THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 259 



The following are twelve of the best that I noticed this past season^-© 



q p Lyra, Blanche, Orion, Aspasia, Brilliant, Belle of the Village, Beran 

 / garia, Rollo, Refulgent, Magog, Cassandra, and Forget-me-not. \ 



Baltimore, Nov. 1852. W. S. 



The Management of Window Plants. 



BY F. NORTON. 



So much has been communicated through the medium of your wide- 

 ly circulated "Florist," on the proper treatment of plants in rooms 

 that it might be supposed I was entering on a subject already exhaust- 

 ed. However, as the successful cultivation of such is attended with 

 some difficulty, particularly to those who have not yet had an opportu- 

 nity of becoming familiar with the requirements of such plants as they 

 generally admire and endeavor to nurse, a few observations will not 

 perhaps be considered superfluous. Every family of plants has some 

 peculiarity in structure and habit, and therefore demands more or less 

 special provision as to soil, water, or air— all require more or less va- 

 riation in the general course of treatment. As to the situation in 

 which they are placed, the room should be as light as possible, and 

 airy; if dark and close, few plants can be expected to flourish in it. [[ 

 on the contrary, plenty of light is afforded, as well as sufficient air 

 and exposure to the sun's rays in winter, they may succeed as well as 

 in an ordinary greenhouse. If they become unhealthy and begin to 

 decline, the lesult may be generally attributed to one or more of the 

 following causes — want of light and air, injudicious watering, want of 

 suitable soil, or accumulation of filth on the leaves. The sufficient 

 supply of light and air is perhaps the most essential point to be ob- 

 served, if indeed we can make any difference in points so necessary 

 to the health of the plant as all the above named are ; however at- 

 tentively the other conditions may be observed, want of pure air will 

 generally frustrate our attempts at cultivation. The want of a suf- 

 ficient supply of light will prevent the growth of a handsome plant, 

 rendering it sickly and weak. Plants in rooms therefore should be 

 placed as near the light as they can conveniently stand, and receive 

 as much air as can be admitted without reducing the temperature too 

 much. Water should be carefully and judiciously supplied, as its care- 

 less application does more injury to plants in rooms than is common- 

 ly imagined. To prevent the soil ever becoming baked, as is often 

 the case with clayey soils when not carefully attended to, is a point 

 of essential importance, as in that cnse the roots are bound up and de- 

 ^ stroyed by the compression of the particles. The best criterion is the J 

 ^appearance of the surface of the pot; some gardeners judge by the .p 

 ^ weight of it — this requires some practice, however. The surface ofG»\ 



