162 
accessible directly from one of the principal rooms of the house 
In the one or two cases in which this has been done the result 
has been most effective and the wonder is that the practice has 
not become more general. 
Plant in Rooms. 
Although some plants, especially palms, will continue to flou- 
rish for a long time indoors, it is advisable to change them pretty 
often, or if the circumstances do not admit of their being changed 
they should be put out at night and occasionally in a heavy 
shower to wash the dust off, and freshen them up. While in the 
rooms keep them in as light a place as possible for nothing weakens 
a plant so much as being kept in a dark place. See that they 
do not suffer from want of water, but at the same time do not 
over-water them, in the case of Orchids or other plants in 
flower do not wet the flowers ns the}' will last much longer if kept 
dry. 
General. 
To carry out the few suggestions here offered, which only touch 
the fringe of the subject, no great expenditure of money is neces- 
sary, but in a country where everyone has to be his own head- 
gardener some little forethought and personal interest is abso- 
lutely necessary. As a rule there is no difficulty in obtaining 
manure, but it must be thought of and obtained long before it is 
' ctually required for use so that it may become thoroughly de- 
cayed. Leaf-mould is more difficult to get and takes a long time 
to make and a cart-load of fresh leaves amount to very little 
when decayed. Most of the principal roads in the Colony are 
planted with shade trees which though not truly deciduous shed 
large quantities of leaves during certain seasons which are swept 
up and burnt or carted away by Municipal coolies and would no 
doubt be given to any one in the neighbourhood who cared to col- 
lect them. 
In addition to the few tools generally provided a fine rose c an 
for watering seeds and a couple of rotan sieves are indispensable 
and also a brass syringe for watering Orchids on blocks and 
giving a general freshening overhead to the whole collection in 
very dry weather. 
C. CURTIS. 
. Penang, io th September , 1896. 
