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November 
December will have passed away, aud, as they 
begin to lengthen, we shall begin to watch eagerly for 
our plants to give indications that the genial rays of 
the sun are bringing its influence to bear upon them. 
Now and then we see new leaves starting, and we.feel 
encouraged. Many of them are waiting for the still 
longer days ; so we will be patient and let them take 
their own time for starting into new growth. Very 
nearly all of plant life must have its season of rest; 
and this season, in most cases, is taken in the winter. 
It is supposed that there are ladies seeking for use¬ 
ful information, who have a genuine love for flowers, 
and are willing to bestow sufficient care on them to 
insure success in their cultivation, if possible. To such 
persons I propose to give a few hints on the successful 
culture of plants in the sitting-room window. 
If your plants should he on the shady side of the 
house, avoid as much as possible too great artificial 
heat. The higher the temperature, the more the 
plants suffer for want of light. Plant life, as well as 
animal, is dependent upon sunlight and pure air, as 
well as heat aud proper food. 
Judgment as well as experience should he used in 
WATERING PLANTS. 
If they stand in a sunny window, the moisture 
evaporates in a great measure before it is taken up by 
the plants, and they should be watered often. On the 
other hand, those standing in a ccol, shady situation 
may not require it oftener than once a week. Again, 
plants that are growing, require much more water than 
those that are resting. This is an important consid¬ 
eration, and one that should be remembered and prac¬ 
tised with care. There is not much danger of giving 
too much water to a healthy plant that is growing 
vigorously, hut when that plant, or any other, is tak¬ 
ing its season of rest, water must he given sparingly, 
or you injure it. A child that is sick does not have the 
appetite that a well one does, and if it eats beyond its 
appetite, so much the worse for the child. On the 
same principle a plant struggles on in an unhealthy 
state, or dies, when its roots are not capable of taking 
up the water in a wet and sodden soil. In a word, 
water should he given to plauts when the surface of 
the soil is dry. Then it is better to give a good quan¬ 
tity each time, that it may penetrate to the roots 
throughout the pot, than to pour on a little more often, 
giving nourishment only to roots near the surface. 
TO GUARD AGAINST THE COLD 
is an all-important consideration. When the wind 
whistles around .your dwelling, seeking for an entrauce 
through some opening, you may be sure it will gain 
that entrance, if possible. Plants are much more 
liable to freeze on a windy night than on a still one, 
though the temperature may he much lower on the 
still night. If you place a newspaper between the 
window and the curtain, and fit it nicely to the casing, 
it will check its course, and protect the plants. Paper 
hags, such as the grocers use, are useful to draw down 
over your choice plants that are not too large. Paste 
the two edges of a newspaper together and draw it 
over your large ones. Two or more papers can he 
pasted together at the edges, making a long strip, 
which may be pinned around a whole stand of plants. 
Then by placing another paper over the top you have 
them all nicely inclosed. This method of inelosure 
serves a double purpose—one to keep out the cold 
another to arrest the moisture as it escapes by evapor¬ 
ation from the soil in the pots, and giving it baek to 
the leaves of the plants. A dish of water or a wet 
sponge within the inclosure will serve to create a moist 
atmosphere so necessary to the health of plants. An¬ 
other consideration is, a more even temperature will 
he maintained within such an inclosure; those plauts 
near the window are kept the warmer, and those on 
the opposite side are not parched hy the dry and heated 
atmosphere of the room. 
The reason why the culture of plants is usually more 
successful in a green house than in a sitting-room win¬ 
dow, is not owing to any secret method of the florist, 
as some persons suppose. He studies them and learns 
their individual wants. If he desires his Begonias, 
Bouvardias, and Heliotropes to flower, he gives them 
that part of the house where the heat is greatest. He 
aims to maintain, as near as possible, an even tempera¬ 
ture through the day, and at night some ten or fifteen 
degress lower. There is no carpet or nice furniture to 
he injured by water, so he throws it about, keeping 
the walks and the benches wet, giving to the house a 
moist atmosphere. Then, there is the glass overhead, 
through which we obtain so mueh of our common 
friend, the sunshine. The whole may he summed up, 
therefore, with these three conditions : Sufficient light, 
proper heat, and a healthy atmosphere. The more 
nearly we imitate these conditions, the greater will he 
our success. 
There are many plants, among which are Fuchsias, 
Geraniums, Pelargoniums, and others, that are not 
classed among the winter-blooming ones, and should 
now he prepared for another summer. 
To make handsome well-formed plants of these, 
they should be well 
CUT BACK. 
