172 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



pail of insecticide, or to examine its roots by re- 

 moving the pot. 



The dust to which plants in rooms are exposed 

 from sweeping, or from a dance, is more hurtful 

 than external dust. The latter is all mineral dust, 

 and if not removed by rain or the watering-pot, will 

 probably be shaken oE by the first breeze. But in- 

 door dust is either animal (woollen or silk), or 

 vegetable (linen or cotton) dust, and does not come 

 off so readily. Hence, it is better to remove plants 

 from a room where they are liable to these influences. 

 Servants should be instructed, as an invariable rule, 

 to remove plants from a room that they are going to 



Fig. 14. Tig, 15. 



sweep, into the hall or landing, and not to replace 

 them until the dust has settled. In some cases it 

 may be practicable to throw a dust-proof covering 

 over the plants in their places before sweeping be- 

 gins ; 'but as this is liable to be forgotten, it is 

 better to insist on the removal of the plants from the 

 room. 



Aspect. — Windows which face south and west 

 have an advantage over those which face north and 

 east. The great di^awback to which plants placed 

 in windows facing east are exposed, is the compara- 

 tively sudden change of temperature. It is well 

 known that the coldest hour of the night is the hour 

 before sunrise. Plants, therefore, in an eastern 

 aspect are exposed to the warm rays of the morning 

 sun sooner than in any other position, and conse- 

 quently pass from a cold temperature to a warm one 

 in a shorter space of time than they would any- 

 where else. Although this may not be sufficiently 

 detrimental to some plants to prevent their bloom- 

 ing, yet it will be found that most half-hardy plants 

 flower better, and look more healthy, in a south or 

 west window. 



The drawback to a north aspect is the absence of 

 dii-ect sunlight. This suits Ferns admirably; but 

 it does not suit flowering plants, which have, in this 

 aspect, a tendency to run to leaf instead of flower. 

 This is especially the case with Geraniums and Pe- 

 tunias, which will not bloom without plenty of sun- 

 light. Calceolarias and Fuchsias do better, and 

 flower fairly well ; if brought into bloom in a sunny 

 place, and then moved into a nofth window, they 



will keep in bloom for a very long time. A north 

 aspect is, however, on the whole, more suitable for 

 plants grown for their foliage than for their flowers ; 

 nevertheless, it is too cold and sunless for Begonias, 

 while Moneywort, Ivy, and Virginian Creeper seem 

 quite happy when facing the north. 



Plants which are most susceptible to change of 

 temj)erature should be grown in a westerly aspect, 

 because the change there is more gradual, and there- 

 fore less felt. 



Many plants which are supposed to have been 

 killed by frost, have really been killed by aspect. 

 Their tissues have been burst by too sudden thawing 

 under the influence of a hot morning sun. The 

 same plants under a west wall would have been 

 none the worse for the frost, because the tha-^-ing 

 process would there have been slow and gradual. 



Under the heading of aspect we have something 

 to say about position. 



You may have been in a nursery garden when 

 some gentleman's gardener has been making a large 

 purchase of shrubs, and you will have noticed that 

 he is picking out those best suited to his purpose, 

 and tjdng on a label to each. You may fancy that 

 this is only to let the nurseryman see which 

 specimens he has selected, but there is another 

 object in his proceedings. Watch him closely, and 

 you will observe that there is a coincidence' between 

 the position of his label on the plants and the points 

 of the compass. If he is choosing shrubs that are to 

 go upon the north side of a pathway, it will be the 

 south side of the plants which will be most seen, and 

 consequently he is selecting in the nursery those 

 which seem to be best developed on that side, and 

 marking them on that side, so that when thej^ are 

 re-planted they may find themselves in the same 

 position as that in which they had been growing. 

 If he is buying for more than one position, a single 

 letter (N, S, W, orE) on the label will enable him to 

 assort his shrubs on their arrival, and put each into 

 its proper position. 



The reason for all this care is that, however care- 

 fully a plant may have been moved as regards injury 

 to or exposure of its roots, it is liable to have its 

 growth much checked by being tui-ned round, or 

 planted in a different position to that in which it has 

 been growing. 



All plants, whether in or out of pots, naturally 

 grow most and flower best on their south side, 

 because from that quarter they get most light 

 and most heat. If, therefore, you wish a plant to 

 bloom equally well on all sides, it follows that 

 you must turn it every daj'- or two, so that each 

 part of it in turn may have its share of southern 

 light and heat. Knowing, however, that this 

 change of position is more or less of a check to the 



