Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-01-22
Window Plants.

The following thorough and practical
directions for the management Of house
plants were given by John G. Barker
at recent meeting of the Massachu-
sets Horticultural Society, and will
doubtless be useful to many of our
readers:
Mr.. Barker named as the first and
most essential requisite for the cultiva-
ton of house plants a good window
facing the South; bay window is pref.
cradle, as giving light ON three sides.
A glass door or sash to shut Off the
window from the room is desirable, to
exclude dust and cold draughts when
sweeping or ventilating the room.
Ventilation should always be given at
the top Of the window. Cleanliness
cannot be too well attended to; it is as
necessary to the health of plants as to
that of our bodies. Washing the leaves
with n sponge with water of the same
temperature as the air of the room, as
well as an occasional sprinkling on q
fine day, which may be done with a
small brush when syringe cannot be
conveniently used, will be a great
help.
There is nothing more ANNOYING to
the ealtivator of house plants than the
green fly; smoking with tobacco is the
best remedy, but however closely the
partition between the window and the
room may be shut, the scent will get
into the room more or less. Therefore,
use an infusion of tobacco made by fill
ing pail with stems and pouring on
them all the water the pail will hold.
This should stand twenty-four hours
and be used in the proportion of half
pint to a pail of water The plants
should be turned bottom up, placing
the left hand over the top of the pot to
prevent accident, and then plunging it
into the solution once or twice, until
the flies drop off. Some of this solution
should always be kept on hand and
used on the first appearance of the
green fly. After using, the plants must
be rinsed in clear water, of the same
temperature as the room. A florist in
Philadelphia kept his plants clean in
this way without fumigating. A scaly
insect more common on oleanders and
other thick-leayed plants, adhering
closely to the stems and leaves, is not
SO easily destroyed. These may be
washed with whale-oil soap and water.
A sponge dipped in little sweet or
kerosene oil, aud wiped up the stem
and under the leaves occasionally, will
keep off the scale effectually. The
speaker had applied this successfully to
plants which had been neglected and
got very dirty, using kerosene so freely
as to have some misgivings how it
would affect the plants, but they are
now showing remarkably fine growth.
Iniudicious watering is great injury
to plants; too much water is oftener
the trouble than not enough. The soil
on top of the pot will indicate the need
of water by looking dry, and when wa
ter is given. it should be done thor
oughly, and not in mere driblet, that
will not go half way through the soil
No rule can be given for watering ex-
eept to give it when the plants need IL,
and never without taking off the chill,
if cold, by letting it stand il the room
or adding warm water. Plants in
warm rooms require to be kept moist at
all times, but not saturated. As the
day grows longer and the sun gets
higher. and the plants begin to grow
and flower, more water will be needed.
For plants close to the glass a box filled
with sphagnum. in which the pots may
be plunged, will be of great help in
keeping an even degree of moisture and
avoiding scattering the soil on the
shelves and glass.
In regard to heat, good rule Is that
when you feel comfortable yourself the
temperature is about right for house
plants, most of them being from tenn
perate climates. But never be without
a thermometer in the room; from 20 to
rs degrees by day, and As degrees at
night, will be good guide. The
blinds should be arranged to slide be-
tween the shelves and the glass, and
there should be outside shutters to put
up in unusually cold weather. They
should be light and in small sections,
so as to be easily put up by anyone who
happens to be at home