Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-07

gether an anxious and not always a judicious
crowd of flower buyers bidding too often at a
name rather than for plant. As rule plants
sold at auction bring good prices, sometimes if
not often more than market value.
There are few houses in which there is not
| something in the way of a flower during the
| winter, when circumstances will permit, some
| thing or anything, from the old soap box of
| stubby geraniums in the kitchen to the WELL
appointed conservatory or pretty bay-window
garden in front. 1t was the late Mr.. Beecher
who said Floral insanity is one of the most
charming Affections to which man is heir to.
| The victim never wishes to be cured. nor
should any one wish to cure him.
| 1t Is not an easy matter for lovers of flowers
to give them up from the frosts of autumn I'M
| III the warm, sunny days of April and May-so
the lnterregnum is supplied by the house plant,
and often the substitute is perfect miniature
| OF a pretty summer garden. Tastes and opinions
differ, very fortunately for variety's sake, as to
what plants prove most pleasing and orna-
mental, thus one is greeted in the rounds of
| friendly visitation by an intermnable list of
unique designs and bewitching arrangements
AS rule window plants produce but few
| uoWers during the winter season, therefore at
tantion is largely directed to bulbs when
blooms are especially sought for.
CAREFUL ATTENTION NECESSARY.
lis not necessary to be professional florist
to deal with house plants, but in order to be
successful knowledge of the modus operandi,
to a certain degree, is needful. This study
| Will secure in part, but experience and common
sense will soon teach many things not to be
found In books. Lack of experience, however,
| VIII not altogether prevent successful results.
| Careful attention and the adjustment of the
laws of nature to existing conditions of the
p~hts Will make good what time and expert
| ence will forward toward perfection.
In the first place plant must have fresh air
and can only get what the grower chooses to
give It, And this is a question which involves
a good deal II a window near it should be
opened III cold weather it would chill and die,
| therefore 1t would seem best to open the win
dow or door farthest from it and in the middle
OF the day when the sun is shining and warm
est. II the SOIL about an out-of-doors plant is
unsuitable its roots will wonder off q long way
in search of something better house plant
confined to pot or box has to do the best it
| can--so great care is essential to give it suit
able soil. 1t is best to buy the needed soil
from florist who can tell you from the con-
dition and nature OF the plant what it most
needs.
ABOUT WATERING PLANTS.
Through the mistaken attentions of the house
wife, or perhaps her over jealous daughter,
house plants too often get more water than
| they need. When out of doors the surplus
| water poured upon them is absorbed by the
ground around them-though even then it can
be easily overdone. When the potted plant has
| too much water the soil becomes mud, sours
and rots the roots and the plant naturally
| dies Care should be taken that the water
not needed should have easy means of escape.
The best method for providing for this is
| to place piece OF broken flower pot over the
| inevitable hole in the bottom of the pot or box
and then fill the vessel with smaller pieces of
| the same to the height of ono inch. An inch
| should also be left at the top of the pot to al
low the water resting place from which to
soak into the SOIL Care should also be taken
not to pile the earth, after the fashion of some
amateurs, around the neck of the plant, as this
| Is I'M furious to most plants and is never done
| by florists.
| DIVIDING LINE.
Plants should have plenty of water, but not
too much. There is a dividing line about which
one must exercise care and good Judgment
Evaporation takes place slowly at this season.
and especially during such murky weather as
has visited Washington the past months. 1t is
golden rule III plant culture to water them
only so long as the soil has dry look. This
seems easy enough to do, but it is really a very
delicate operation. To water all at stated
times and exactly alike is any thing but iudici-
GUS plan. thorough watering, in which the
ball OF that plant, is completely soaked, is the
only beneficial way. Most plants in winter do not
require watering more than two or three times
week, but this depends upon the nature of
! the plant and condition of the atmosphere
Plants in bud blossom require watering
more frequently than those not blooming Cold
water should never be used unless the plant is
frozen. Tepid water about the temperature of
| the atmosphere is best, and should be applied
IN as fine spray as possible.
| WASHING THE LEAVES
Nothing is so refreshing to plant as to have
its leaves washed when hot and dry. The out
ofdoors flower gets this from the showers from
the clouds, the Indoor plant must get it from
ITS patron. This should be done in the morn
ing before the sun shines upon them and never
toward night when the air is growing cooler.
Perhaps the best plan to accomplish this is to
wash them in the Kitchen and the best way ia
to make tubful Of soap suds barely warm
tie piece of cloth over the pot to keep the
earth in and then with a small piece
OF sponge wash off every leaf, both
sides-not touching the blooms should there
be any. When completed rinse off in clear
tepid water and wipe off the pots. If this be
done once a week an insect will be a stranger
to the plant. When this method is not practi-
! cable an ordinary atomiZer can be used to a
great advantage. After washing good bath
of sunlight will prove very invigorating
Plants need all the sunlight they can get at this
season of the year. 1t is just when the DAYS
are shortest and many Of them cloudy and
rainy-this having been SO far an exceptionally
! rainy and disagreeable season-and they have
suffered accordingly.
| WAR AGAINST INSECTS.
Watch for and take precautions against in
sects, which do plants more injury when they
are at stand still than when making active
growth. Growing, robust plants will often be
free from attacks while weakly plants in the
same collection will be covered with the little
pests. One would suppose that the juices of a
strong, vigorous plant would have more attrac-
ton for an aphis than those of sickly one, but
such is evidently not the case. The vigorous
plants can resist the attacks of insects much
better than the feeble ones, therefore they are
not as much injured by them in a short time.
Fumigate or syringe with kerosene emulsion or
tobacco tea-either are good and effective and
both ordinarily accessible.
FREEZING AND THE REMEDY.
As stated in previous article on this SUBJ
ject, plants, like animals, require sleep and
rest at night, but in different temperature.
The less light the less heat is needed consistent
with the nature Of the plant. But it is too
often the case that q draft is left in the room
over night or the apartment allowed to get
chilled and the plants become frozen. That
does not necessarily follow that they are as
good as dead and gone. As soon
as it is discovered that they are
| frozen put them in dark room
or the cellar, where the temperature is
but little above freezing and shower them with
cold water. The frost must be extracted gradu-
ally and with as little heat possible. Keep