Green Tree Flower Gardens 
layer of pebbles— V 4 inch size—spread on the bot¬ 
tom and your pots set on these. Then keep the 
pebbles wet and this will do much toward creating 
a moist atmosphere, which is helpful not only for 
the plants, but for living conditions generally. 
Where plants are distributed individually through¬ 
out the house, itf pebbles are placed in the saucer 
and kept wet it is helpful. Glazed pots or con¬ 
tainers with bottom drainage are being used with 
considerable success by a number of people. 
FERTILIZERS 
It is a very easy matter to overfertilize your 
Begonias. A good sprinkling of Bone meal or 
Vigoro (both of which are slow acting) in your 
original soil formula is very good, then a little 
stimulation just prior to the time the blooming 
season is at its height. 
Never use lime in connection with Begonias. 
They love acid soil. If you wish to experiment 
with humus do so very sparingly. Floranid and 
Nitrophoska are much to their liking. Never 
place dry fertilizer on the top of the soil in a pot 
of Begonias, because the small hair like roots 
grow toward the top and these would be harmed. 
Never use a liquid fertilizer when your plant is 
showing a retarded growth. Occasionally water 
made from steeping tobacco stems or dust in 
water may be used as a purifying agent for the 
soil and as a gentle stimulant. Do not use this 
and a liquid fertilizer at the same time. 
PESTS 
Begonias are immune from most of the pests 
that eifect other plants. Mealy bug is perhaps 
its worse enemy, however if you eliminate ants 
you will find that most of your mealy bugs have 
disappeared. Ant traps are clean, easily used, 
inexpensive and very effective. Mealy bugs make 
their nest or habitation usually under the dried 
stipules which come at the joints of the plants. 
Keep these picked off and if you find mealy bugs 
there take a tooth pick with a swab of cotton on 
it, dip in soapy water and wash the affected part 
thoroughly. 
Never allow the leaves to drop off and lay on 
the soil as this makes a hiding place for pests. 
If you see signs of worms in the soil, a very thin 
sprinkling of arsenate of lead over the top of the 
soil will eliminate this in a short time and will 
not affect the plant. Use this sparingly, take 
only what will lay on the tip of a case knife and 
tap onto the soil. If you have slugs or snails 
use a mixture of 1 tablespoon of Paris Green, 16 
heaping tablespoons of bran and 6 tablespoons of 
molasses; spread this around wherever the pests 
are found. If this is used in a conservatory or 
greenhouse make sure that mold does not start 
By taking a search light after dark for a week 
or so they can be cleaned out by destroying them 
as you see them moving around. Camphor balls 
around are also a good deterrent for ants. 
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