1870 . ] 
WINDOW PLANTS.-NO. I. 
]95 
strange that one so seldom sees it in cottage windows. In the course of my 
annual examination of cottages and cottage gardens through a large district, I 
stumble on a plant now and then, and it is sure to be the cherished pet of the 
cottager’s wife, and generally trained out on a trellis made of thin strips of wood, 
but sometimes suspended from the top in the centre of the window, in which 
position it develops itself in a more natural and consequently more beautiful 
manner than when it is formally trained on a trellis ; the latter mode, however, 
is not to be despised, as when trained horizontally across the lower part of the 
window it forms a charming screen, and is always certain to create interest on 
account of its peculiar appearance. 
The best compost for this tribe of plants consists of about equal parts of old 
mortar, brick, and lime rubbish, leaf-mould, and finely-broken charcoal, or peat 
charcoal if procurable, to which may be added a small proportion of loam. These 
several ingredients should be intimately mixed, but not sifted or broken too finely, 
as the compost is best used in a rough state. 
.The plants, are propagated by cuttings, which should be separated from the 
parent plant with a sharp knife, and laid out to dr}^ for a week or ten days, or 
even more if the cuttings are very young and soft ; the reason being, that if 
inserted without previously drying up a portion of the superfluous sap, the 
chances are that the cuttings will rot away instead of rooting into the soil. A 
6-in. pot is a very good size to grow them in, and this will accommodate six cuttings 
round the rim, thus insuring a good specimen from the first, as they may be 
retained in the same pot for several years. In filling let the pots have at least 
two inches of broken crocks for drainage, and insert the cuttings in a diagonal 
direction, with the base of the cuttings tending towards the centre of the pot, the 
points leaning outwards. July is the best month of the year to put in cuttings, 
as they are then tolerably well ripened, and there is a good chance of their being 
well-rooted by the time the dormant season of winter comes on. 
It is best to use the soil in a moderately moist condition, and not to give any 
water for a week or so, when a moderate quantity may be given, say twice a 
week, until growth commences, after which the quantity applied and the frequency 
of application will depend on the growth made, and the dryness of the atmosphere. 
In dry weather during free growth they may be watered freely, but less freely in 
moist weather; they should, however, never be watered unless the soil is dry, 
which may generally be ascertained by feeling ; and absolute dryness is necessary 
for plants kept in a window from October to March, if the interior atmosphere is 
cool, but if very dry and parching this must be taken with a reservation, and a 
httle water applied in mild weather, when the rods indicate its necessity by 
shrivelling too much. 
Training may be carried out on a horizontal trellis of wire or light wood 
painted green, and made to fit the size of the lower part of the window ; or the 
shoots may be spread over an upright trellis so as to allow of other plants being kept 
K 2 
