FOR YOUNG GARDENERS. 
51 
A kitchen makes a fine hospital for sick plants as the 
moisture from cooking makes a damp atmosphere. 
The very best plants for a window garden are those 
adapted to resist a dry atmosphere and high temperature 
and insufficient light. They are found among tropical 
plants with coriaceous leaves with small stomata, such as 
Palms, Rubber Plants, etc. Flowering plants are best in¬ 
troduced when about to bloom. The best windows for 
most plants are those with a southern exposure. Trouble 
is likely to come from the use of unsuitable soil. The 
best time to take up plants, growing in the open air, for 
winter bloom inside is generally the last of August. Pot 
them and put in a shaded place for a few days, sprinkling 
the foliage during the middle of pleasant weather. Plants 
so treated will get a good start and bloom during the win¬ 
ter months instead oi waiting until Spring as is likely to 
be the case with plants remaining in the ground till frost 
comes. Avoid draughts and the application of too much 
water at the root until the plants have become accustomed 
to their new quarters. 
I will treat briefly of the following topics: 
1. Mixing and fertilizing the soil. 
For common plants—Geraniums, Coleus, Bego¬ 
nias. 
For Palms and Roses. 
For Cacti, etc. 
2. Selecting and arranging the plants in boxes. 
3. Potting and re-potting plants. 
4. Propagation. 
5. Bulbs. 
6. Care of plants. 
MIXING AND FERTILIZING THE SOIL. 
The preparation of the soil is one of the first and most 
important points for success in gardening of any kind. It 
is obvious with plants grown in pots or boxes where the 
roots are necessarily more or less cramped, that the soil 
must be rich in available food and in sustaining power. 
