HOUSE AND GARDEN 
ECEMBER,1909 
201 
them back in the jar¬ 
dinieres. When you 
have learned the trick 
of watering, the “know 
how” of keeping plants 
in the house is mastered. 
There are plenty of 
pests waiting a chance 
to lake up residence on 
your plants, but they 
can be easily handled if 
one is watchful. Look 
over the leaves of the 
Try a fern ball and keep 
it moist 
palms occasionally, 
both sides and along 
the stems. It doesn’t 
take long to do it if the pest has not located. Wipe the leaves 
with a cloth. A little Ivory soapsuds on a cloth is a great help. 
After you have used the soap it would help considerably, if pos¬ 
sible, to syringe the foliage. This spraying is a great help. Of 
course if a plant has been neglected to such an extent that it 
is very badly covered with scale, the best 
thing to do is to be generous and give it 
to the poor. It is wonderful how rapidly 
scale and insects get busy, and one must 
get to work before they land. For a bad 
case use a kerosene emulsion. Dissolve a 
half pound of Ivory soap in a half gallon 
of soft water, shaving the soap into the 
water as the latter boils. Remove from the 
fire and add a gallon of kerosene, churning 
or shaking the mixture vigorously until a 
creamy emulsion is formed. Make a smaller 
quantity if more convenient, for a small can 
of the emulsion—which you may buy if you 
like and save trouble—will last a long time. 
Use it diluted with eight or ten parts of 
water. Syringe the plant with clean water 
after this treatment. Get in among the 
branches with a stiff brush. This is the 
place to hunt out the pests. 
Now as to what to grow. First and fore¬ 
most stand the Kentias, Fosteriana and Bel- 
morea. They are all that could be desired 
in the way of a palm. When you buy be 
Pandanus Veitchii is one of the 
easiest house plants to grow 
The Maiden-hair fern requires space, 
good drainage and good compost 
The Boston Fern endures very well 
dry atmosphere of the house' 
reasonably sure that the plant has been potted some time, 
do this turn it out of the pot and see the condition of 
roots. A newly potted plant does not do so well as 
that has been potted some time. 
For an iron- 
bound, indestruct¬ 
ible, last - ti 11-1 h e - 
cows -c ome-home 
To 
the 
one 
variety of house plant, nothing can compare with the Aspi¬ 
distra. You can keep it in the same pot for years and it will make 
roots strong enough to break the pot. Because of its prominence 
in the windows of saloons it has been looked down upon by 
many very sensitive persons, but notwithstanding its unfortunate 
surroundings, it can be made a most desirable 
house plant. Keep its leaves shining and 
put it most any old place and it will grow 
and continue to grow and look well. Give 
it a little bone meal once in a while. Lurida 
and lurida var. are the kinds to get. The 
first is the green the latter, variegated. 
Araucaria excelsa or Norfolk Island Pine 
is a ’most attractive plant, but with most 
people difficult to grow. Keep it moist in 
watering, give it light but not hot sun and 
spray it frequently and you may be lucky to 
keep it going. It is worth the trouble of 
experiment for the sake of its decorative 
value. 
Almost as good as the Aspidistra is the 
Pandanus Veitchii. A great many have 
been unsuccessful with this plant, but if it 
is kept on the dry side and given the light, 
with a careful watching for scale, nothing 
will do any better. It will last for years. 
I know it for I have proved it. The small 
plants are suited for a table centerpiece. 
Try a fern ball—it’s worth the trouble. 
Soak it thoroughly first and hang it up. When it starts growth 
give it occasional waterings of manure water or, if the board of 
health is too vigilant, use bone meal. A well grown fern ball is 
very beautiful. Don’t forget to keep it well moistened. 
The main point is to 
choose something from 
the 
among the 
house plants. 
available 
In potting always secure 
drainage space at bottom 
Wipe the leaves with a damp 
cloth to keep the pores open 
Scale on a palm leaf — spray 
with kerosene emulsion 
To examine the roots re¬ 
move the pot in this way 
The first pot is too large, the 
second just right in size 
