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bring them into the house at all. for nothing is quite 

 so pathetic or so disagreeable as the sight of long- 

 Btemmed, few-leaved, starved and forsaken plants. Bet- 

 ter a bare window from fall to spring, than such a win- 

 dow garden. But there is something so interesting as to 

 be almost exciting in watching over and feeling responsi- 

 ble for the beautiful development of some choice specimen 

 of the plant world. If you have never ventured to grow 

 a house plant and feel very helpless, yet anxious to learn, 

 do not start with too many. Take perhaps only one or 

 two, say a vine and some easily grown plant, and study 

 them and you will soon learn to read their wants in the 

 appearance of their leaves and stalk. Then when you 

 think you know how to care for these add another to your 

 collection and you will be fairly well started along a most 

 pleasant path. Window gardening has charms that no 

 other manner of gardening can rival. 



SELECTING THE WIXDOW. 



The first thing necessary in starting a window gar- 

 den is a suitable window. Any window is better than no 

 window at all. but if you have several windows from 

 which to select the best one for a general collection of 

 plants during the winter, select one at the south side of 

 the house. Next in choice after the southern exposure is 

 an east window which will answer very well for all those 

 plants which care little for much direct sunlight, West 

 windows are not likely to suit your plants well as they 

 generally prove too hot a place for ordinary plants. Ferns, 

 pansies, umbrella plants, etc., will thank you for a north 

 window if you see to it that they do not suffer from the 

 cold, while geraniums, the beautiful foliaged coleus and 

 other heat-loving plants will flourish in the south window 

 which you made first choice. Begonias, marguerites and 



