The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-05-22
rhe Gal.u-e or.Iou~e Plant.


At this season OF the year a little care
bestowed upon the treatment Of house
plants is better repaid in the future
growth of the plants than at any other
time. The soil for pottng plants must
be light. 1t may be lightened by mix
ing it with coarse sand, such as builders
use The soil should not BE- pressed
tightly about the plant roots, nor should
the pot be quite filled with mold. There
should always be drainage provided.
For pots it is sufficient to well cover the
bottom Of the pot with small pieces OF
| broken earthenware; but ii boxes are
used, a laver an inch and half deep Of
coarse cinders Is excellent This drain
/ age Is necessary to prevent the roots from
rOtting, and it follows that plants should
never be watered from the flower pot
saucers. But very little water is neces-
sary at this time OF year, nor should it
be perceptibIy warmed. Slips OF cut
tings will start best in unusually dry soil,
If the temperature Is below go f.. but
| If planted IN coarse sand Il liberal supply
Of water Is necessary.
| y very common error Is to chose old
wood for slips or cuttings, whereas the
| young green branches are the best.
They should be planted deeply, and the
surface Of the soil must be kept loose.
| La watering, wet the soil in the neigh
/ borhoOd Of, but not close TO, the cut
ting Carnations and pinks are best
/ obtained by layerIng; that j., the shoots
are cut off or three-quarters through, and
bent so that the part cut may be covered
/ about a halfinch in the soil. In about
| three weeks the part cut will have thrown
out roots, when the cutting may be re-
moved from the parent plant and potted
| bv itself Geranum slips are best OBJ
| tanned by cutting arms of young wood
| three-quarters of the way through, at a
! distance of about two inches from the
end Of the shoot, and then allowing the
partly severed slip to stand about week
or eight days on parent plant before en-
! tireiy severing it. Running plants are
best propagated by pinning the arms
down TO the surface of the soil; this viii
cause them to take root as they spread.
To cause plants to grow bushy, pinch
| the ewes out Of the ends of the longest
branches, which will then throw out side
shoots, and in this way plant may be
caused to grow to almost any required
| shape.
Ii plants are infested with insects they
may be efectually freed as follows:
| Place them upon table or platform,
on which there are two or three inches
! of sand, and cover them with Il vessel Of
any kind, or place over them a cloth SO
arranged rs to cover without damaging
them. Beneath the vessel or cover in
sert some burning tobacco, and let it re-
main for fifteen minutes. This is much
| better plan than using tobacco water,
because the smoke will permeate between
the leaves, where it would be difficult to
get the tobacco water; but if tobacco
water is used, it should be syIinged be
meath the leaves in all directions. If the
soil is impregnat6d with insects, as Is
very often the case, from tho use Of fer
filters, the very best remedy Is TO let the
soil get dry. and then cover it with CHIN
nev SCOT to a depth of about One-quarter
of an inch, then apply water literally.
This will kill the insects without iniur-
ING Lhe plants. Insects in the fertilizer
are very common and destructive for
plants, and can only be guarded against
with certainty by pouring boiling water
on the soil, after welI.miXing the fertll.
lizer in it. To prevent the destruction
of seed by insects it may be mixed, be
fore sowing, with either powdered sui
phur or SCOT, the latter being pretera-
bic.
To cause a plant to bloom, allow it to
become pot bound; that Is, let it remain
in The pot until the roots have become
matted in the pot, and as soon as it has
done blooming, re-pot it in larger pot,
taking care not 10 disturb the roots.
In order to facilitate this, give the plant
little water, place the hand over the
surface Of the soil, with the fingers spread
out and the stem of the plant between
the fingers; turn the pot upside down
and tap its edge against something solid,
and the plant and mold will come IN
broken from the pot, Place the plant
in the middle of the new and larger pot,
and fill in all around it with rich mold.
Plants raised in the house for spbse-
quent planting in the garden should be
placed out of doors in the middle of the
day during warm weather. SO that they
will become gradually accustomed 10 the
change of temperature and not wilt when
planted out. They should be planted
out il dry soil and in dry weather, or
Just before "a rain shower.
American.