The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-08-20

absence of flowers, these grow well
where windows have not much sum
shine and should be selected in
preference to the Towering kind.
Keep the soil open about your plants,
let it get crusted over and but little
benefit is derived from dew and sun
shine. Its the same as it is with US,
we must take pains to prevent getting
crusted and consequently crusty.
Keep the mind and the soil in such
condition that it can absorb all good
things rather that repel them as it
will if it gets crust on
Don't keep fires going in October
and November in rooms where plants
are, it will force them into a rapid
and unhealthy growth, give them
plenty of fresh air and don't water to
much. Plants need resting spell
and therefore are not in condition to
make use of a great deal of water.
Often some one will say"what love-
ly plants you have, what do you do to
them to make them so nice, 1 never
have had any luck with plants?"
The fact is l never trust to luck for
nice plants. A little time and COM
mon sense and a real interest in plant
needs will give good results, even
with poor Accommodations for them. l
do not have a very good place for
plants in winter and but little strength
to give in caring for them, but some
times little wholesome neglect does
no harm. Not that one should flood
them one day, then perhaps visit or
travel for two or three weeks, leaving
them entirely uncared for and expect
to find them thriving nicely, then
talk about luck with plants.
For those people there can be moth
ing better than bulbs, as little time
In potting is most they need. We
must love our plants if we would
have them grow, one can generally
tell by looking at collection of plants
what the motive is that prompted the
making of it. The man or woman
who loves flowers has the trick of max
ing them grow, but those who have
flowers simply because their neigh
bors have them, see them languish
under their care.
If your window fronts north don't
fill it with plants that only thrive in
the sunshine, there are enough varie-
ties for every point of the compass, so
study your opportunities. When
Geramiums are being kept for winter
bloom keep them growing in their
pots during summer and pull off all
flower buds as soon as they appear.
Plants will be troubled little by in
sects if kept healthy by frequent
Swinging of the foliage, removing all
dead and unhealthy leaves and fading
flowers.
There are many complaints of the
small white worm that sometimes in
fest the soil. My remedy is matches,
if plant seems to be dropping, l stick
a dozen matches sulpher end down in
the soil close about the roots and have
never yet failed to see an improvement.
The fumes of the sulpher are poison
GUS to the worms ard does not iDjure
the plant in the least.
Another great pest is the mealy
bug, a writer writes he uses alum,
with tooth-pick take off all bugs one
can find, dissolve alum in water that
is warm until it is quite strong and
apply as warm as the plant will allow,
usually one application will be enough.
There are many who grow out door
flowers without trouble, but indoor
have poor success. 60 into their
houses in the winter time, and the
hot air comes into your face like q
puff from a furnace heated and double
heated, not q breath of fresh air is
allowed to enter, and soon the hot dry
air, the red spider, who finds the
climate quite to his liking, and the
dust that is ever afioat, combine to