774 



riru HO USE- PLANT NOTES. 



are in cultivation, some very tender and others quite 

 hardy. Myrlns regia, a South American species, has 

 handsome foliage and profuse fruit, of a pleasant odor 

 and taste. ISIyrtus uviununis, from the south of Europe, 

 is a handsome white flowered scented shrub much grown 

 in pots by Germans in some of our cities. 



The large and interesting cactus tribe furnishes many 

 grotesque and showy plants for the window garden, but 

 as these have already been fully treated in the pages of 

 The American Garden in the past three months, I 

 will not enlarge upon them. 



Raleigh, X. C. W. F. Massey. 



TWO HOUSE-PLANT NOTES. 



rERTILIZERS for House Plants. — One of the 

 chief causes of failure in the growth of plants 

 in window gardens is the want of sufficient food 

 supply in the soil used. If a rich garden soil 

 is used with an addition of leaf mould, partially decom- 

 posed stable manure or half-rotted turf, we have a fairly 

 good soil for some kinds of plants. A good formula for 

 making up a soil for house plants is this : equal parts of 

 rich garden soil, leaf mould from the woods, or half- 

 rotted turf, and partially decayed stable manure. For 

 some plants, like the begonias and gloxinias, a little sand 

 should be added to make the compost more porous. 



Yet, notwithstanding the fact that the soil contains 

 so much of plant food, by improper watering, or by 

 other conditions, it does not seem to be available for 

 the growth of the plants, and they are weak and fail to 

 grow or bloom. 



Under these conditions chemical fertilizers are of 

 great value. Such substances as fine ground bone, 

 sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of potash, dissolved bone- 

 black, liquid ammonia, and perhaps a little sulphate of 

 potash, are useful. These may be incorporated in the 

 soil when it is mixed together. Some of them, how- 

 ever, must be used with care. 



Fine ground bone and dissolved bone-black may be 

 used freely without injury to the plant, but the solu- 

 ble salts, like sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of potash 

 and sulphate of potash can only be used in small quan- 

 tities, say a tablespoonful to two quarts of soil. 



The above salts may be used in a liquid form or by 

 stirring a small quantity into the surface of the soil in 

 the pots or boxes. One of the salts alone will some- 

 times give good results, but generally the best growth 

 is obtained by using potash, nitrates and phosphoric 

 acid together The first two may be obtained from 

 the nitrate of potash, often with good results ; or by 

 combining the sulphate of ammonia and sulphate of 

 potash. The latter will probably give the best results. 

 The phosphoric acid is obtained from the bone or 

 bone-black, and as it is not quickly soluble it must be 

 incorporated with the soil when the latter is made up, 

 or this fertilizer may be mixed in on the surface of the 

 pots or boxes so that it will wash down to the roots. 



The specially prepared plant or flower foods are 

 very useful and easily applied ; but they are more ex- 

 pensive than the chemicals, and are to be recommended 

 only to those not familiar with the latter. 



For the production of flowers only the ground bone 

 and dissolved bone-black should be used, and for a 



foliage growth potash and the nitrates ; but neither 

 alone will give the best results. If flowers are desired 

 let the root space be small and the soil contain an ex- 

 cess of phosphoric acid ; if foliage, give the roots more 

 room and more of the nitrates than phosphoric acid. 



If one has the proper varieties of plants and gives 

 them plenty of food, water and sunshine, and especially 

 a love which shall detect their every want, there need 

 be no fear of not having an abundant supply of blos- 

 soms from November to June. — S. T. Maynard, Massa- 

 i hitsetts Agriciilliiral College. 



How TO Grow Ferns Indoors. — No plants are more 

 suitable for indoor culture than ferns, and few are more 

 popular. Those who have not had much experience 

 in their treatment will not object to a few hints. 



There are two methods by which ferns may be cul- 

 tivated, viz., in the open fernery or in closed cases ; 

 but before adverting to either, it may be advisable to 

 give a few directions for raising ferns from spores. 



The German gardeners take a piece of turfy peat, 

 about an inch and a-half square ; this they dip in boil- 

 ing water in order to destroy all animal life which it 

 may contain ; it is then laid in a flat saucer, and the 

 spores are sprinkled on the upper side. A small quan- 

 tity of water is poured into the saucer and the whole is 

 then covered with a bell glass. A little water should 

 be added from time to time to compensate for evapora- 

 tion, but great care must be taken to pour it in with- 

 out washing the spores from the turf. In five or six 

 weeks the young ferns will appear in the form of a green, 

 moss-like substance covering the surface of the peat. 

 It is a curious fact that fern spores which have been 

 gathered and kept dry for several years will, when 

 sown, germinate more readily than fresh spores. Some 

 persons employ porous sandstone instead of peat, to 

 which, however, there is the objection that fungus 

 germs often prevent the development of the spores. 

 Fine cinders, when fresh, contain no fungi, and a mix- 

 ture of these and fine light soil answers the purpose even 

 better than peat, since good drainage is afforded, and 

 this is very necessary. 



The cultivation of ferns in the open air demands but 

 little attention. \ shady situation, if possible, in the 

 vicinity of a poo) or stream, will grow almost any ferns, 

 provided the so'l is light and porous, and well drained. 

 Ferns may be grown in pots with great success. The 

 common deep stone flower-pots serve the purpose quite 

 well if they are glazed or painted to prevent rapid evap- 

 oration of moisture. 



