April, 1917 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
127 
An Attractive Home Means 
Contentment 
Keep the children at home by making 
them proud of it. The most effective 
and economical way to do this, is to 
beautify the lawn. Careful arrange- 
ment and good plants are essential. Our 
Landscape Department has specialized 
in this work, is familiar with Wiscon- 
sin conditions, and has probably the 
largest assortment of choice nursery 
stock in the state to select from. 
While Elm Nursery Co. 
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin 
Ferns for the Home. 
( Continued front p. 125) 
size of a walnut so that the whole 
mass, when well mixed, will have 
rather a rough appearance. I 
have even added pieces of broken 
bricks, or flower pots, to the com- 
post. 
Ferns require to be potted very 
firmly and in a compost mixed in 
this way will not get water 
logged. Next in importance to 
good soil is careful watering. 
The only safe guide in this is to 
rap the flower pot with the 
knuckles. If the plant needs wa- 
ter the flower pot will ring, if no 
water is required the pot will give 
forth a dull sound. If the plant 
needs water give it enough so that 
the water runs through the hole 
in the bottom of the pot. 
When potting the plant put 
plenty of drainage over the hole 
in the bottom of the pot. Select 
one piece of broken flower pot 
large enough to cover the hole, 
and then lay other pieces over- 
lapping each other until the bot- 
tom of the pot is completely cov- 
ered, then finish off with a layer 
of finer pieces to the depth of an 
inch. This will secure ample 
drainage and will keep the plant 
from becoming water logged. 
A plant that is allowed to get 
water logged will soon turn yel- 
low and die off. When the plant 
gets well rooted a little feeding 
will help to keep it in growing 
condition, and I know of nothing 
as good as Clay's fertilizer for 
this purpose. A little of this 
scattered dry over the surface of 
the soil, and watered it wifi work 
wonders with the plant. Half a 
teaspoonful to a plant in a six 
inch pot every two or three weeks 
will be sufficient to keep a well 
rooted plant in growing condition. 
When the fern plant becomes 
infected with scale it should be 
sprayed with a solution of nico- 
tine, according to directions 
given on the package. Some peo- 
ple make the mistake in thinking 
that the spores or seeds growing 
on the back of the fronds are 
scales. This is a grave mistake, 
and these should not be inter- 
fered with. Spraying with a 
weak solution of ivory soap will 
also help to keep the plant free 
of scale and other injurious in- 
sects. 
Keep the plants free from dust, 
and away from gas or other 
fumes. Give it plenty of pure 
air, plenty of light, without direct 
sunlight. Be careful about water- 
ing and feeding, and if your 
plants don’t do well buy another 
and start all over again. , 
WANTED 
Two Thousand Names of 
people who need a copy of the 
Spray Supplement, (March 
Wisconsin Horticulture.) 
Help spread the gospel of bet- 
ter fruit by sending to the 
Secretary names and ad- 
dresses of friends and neigh- 
bors who are not but ought 
to be members of the Wiscon- 
sin State Horticultural So- 
ciety. 
