal parts rotted sods, old leaf- 

 mold, well-decayed cow manure and clean, sharp sand; 

 discard tea leaves, chip dirt, and the decomposed re- 

 mains of dead stumps. The soil should always be moist 

 when used, not too wet and never dry: it should Im- 

 made firm, not hard, and a good space loft between tbo 

 surface and rim. Large pots should be drained with 

 potsherds and moss. The best time for potting is just 

 before the plant begins to grow; the next best is just 

 before growth ceases, thus giving the plant opportunity 

 to establish itself in its new quarters before it stops 

 growing. It is not always easy to do this propeidy at 

 home, and large and valuable plants should be sent to a 



florist. Plants growing in the open air should be lifted 

 and potted two weeks or more before bringing into the 

 house, not only before frost but before the nights are 

 cool. Keep them at first in a cool, shady place, gradu- 

 ally accustom them to the sunlight, and carefully avoid 

 all drafts. Do not give too much water at the root: 

 some wilting is unavoidable, and cannot be prevented 

 by heavy watering. Give one good application when 

 they are first potted, and sprinkle the foliage and sur- 

 roundings in the middle of the day. After they are 

 established, keep them out of doors, on the piazza or 

 porch, until there is danger of frost, but try to bring 

 them into the house before the furnace fires are lighted. 



A period of rest is natural to all plants. Amateurs 

 often make mistakes in trying to force plants to grow 

 all winter in the house after a vigorous growth in the 

 npen ground all summer. Such plants should be rested, 

 kt-pt cool at first and water withheld, but never to such 

 an extent as to shrivel the w^ood. No rules can be given 

 for watering, the most important detail of plant-growing. 

 Water must be given as it is required, a knowledge to 

 be gained from experience only. This may be once a day 

 or once a week, twice a day or once in two days. The 

 smaller the pot and the more vigorous the growth, the 

 oftener it will be required. In hot weather and in dry 

 rooms more water is needed than in cool rooms and on 

 damp, cloudy days. It should always be given in suffi- 

 cient quantity to pass through the hole in the bottom of 

 the pot: here it can remain an hour or more, and part 

 of it will soak up, back into the pot, but the surplus 

 should be taken away with a sponge, unless the pot has 

 legs or it is a plant like calla, English ivy or some ferns, 

 which are uninjured by an over-supply. Water given to 

 the foliage of House Plants in the form of spray is al- 

 ways helpful. 



Insects, dust and sometimes fungous pests are trouble- 

 some to House Planis, due largely to insufiicient water- 

 ing and lack of ventilation. The best remedy is frequent 

 washings with warm water and a sponge for plants with 

 large leaves. All plants can be easily cleaned at the 

 kitchen sink or in tlie bath tub, or advantage can be 

 taken of a mild day, and the work done in the yard with 

 the hose. The forcible application of water will remove 

 most insects, but if scale appears it must be taken ofl 

 with a stiff brush. Whale-oil and tobacco soap are too 

 rank for house use; fir-tree oil and Gishurst's compound 

 are less obnoxious. They can be used when the plants 

 are washed with spongf or brush. The florists' preventive 

 against greenfly is impracticable: enough tobaccosmoke 

 to harm him would not be tolerated. The red spider can 

 be driven off by spniying with an atomizer, if dis- 

 covered in time. Siime plants are not attacked by in- 

 sects, but are injured by dust, e.g., the rubber-tree. 

 Dusting when dry is better than nothing, but washing 

 is best. If fungous diseases appear, the plants should be 

 isolated, giving a chance to recover, or be thrown away. 



Ventilation is an important factor in keeping House 

 Plants in good condition. Open the windows on bright 

 days: the fresh air is moist and therefore grateful, and 

 will do no harm, even if the plants are near the glass, 

 so long as the sun shines and discretion is exercised. 



The night temperatui-e need never exceed 50° F., and 

 a drop of 5° or even 10° is not likely to do any harm. 

 Precautions must be taken to exclude frost; the blinds 

 must be shut and the curtains pulled down on cold 

 nights. A layer of newspapers between the plants and 

 the windows is a protection in extremely bad weather, 

 or a large kerosene lamp can be allowed to burn all night 

 near the plants. 



A list of suitable foliage plants for the house: Ficus 

 eJristica, the rubber plant; 1^\ religiosa, the peepul tree, 

 and most of the other strong-growing evergreen species. 

 JAvistova Sinensis, Corijpha australis, Chammrops 

 F<yytn)H-i RJid I^hapis Japom'va, all good fan-palms (the 

 first is the best) ; Pluvnix renlhx.ita , P. rupicoJa and P. 

 Viinarlensis are the best date-palms, ^t-aforthia elcgann^, 

 Jlowea Belmoreana, Kenila Forsieriana, Areca Baiteri, 

 A. rubra and Cocos Weddelia tia are all good palms, but 

 require more care than the fan and date-palms. Cycas 

 n-vohda , the sago-palm, CurruJii/o recur vata,Aspi(lhira 

 liirida, P<i})daiius ntili's, the screw pin-^, P. Veiichii, 

 Pliormiiim U'-iia.v (New Zealand flax), Gyperus alterni- 

 folia, Papyrus ant iquoi-uw ,Cordy\ine (Dracieua), Ago-vt 