Many of us have done so already, and those who 
have not, should examine their collection and draw 
out those with crooked and unsightly branches. These 
should he pruned in many cases to near the old wood. 
Sometimes just pinching off the end of the shoot is 
sufficient to make it throw out side branches. Gera¬ 
niums, to make bushy plants for your flower garden 
another summer, should have all the branches cut off 
even, or nearly so. The centre ones may he left a 
little taller, if you choose. In a short time new 
branches, and many more of them than were cut away, 
will appear, making a well-formed plant. When one 
considers the greater number ot flowers to he obtained 
from a bushy plant than from one with hut a single 
stem, they need not spare the knife. The cast-off 
branches should now be rooted hy being put into wet 
sand or soil, and kept warm, giving you a stock of 
Geraniums for the flower garden. One can hardly 
have too many of them, unless their garden is very 
limited for room. 
The silver-leafed Geraniums should he cut down to 
give them a bushy form. Never fear to take a piece 
from the top ; it will surely push out new leaves in 
time ; hut don’t give it too much water, and a pot four 
or five inches in diameter is large enough. All Gera¬ 
niums blossom more freely when the roots are pinched 
lor room. 
Some of the Fuchsias are inclined to throw long 
and crooked branches. The Carl Halt is one ot them. 
The flowers of this variety are very handsome, hut 
unless the branches are kept in subjection, the form of 
the plant is anything hut pleasing. By pinching the 
end from every branch at its third or fourth joint until 
the blossom-buds appear, you will have a fine busliy- 
formed plant and many more flowers. 
The Daphne Odora is another example of the same 
kind. When the plant is done flowering in the sprins>, 
it should he well cut back. Last winter a friend offered 
me one that was so large she had no room for it. 1 
gladly took it home, and when the flowers had all 
gone by, every branch was cut to within about three 
inches of the old wood. Instead of eight or ten 
branches, as there were then, there are thirty-four 
now, and each with a flower or bud at its termination. 
The circumference of the plant is much less than it 
was a year ago. There being so many more branches 
to support, they did not stretch out. so far, but far 
enough to need another shortening at the proper 
time. 
After pruning, the plants maybe set one side and 
not have much water given them. But when the new 
leaves start, give it them freely. The growth of the 
plants being temporarily checked by the cutting back, 
the roots cannot take up so much water as when they 
are growing rapidly. 
INSECTS. 
The heated atmosphere of your rooms is just suited 
to the wants of the red spider. It delights in the heat, 
and the dryer it is the more it flourishes, and conse¬ 
quently the more the plants suffer. If you notice that 
the leaves on your plants are becoming a yellowish 
brown, and are dropping from your Boses, they are 
probably infested with this troublesome insect. They 
have their favorites among the plants, but it is well to 
examine them all, and separate those that are infested 
from the others at once. Unless you are acquainted 
with their habits, you will hardly mistrust that you 
are harboring them at all. They are found like a tiny 
red speck on the under side of the leaves. It is won¬ 
derful what an amount of mischief such little things 
can do. 
To rid your plants of them, they should be taken to 
the sink or some place where water can be used freely. 
Place the plant on its side in the sink, and pour water 
upon it, turning it over and over, as you pour the wa¬ 
ter upon the leaves. Use the plant as roughly as you 
can without breaking it, and keep it wet as long as 
possible. At night you may lay it on its side on a wet 
cloth, and roll it up in it, letting it lie so all night. 
Water is the red spider’s greatest enemy, and if you 
persevere, your plants may be well rid of it. Taking 
the plants to the sink once a week and showering 
them will act as a preventive. 
The aphis, or green fly, is larger and more easily 
seen than the spider. Take some tobacco, put it in 
some water and let it soak until it looks like strong 
tea. The proportions may be about one-fourth of a 
pound of tobacco to three or four quarts of water. 
This may be applied with a syringe. A brush or a 
sponge may be dipped into the tobacco water and 
used to brush them off. Small plants can be plunged 
into it, the top downward. Some persons use carbolic 
soap successfully in washing them off. 
The scale must be picked or scraped off, and the 
leaves, stems, and branches that have been infested 
with it washed in soap aud water. These will be 
found more frequently on Ivies, Oleanders, and other 
hard wooded plants. 
The mealy bug is not so common as the above-men¬ 
tioned, but let it once get a foothold, and it is very 
difficult to get rid of it. It must be sought for dili¬ 
gently, and removed by washing and hand-picking. 
There are other subjects relating to floriculture on 
which I may write at some future time. 
Fanny Myrick. 
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