be traced directly to attempting’ to grow them in too large a pot. 
It sometimes happens that repotting is necessary because there 
are too few roots in the pot rather than too many. This occurs 
when, through overwatering, the earth becomes sour, and, as a 
consequence, the roots are unable to maintain themselves in a 
healthy condition. Plants in this condition should have the soil 
gently washed from the roots, taking care not to injure them in 
the process, previous to repotting them in fresh, sweet soil. The 
new pots should be washed clean and allowed to dry before using. 
Proper drainage is very important in order that superfluous water 
may be readily carried off, and this is best obtained by placing a 
layer of broken pots or coarse ashes over the bottom of the pot. 
The plant should then be placed in position and earth filled in 
around it, tamping the earth down with a piece of lath or some- 
thing similar, in order that it may come uniformly in firm contact 
with the roots. Care must be taken not to pot the plant too 
deeply; the old ball of earth should be covered with about one- 
fourth inch of soil. 
Owing to lack of facilities for syringing, plants in dwelling 
houses rapidly become coated with a layer of dust, and this must 
be removed if they are to be kept in good health. Those plants 
having large, leathery leaves are best dealt with by washing; 
using a soft sponge and tepid soapy water. This process is too 
tedious an operation in the case of ferns and plants having small 
leaves, which should be washed by forcibly spraying them with 
water from the faucet or garden hose. Advantage should be taken 
of warm gentle rain by placing the plants out-of-doors, as they 
are greatly benefited by this process. 
The insects most likely to infest house plants are aphids, 
mealy-bug, scale, and red spider. Aphids can easily be exter- 
minated by spraying, or by dipping them in a nicotine solution; 
or an insecticide can be made by dissolving ordinary soap in 
water at the rate of one pound of soap to eight gallons of water. 
Scale and mealy-bug are more difficult to dispose of. The surest 
way is to wash them off with a sponge and soapy w r ater; if this is 
impracticable, kerosene emulsion or one of the proprietary insec- 
ticides, used as a spray or dip, will, if persevered in, ultimately 
dispose of them. Red spider flourishes in a warm, dry atmos- 
phere such as is usually found in living rooms, and if it once ob- 
tains a footing it is extremely difficult to control. Washing, as in 
the case of mealy-bug, is the best remedy; failing this, the under 
sides of the leaves should be sprayed with water with sufficient 
force to dislodge the insects. 
All house plants are benefited by being placed out-of-doors 
during the warm summer months. This is especially true of 
azaleas, which should be placed in a partially shaded position 
