Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-04-02
The culture Of House.PIsnt- IN
mOou,a


laid down. The conditions are so varied |
in respect to light, heat and moisture, that |
specific directions, in very many cases, |
prove useless. One has a pet theory, and |
thinks he has found the true secret, il Sc
cret there be, of success, when suddenly |
ne comes across n window full Of plants |
whose beauty Of foliage and abundance of
flowers completely overshadows his own
and upon inquiry he finds that hardly one
of his most important rules has been fol-
lowed. In fact, the owners themselves,
cannot say why they are more successful
than others. One will grow plants and
flowers to almost greenhouse perfection,
in a north window, where the plants have
little, if any sunlight; another, with a
west window, will show some specimens
that cannot be excelled even under the
most favorable conditions. mention the
above cases because they are usually con-
sidered the worst exposures that can he
given.
Again, the professional says, discard all
china, lava, glazed or metal pots, for the
roots of plants must have air, and they can
get it only through the sides of the COM
mon soft burned porous pot" The theory
may be well enough, but one day he dis
covers in some cottage window plant
whose beauty arrests his attention, and
whose luxuriousness would ill the heart of
greenhouse man with envy. He knocks
at the door, asks the privilege of a closer
view, and finds it growing in a two-quart
tin pail without the least sign of pores in
its sides.
WHAT IS DESIRED AND HOW OBTAINED.
The great desderatum in window plants
is, that they give us either flowers or foliage
through the dreary winter months. This
can be arrived at only by careful attention
TO a few necessary details. First of all,
plants in proper condition must be obtain
ed. We must not expect those that have
given us of their bounty all summer to
continue the same through the winter. A
season of rest is absolutely necessary to al
most all plants. Preparation for winter
should begin as early as June. Even earlier
than this, seed of Chinese Primrose and
Cinerarla should be sown. Plants for
winter towering should be kept in pots all
summer, or plants in proper state must
he procured from some florist in the early
designed for winter Towering until about
the middle of August. Amer that they
may be allowed to grow that we may have
early winter flowers. The later the buds
are pinched off in the summer, the later
will the plants be in coming into flower in
the winter. This is especially the case with
Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Bouvaidias,
Helotropes, and similar plants. Plants
should be brought into the house and
placed in position before the winter fires
are made, that they may become 'wonted'
to their indoor life
AIR AND VENTILATION.
Plants should be given fresh air every
day, unless the weather is too cold-ssy
when the mercury registers 10 deg. above
zero. This can be done by opening win
dow farthest away from the plants. When
too cold, a door or window in an adjoining
room can be opened. Care should be tax zen,
however, that no direct draft blows upon
the tender plants. The cracks around the
sash and casing should DO effectually clos
ed. This can bedone very neatly by FASTING
narrow strips of paper over them. A Storm
sash or double window is the surest pro-
lection against frost, and next to this is a
paper curtain between the plants and the
window.
THE SOIL AND WATER.
The soil used in potting should be neith-
er too sandy, as it Will dry out too quickly;
nor too heavy, for this holds the water too
long, and is apt to become soggy. A mix
ture OF sand, leaf mould and common gar
II. N Ii. -
room plants. would recommend the use
of finely powdered charcoal in the bottom
of the pots, not so much TO secure good
drainage as TO correct accidity in the soil
occasioned by overwhelming. a moderate
use of stmulants will be found very bene-
fetal to growing plants, but they should
not be used on such as are partially or
wholly dormant. Bone dust, guano, and
special ammonated preparations are the
most convenient, especially for city resi-
: dents. To those who have the facilities for
making liquid barn yard manure, l would
say, use that in preference TO any other.
The subject of watering is one that can
not be too carefully studied. How and
when TO water must be learned by expert
ence. General directions only can be given.
First of all, invariably use warm water.
Water sparingly rather than too often.
Plants die more easily from drowning than
from thirst.
PLANT ENEMIES.
Foremost among the enemies of house
plants 1 would place Dust. 1t stops the
pores Of the leaves through which they all
breathe. 1t smothers them as effectually
as though buried foot deep in the earth.
Smooth, glossy leayed plants, like the Ivy
or Wax-Plant, should DO washed as often
Us once week, with a sponge or cloth
dipped in water. Others, like the Orna-
mental ioliaged Begonias, Primroses and
Cyclamens should be treated with small
feather-duster, or solt dry sponge, as they
are very impatient of moisture over head
Geraniums, Roses, etc., should be show
cred frequently with a small syringe, at
omizer, or when nothing better is at hand,
small whsk broom dipped in warm wa
ter.
The Aphis or Green-ny coming upon the
tender, succulent shoots, sucking the vital
ity and materially iniuring the plants, can
be easily destroyed by invertlng the plant
and dipping it a few minutes into a solu-
lion of tobacco wafer, whale-oil soap, or
even in common soap-suds, all made quite
warm. They should be thoroughly rinsed
after the operation. This will also destroy
the minute Red Spider, that almost imper-
ceptible little pest that causes the leaves to
turn rusty brown without any apparent
cause. '.. A..