THE FLORAL WORLD 



9 



HOUSE PLANTS AND THEIR NEEDS 



House plants are like babies; to 

 grow healthy and beautiful they require 

 daily care. They should be brought 

 into the house early so as to become 

 accustomed to the change before ar- 

 tificial heat is needed. Arrange them 

 according to their needs, sun-loving 

 plants in the sunshine and shade-loving 

 plants in a shaded or north window. 

 Before bringing in I spray with kero- 

 sene emulsion; this destroys all soft- 

 bodied insects, but for scale and others 

 I use an old toothbrush and soapsuds, 

 always rinsing in clear tepid water 

 afterward; then if I spray in clear wa- 

 ter every day and keep a basin of 

 water on the radiator they are seldom 

 bothered with insects. Plants must 

 have fresh air daily, but must not be 

 in a draft, so before cold weather I 

 take strips of paper and mucilage and 

 cover all the crevices about the win- 

 dows. The top soil should be stirred 

 frequently. When watering I use 

 warm water, and water when needed; 

 some require much more than others. 

 When plants are chilled or frozen 

 never place in a warm room; it is sure 

 death to them; but immerse in fresh 

 spring water to thaw gradually. 



Ohio. AxNiCE BoDEY Calland. 



THE WINDOW GARDEN 



In preparing for my window^ garden 

 this fall I am trying to profit by my 

 former experiences, and avoid former 

 mistakes. Early in September I be- 

 gan to prepare for potting the plants 

 which had been growing in the open 

 ground through the summer, as they 

 should have three or four weeks in 

 which to become established before 

 removing indoors. With a sharp spade 

 I cut to the depth of the blade a circle 

 around each plant about the size of 

 the pot in which to put it. At the end 

 of a week or ten days t choose a damp, 

 cloudy day, and after watering the 

 plants will lift them with the spade 



and place them in pots already pre- 

 pared *by a good soaking and a supply 

 of drainage material. Then fill in if 

 necessary between the ball of dirt and 

 pot with fine soil, water the plants 

 well, set in the shade where the air 

 circulates freely, shower daily, prune 

 into good shape, removing all weak 

 branches and dead leaves, and stake if 

 necessary. My windows must be ex- 

 amined to see if panes are all whole 

 and perfectly puttied. If any crevices 

 are found to let in the wind I shall 

 crowd in strips of paper with a thin- 

 bladed knife. For the bay window I 

 am having a shallow sink made to fit. 

 It is to be lined with zinc, with outlet 

 at one corner stopped with a cork. 

 Each morning after drawing off the 

 water left the day before I shall turn 

 in a pailful of boiling water. At my 

 north window I shall have a shelf at 

 the sill and another half way up, with 

 brackets at the sides and near top. 

 I cover my shelves with oilcloth, which 

 is so easily wiped clean of dust and 

 water. Previous winters I have made 

 the mistake of trying to keep too many 

 plants, but now I have a pit into which 

 I shall put many and so avoid crowd- 

 ing my windows to the great detri- 

 ment of the plants. A dozen fine 

 plants are better than thrice as many 

 dwarfed or spindling ones. In order to 

 keep an even temperature of forty-five 

 degrees at night and sixty-five through 

 the day I make use of an oil heater. 

 Especially cold nights I move the 

 plants from the windows to a table 

 and cover with newspapers. Through 

 the winter, as plants grow but slowly, 

 they require less water than at other 

 seasons. I wait till the surface soil 

 looks dry and baked, then give water, 

 and plenty, till it runs through into 

 the saucer. For fertilizer I use well 

 rotted cow manure. Pour over it hot 

 water four parts to one part manure. 

 Dilute till it looks like weak tea, and 

 apply once in two weeks. 



Mes. Meltia M. S. Stoddard. 

 Kansas. 



