Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-11-10
HOUSE PLANTS.
Suggestions For Their Care.

| MI least Among the trials and per
| pl"XllItS OF in" town dWeller is the
| problem OF how to keep room plants
| III cont inued health and viSur; and
| this. III al probability. Will long rc-
m&iu IA problem difficult if not iln-
| possible. III satisfactory solution. IN
his dealings with plants in the green
h"use. III" gardener. be he amateur
or professional. is dealing with his
subjects i'll more or less conSenla,
! environment. aided m;Nerially by light
al" .nd that degree of atmospheric
n"istui" which is so much u plant
! llfe dt all seasons. In the dwelling
| house these conditions are entirely
| changed. while those existing are. for
| the most part, quite opposed to success
But jusi what success may attend the
/ cultivation Of plants in the dwelling
| room will largely depend upon cir
| cumStanccs. whether both fires and
/ gas are in daily use. Against these
| the skiR of the gardener can not long
{! prevail, and the fact is mentioned
| here TO afford some satiSfaction-poor
\ though it be--tp those who struggle
| Ravely with their pot plants amid
lSuch surroundings.
I Because plants are grown chiefly in
structures artilicially heated, it does
| not follow that they will not endure
with impunity certain degree OF
| cold. AS a matter of fact, cold even
| TO freezing point, occasionally is less
| harmful than the conditions to which
reference las already been made. An
! essential condition in times of ex-
, treme cold is that the plants be dry.
| or comparatively dry, at the roots.
| indeed, comparative dryneSs may be
regarded as Il sort of safety valve
from November to February, inclu-
sive; and in room where a fire Is
only occasionally lighted. and where
there is II" gas, such things as AS
| pidiStraS and those graceful palms
IknOWn as KcntiaS would not require
water Oftener than once q fortnight.
For about eight years q kenta bel
moracna has been maintained in per-
| feet condition by tliese means having
| occupied a position in a large bay
| window the whole Of that long time.
| This kentia grown from q tiny plant,
| now has spread Of frOndS of nearly
| six feet and has been twice reDOtted.
When water is needed the pot IS
| placed in pail o" rain water for
some time. never less than ten MIN
! utes. ard when new frond is ap-
pearng o little guano is given directly
the plant has had its dip.
| Given this treatment, it is Surpris-
ing how we'll the Aspidistra. "parlour
| palm" and the india rubber plant will
thrive in quite dark corners. putting
or a dark green appearance out Of all
proportion to that which the plant
assumes when grown in the green
house. For any of the plants men
| toned frequent root disturbance is not
open and free. little topdressing Of
! soil mingled with bone meal or guano
| will he found of greater benefit than
/ repotting.
, Not strictly new. perhaps to culti-
! vators, but new to 2 very lar"r num-
! bnr of amateurs. is that charming and
| graceful palm. PhOeniv Poebalini cor
| tainly one Of the most elegant plants
! for q "1nm. Quite apart from its grace
and charn1. this ideal table and room,
plant promises much servcoa bencss
ny reason of its hardy naturn. nNd ir
this respect it is likely to prove the
equal Of anv OF those mentioned rr
proof &C this is the fact that in sit
ting room new frond made marked
rro"rseS 70" wnekS-WeekS character
lied by cold. bv shortened DAYS and
News.