mineral salts will accumulate on the top of the 
soil and on the edge of the pot, causing a white 
crust to form. If the leaves rest on this crust, 
it will burn them and cause their distintegration. 
Most folks put aluminum foil around the edge of 
the pots to avoid difficulty. 
@. How much bone meal should I add to a 
3-inch pot? Mrs. R.M., Kansas. . 
A. One teaspoonful. 
Q. How can I get my small plants to bloom? 
Mrs. G.W., Ohio. 
A. We've found that a soil with a lot of 
peat in it will produce early bloom. Of course, 
lots of growers don’t want that early bloom. They’d 
rather have the early growth go to the roots and 
foilage. They argue that a stronger plant is pro- 
duced if bloom doesn’t come until later. They 
may have a point. 
Q@. Why do my leaf cuttings that I put in 
water to start grow only roots, no leaves? Mrs. 
F.D., Iowa. 
A. Maybe you leave them in water too long. 
You don’t want them to put up the leaves while 
they’re in the water, anyway. All you want them 
to do in the water is root. When your roots are 
about an inch long, it’s time to shift to soil. 
Q@. How do you make (you guessed it!) 
manure tea? How weak? How often water, etc? 
Mrs. T.R., Texas. 
A. So help me, there’s a guy in Oklahoma 
says he’s going to manufacture manure tea balls. 
They should be on the market any day now. In 
the meantime, Mrs. R., why don’t you fill a pail 
one-half full of well-rotted manure, and pour boil- 
ing water over it to fill the pail. Set it to stand 
someplace where the odor won’t bother anyone, 
and use the brew off the top as needed. About 
one-fourth cup per 3-inch pot every two weeks. 
We'd hoped to keep the Newsletter coming to 
you on a monthly basis indefinitely, but the new 
postal rates will affect third-class mail. That 
means the ax to the monthly Newsletter (sob!) 
(groan!). You'll notice that this issue is for 
November-December. As plans now stand, our 
little epistle will be issued eight times per year 
instead of twelve, as in the past ...I don’t like 
it either. Write your congressman. 
Love and kisses, 
a M 
Hous 
OED OED EES OED EP ES ED | SED () EEE ¢ 
