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 previous to repotting them in fresh, 
sweet soil. Use pots large enough to contain the roots without 
crowding them. 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. When repotting into a larger 
pot, the plant should be turned out of the old pot, placed in 
position and earth filled in around it, tamping the earth down 
with a piece of lath or something 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 caseof ferns and plants having small 
leaves, which should be washed by 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 water ; 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 atmosphere 
such as is usually found in living rooms, and if it once obtains 
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 
outside as soon as danger of frost is over. All pot plants when 
grown out-of-doors should have their pots plunged to the rim in 
earth or ashes, as this helps to prevent the soil from drying out 
too rapidly, and also effects a saving of labor so far as watering 
Is concerned. 
