The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-11
WINDOW GARDENS ENEMIES.
Foes 90 he Rsckoned with In Keep
inH House Plants

The arch enemy OF the window garden
il the insect pest. They spoil a plants
good looks. and lower It's vitality untn
Il either dies outright or ceases 70 bloom
Or make active growth. Probably not one
woman In twenty takes her plants through
a winter without having them attacked
sooner or later by insects. once on tho
SPOT. and unmolcsted. they Increase like
the hordcs OF Egypt. eating the leaves
and sucking the sap until they quite ruth
the little Enrden
The reason Insects are worse on house
plants than IN the garden Is because tho
Arst are grown under highly artificial Coz
aiuons Living rooms are unhealthfully
hot. the popcd plants are cramned In
root. aud subject 90 water gorge or thirst
starvation f the watering pot Is In care
less hands Moreover the atmosphere 70
surcharged with dust and coal smoke
And as insects always attack urst weak
Or dirty foliage. there IL a special attrae-
ton 20 them la every struggling houss
plant
The common house insects are aphis or
green plant louise. the scale, and the red
spider The aphis o. the most common.
The usual recommend kerosene enui-
son will KIN them readily enough. but tho
trouble ls that at the hrst sprinkle they
drop of and fall TO the earth Here they
hide. ready as soon rs the hurry Is over,
10 climb up the stems ana 80 sucking tho
plants Juices again. To avoid This, hfe
The plant from the shelf with great care.
90 as not to lar or dirlodge thsm. Wrap
cloth around the top OF the pot ana close
10 the niautR stems. 80 the earth IN thn
not can neither tumble out or the insects
tumble in. Then quickly invert the plants
top into a pan Of water. ana u tho wafer
is quite warm. 80 much the better Lltt
the plant out. and shake vigorously b'g
again in the water. then again snake anu
30 continue until every tiny louise mas
heen dlslodgcd Rinse the top well IN
clean water aud return 10 the window.
N a thorough Job has been done. there
ain BE- no more trouble. but the plant
should be examined again In couple Of
days. and II need be, the treatment re-
veated. -,
As Enough they were glued there. Dis-
lodge them with wooden toothpicA.
k.epsns a close lookout for them. ana
anish by washing the plant well in soapv
water This must be repeated every feW
days until no more scale can be toano-
They are not over common, but pecu-
Iiarly stubborn pest.
RED spider Is almost ~ common IS
auhiR. hua 30 tiny that teH hHpW t"sN
this Is what r. the matter with their
plants when without any apparen. rea-
son. leaves turn a sicsiy color. or Show
little yellow specks all over them. or he-
gin to curl AZ the edges We may suspect
little Mr. Red Spider. no bigger than
grain Of red pepper AMI camping With
his wife and babies his parents grand
parents aunts uncles and cousins on tha
under side OF tho plants leaves. Too hot
and too dusty air n the cause Of the red
spider. There ia one sure ana simple
remedy for him and his. Ia Is water Have
It warm and plenty OF a. and see that
the underaides OF the leaves get ~ much
wetting as tho upper. and this foe -
soon vanqulshcd a plant can be dipped
In water as hot as the hand can be borns
n. and will not hurt Il IN the least. 10
not keep longer ~ time beneath the
water than two or three seconds. That
degree % heat kills the red spider quickly.
DIP half q dozen times IA the hot water
N quick succession. ana che work Is dore-
Wash all plant leaves often. clean
plant a. not inviting 10 insects. XIII the
nrst foe that makes his appearance. ami
YOU have solved tho secret OF keeping
house plants free from inject pests. OF
all kinds i.ora =. Ia Nance.