Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-13
THE WINDOW GARDEN.
The Pioneer Seed Woman Of America Gives
Some Interesting Information.

Miss c. II. Lippincott Of Minnesota
the pioneer seed woman of America
has issued an interesting little pamphlet
on Floral Culture" for the benefit, III
her patrons. The book does not pre-.
tend to be scientific, but gives just the
Information the amateur needs, In II
simple and comprehensive form
Regarding the window garden she
says:
1t Is bad policy. especially for be-
Ginners. 10 start with too large a coll
lection. Begin with easily grown
plants. and proceed to more fastidious
ones by degrees. II is a mistake "a
crowd the space for plants unduly.
Let each specimen stand nearly or
quite clear from all others. even If it be
at the cost of throwing out some
plants. Half a dozen fine. vigorous.
uncrowded plants are much more salts
factory than three times as many
crowded and, as consequence. i'll
shaped and unhealthy ones.
Too much stress is generally laid
upon the Importance of suitable soil:
and amateurs sometimes become dis
couraged at the thought of obtaining
one certain kind of sand, the leaf
mould, the loamy soil or the clay. The
real truth of the matter is that any good
fertile garden soil. that will grow
plants outside, Will be quite as good
for window garden culture. The addi-
ton of little sand or leaf mould. If it
can be obtained or of street sweepings
for those who live in the city, or any
thing that will make the soil light and
porous. is desirable for potting the
young plants with tender roots
Plants grown in the house are best
kept in good shape by pinching the
end buds of those shoots .hat grow too
vigorously. This is much better than
allowing few shoots to grow until
they need support. and then cutting
them back.
In taking up plants from the garden
for house culture, it Is best too Gu;
back at least one-half. and after pot
ting in good SOIL water at once ana
put in cool. shaded place.
Amateurs, as rule repot too often.
and keep their plants in too large pots. |
1t is of no use to give a plant fresh soil
before its roots have pretty well occu-
pied the old There is proper time to
repot. and that is when the bail OF
Ne'A III 40 wei ny TuptS.
state that can be determined by tip |
ping the plant out of the pot
Another point to be remembered is. |
that II large flower pots are used there |
Will be more leaves than flowers. Often |
plants have refused to blossom simply |
because. having so much space. thei,
energies were bent upon forming root
let's and leaves
1T is essential to give the plants |
abundance of air, but caution is re
qgired in so doing. A draught of cola |
air should never be allowed to blow |
directly on the plants; the windows |
should be lowered from the top for a |
few moments daily, unless the wind |
blows strongly from the direction in !
which the window is located
The amount of heat required by the |
ordinary class of plants in the windows
Is sometimes a source of great anxiety |
to the amateur. My experience has
been that the amount of heat may be |
governed by the effect upon our
selves; for example, If we are com
Portable in a temperature of from C50 |
to i0' during the day and 500 to |
So at night, the same heat will be Just 1
right for our plants.
Probably more mistakes are made |
in watering window plants than in any |
other part of their culture. 1t is, OF |
course, quite natural that the heat Of |
the ordinary room will have a drying |
effect on the plants; it is not advisable |
to keep the saucer filled with water
constantly, as it has a tendency to in
duce sourness of the soil The best |
method with which am familiar is the
practice of setting the pots in a box
containing an inch or two of sand
moss will answer the purpose equally |
as well.
Why do not my geraniums flower
is a question we hear very frequently.
There is.as rule. but one answer-yiz.,
they are in too large pots A five-inch
pot is sufficiently large for geraniums.
The best of all designs for growing In,
geranium is in a tin can: old fruit cans
are admirable; the quart size is much
better than a seveninch pot. In such
the plants delight. simply because tho