American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-02-24
Concerning House Plants.

House plants are things of beauty, and
consequently desirable, if they are
healthy, which, unfortunately, they very
rarely are. In the majority of instances
plants are injured by too great care, a
business that isn't content to let them
grow their own way, but must be always
trying to force nature to go contrary to
her own sweet will. This she will not
do. The remedy is to let nature have her
own way Just find out how plant likes
to grow, and then humor it in every way.
The cacti are dainty plants, taking in
much of their sustenance by the leaves,
and, being from the tropics prefer ight
and rather dry soil; this they seldom get,
for the solicitous house gardener is so
anxious to make her pet cactus put forth
its glorious blossom, that she keeps its
roots soaking constantly. The oleander,
on the contrary is plant of the marsh
es, and being big plant in big tub,
gets, perhaps, little sprinkling of water
each day, just enough to moisten the sur
face.
The first thing to be learned, then, is
the nature of the plant cultivated, its
wants, and the best way OF supplying
them. There are many plants of hardy
growth that admit of general treatment,
and will thrive in spite of too much care
or too little. Fuchias, geraniums, petu-
MAS, ageratum, and the ebutilon are of
easiest culture; will grow in the most or
binary soil, and are not dependent for
their thrift on a carefully regulated tenn
perature The success of house plants
largely depends upon watering them reg
ularly, and frequently, and noi.profusely
If too much water is given, the soil soon
loses its vitaliZing properties, becomes
sodden and sour, and your plant grows
sickly, because its root is rotted.
Give your plants air on every warm day
in winter, and you will not be annoyed
by red spiders, which are, without doubt,
the greatest of all pests to house plants.
If your plants do become infested with
these minute and persistent insects, there
is but one way to get rid of them a
thorough showering of the underside of
the leaves daily with cold water. The
ageratum is specially liable to be attacked
by the red spiders and should therefore
be watched with great care. The insects,
which are hardly visible to the naked eye,
may he detected by a fine web that
gathers on the neither surface of the
leaves, and by the general sickly appear
ance of the plant. The aphis, or plant
louise, is another annoyance; but as the
fumes of tobacco are extremely noxious
to it, it may be easily gotten rid of.
There are three things essential to the
healthy growth and beauty of house
plants; they are sunlight, pure water
and fresh sir In proportion as these are
supplied, success will follow. Do not try
to cultivate too many plants a few Wig
orous plants standing in the full sun
shine of the sitting-room window, are
doubly worth the crowded, ill-assorted
collection that disfigure many rooms.
Better simple geranium, with its round,
gracefully scalloped leaves of deep green,
and crowned with punches OF scarlet
bloom, than an array of scrawny, lily
pruned, bug-infested plants, that make
one feel as if he was in Il hospital for dis
eased getation.-Household.