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1853.1 THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 261 



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[*> is by far the most common pest, and may be kept in check by heavy n» I 

 ° syringing from its first appearance on the plant. Red spider is only °U 

 removed by cleanliness and frequent syringing; as it is the most mi- \ 

 nute, it is also the most troublesome enemy; its presence is indicated 

 by yellow dots and a sickly appearance on the leaf. Dust may be re- 

 moved by a sponge and clear water, and this should be carefully at- 

 tended to, as the lungs of the plant become choked by it. 



Potting in unsuitable soil, or the wearing out of the soil in the pot 

 before its renewal, is another great defect in cultivating house plants. 

 This is the most troublesome point to rectify, as few ladies care to work 

 amongst '"dirt,"' and besides it is not very conveniently procured in 

 cities, and persons are often content to have their plants perish or de- 

 cay, rather than put themselves to the trouble of procuring a portion 

 of suitable soil from the florist who can always supply it. 



With respect to the requisites of soil and potting, attention should 

 be given to the character and habit of the plant; if its branches are 

 loose and slender, its leaves small, its wood hard, &c, it will doubt- 

 less have small fibrous roots; these require hard potting in sandy loam 

 or loam and peat. Ericas or Heaths which are extreme in this cha- 

 racteristic, require almost entirely peat, as well as many other fami- 

 lies of a similar habit ; peat has a tendency to preserve the roots from 

 decay. Those whose wood is stronger and roots more robust, and 

 leaves broader, require more loam in the soil, such as Acacias, Ardisia, 

 Stenocarpus, Camellia, &c, Sec. Those plants which are of a rapid 

 growth, and furnished with soft broad systems of leaves, as Pelargo- 

 niums, Chrysanthemums, Heliotropes, Chinese Primrose, Fuchsias, 

 Cinerarias, Calceolarias, &c, require more or less stimulating sub- 

 stances, as guano, leaf mould and other manures. This is also true of 

 almost all bulbs, such as Hyacinths, &c. Sparaxis, Ixias, Gladiolus, &c. 

 thrive well in a compost of rich sandy loam, without peat. Plants 

 with vigorous roots and but slender heads, such as Veronica, Scutell- 

 aria, Ruellia, Maurandia, &c, require a light sandy soil with a portion 

 of leaf mould and decomposed matter. In potting always place plenty 

 of potsherds over the bottom of the pot, and afterwards the riddlings 

 of the soil, to ensure good drainage. 



Orchids, and such plants, are not of course included in these re- 

 marks, as few are grown in rooms, and many of them being epiphytal 

 require peculiar treatment ; some of the terrestrial species could be 

 crrown in rooms wi'h moderate attention. The soil for such Orchids 



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as Ophrys, Calopogon, and others, is'equal parts light sandy loam and 

 turfy peat, with a little leaf mould, well drained and sparingly water- 



l ed, withholding it at their season of rest. Succulent plants of all 

 inds require very little water; many ot these are well adapted for 



'•^ cultivation in rooms; the old practice was to use poor soil, as sandy G 



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