Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-18
window Gardening for January.


WINTER.
One chief drawback to the successful growth
of house plants Is found in the dryness and heat
Of the atmosphere of our sttng-roJms; aud
likewise in the gas of our coal fire and chaniel
iers; for the unconsumed gas which always es-
capes In greater or less degree Is very injurious
10 plant life. 1t is a good plan to cover the
plants at night with newspapers, and thus shade
them from the direct influence of the gas-lights;
yet they win suffer little from it, even while
thus protected.
ton against freezing; and siAgle thickness OF
paper, folded around a tender plant will often
prove an effectual guard against q moderate de-
gree of frost. Lately, the mercury has sunk low
er in some parts of New England than was ever
known by the oldest inhabitants so and 4Oe be-
low zero has been marked upon various thcr-
mOmeters: but closely folded ia newspapers our
plant-stands have stood in the dining-rOom win
dows, and have not felt a chilling breath. A
hanging basket suspe nded in the parlor window
and filed with growing vines OF various kinds,
has passed through the bitter cold Of the W
past nights uninjured, by having four thickness
es of paper pinned tight about it.
Tuck newspapers about your plants fair
friend, as you tuck the warm blankets abOat
out in the morning of the frostiest night bright
and green. But, Ii the fires are all out, and the
mercury sinks below 30, in the rooms where the
plants stand, even the newspapers may not prove
sufficient protection. Flower lovers, however,
usually cover up fire enough in stoves. furnaces
and hre-places to prevent the atmosphere of
their rooms from sinking too low: and the news
papers will permit the plants to stand in their
respective places without harm.
Now, We can protect our plants from the worse
effects Of gas-light and frosts; but the question
of the dryness and heat in which our women pU
live? We can do this by frequent showerings,
and by no other way. Any one who POSSESSES a
bathroom can WASH plants easily in warm water
once a week, by placing them in the Tub. and
dipping small hand brush into warmsh water
and shaking it thoroughly over them. Thispro-
cess imprOvises summer shower; plant syr-
inge NAV he a little better. but we are contenfed
with the little brush broom for our plants. Ii
bathroom is not attainabe, a tin hat answers
every purpose. and as many plants as will stand
mp can be placed init and plentifully showercd.
Then with the thumb and finger rub over every
leaf, there is no sponge that can equal these APP
pliances, and they are always at hand. In
showering the plant it is better to turn 10 on the
side before setting 1t away, and shower both the
under and upper surfaces of the leaves. Ii the
plants are very dirty, and have not been washed
for several weeks. use weak sOap-suds, and thor
oughly wash both stems and leaves.
Thus treated, and selecting cloudy day for
the operation, and repeating il at least once a
for might, there will be no trouble from the
1t is the want of cleanliness which breeds these
insects; and whenever yOu see them, administer
n shOwer-bath of warm water soon as posi-
Bile. There are hundreds of plants which are a
disgrace to their owners, because they
have never tried to keep them clean. Anappli-
plcatiOn of soap and water by nimble fingers
would soon make all the untidiness disappear,
and set adrift every insect besides being very
essential to the healthy growth Of the plants
The clearness of the stems and leaves of plants
is very important when we consider that the
plants not only respire through them, but that
there is constant system of prespiatiOn cor
ried on by their aid. Hales reckons that the per-
spiratiOnof plants amounts to seventeen times
more than that of the human body; and in hisre-
searches he discovered that a cabbage lost one
pound and a quarter of moisture thus thrown
off. The Orifices through which these prespira-
tory processes are carried ON are exceedingly
small, and hardly observable with glasses OF
great power. In the hydrangea more than IO0,-
900 orifces to be seen in the space OF square
inch. These Orfices are on both sides OF the
leaves, but in a great number of plants are
found chiefly the under side; yet i'm all aInat-
ic plants, where the leaves lie on the surface of
the water, the Brespiring Oritices are uniformly
on the upper side; and if a leaf is reversed. it
wiz soon decay. Thick-Skinned and shining
leaves, like those of a camelia, orange, or
laurel, prespire less freely than those of a de-
ciduOus plant. An experiment was tried by
the leaves of a snniiOwer, hollyhock
and grape with thick solution of gum arabic
on the under side, and, and they soon turned
yellow, for they were parbOiled in their own
juices.
So with your house plants, if YOU allow their
leaves to become clOgged up with the dust aris-
ing from sweeping Of the carpets and the impuri-
ties OF the air, they cannot grow in luxuriance
and beauty, but viii be miserabiy stinted; their
foliage will turn yellow and drop off, and buds
and flowers will not appear. Only try the eff
fects or " weeLiy Shovnr-bath and washing and
see for yourselves how great Will be tne imp uvo-
ment i'll your window gardens.
If plants are worthy Of being cultivated, they
are surely worth good treatment, and unless we
are willing To give them this,--to spend a few
hours in special attendance upon tnem,-we had
better not attempt To cultivate them. 1t fairly
makes us shiver to see half the hOnse plants that
grow in windows: they miserable, and
seem really to suffer, and are dying for want OF
breath.
If your plants are covered with myriads OF
green flies, one. or even two washings may fail
o kill all the colonies of eggs deposited upon
them; but timely smoking from tobacco NAV
prove destructive to them, as they are to plant
life. If the gentleman of the house are add cted
TO smoking, yOu can turn the weed to some good
purpose, by letting the smoke curl up among The
leaves and stems of your plants, yet not SO near
as to wither them by its heat. Or Won can throw
an ounce OF tobacco upOn pOt-saucer filed with
burning Goals, and put plants and saucer under
a wash tub, taking care to place the latte. So
that the. smoke will not fall directly under them
but at one side. Let them remain just ten min
utes, then remove the tub, and wash the plants
as directed above.
There Is scaly bug which is a great nuisance,
and neither smoking nor Washing will avail to
frighten It away but stick will scrape it Oft;
or the thumb nail may be applied to it. Tea
roses are often nearly ruined by this insect.
We have dwelt minutely upon the need of
cleanliness. because we believe it to boone OF the
chief elements of success in plant culture. We
have great faith in the application of water for
the restoration of health to plant life as well as
to human life Humanity suffers for it; it is SO
cheap a remedy, however, that it is despised by
many who will almost beggar themselves by TAX
ing quack medicines and doctors prescriptions
yet viii not remember that "cledainsss is akin
10 godliness." There are those who really dis
like to wash their hands and faces, and hold that
dirt is healthy; and yet If they did not inhale
more Of the outdoor air than their neighbors
who do not believe in filth, they would soon
learn better, for though they do close up the
pores of their shins, they do not shut up their
mouth and nOstrils, but inhale ozone upon every
wintry day.
Pardon this depression, fair friends, it is given
because we desire you to comprehend the wants
of your plants their peculiar structure etc, and
to understand that they both breath and pes