New-York tribune., 1912-04-01
Air of Most Apartments
Bad for Plants. as
Well as Humans.
sy Martha McCulloch Williams.

New York towns flower bill approximates
fairly s1O,0OOOoo year. or this IL Is sdie
~ say that ss5OO.Op0 go within fortnight
into ash barrels partly OF necesslty-hahy
flowers are so evanescent. More thoush'
through lack Of knowledge ana less
through lack of liower-love
Consider the case. Easter brings to mar
ket the pampered darlings of the hothouses
drunken with bloom, riotously 1ed anu
forced for this special day, kept IN SUM
mer-soft. steamy air. and shielded from
even a breath of cold. often they are set on
the street. rank after rank. with rouS"
WINDS tossing and tousling them ana either
a wan sun letting the cold pinch them OF
a hot orb burning their tender plo"t"
Periodically they are showered with water
ALWAYS cold, often silted, even muddy
They are paved over, handled roughly
bv and by tied up in paper and sent scurry-
ing through the streets, gifts of good Will
When at last they find haven their case
IA stiu piteous Nearly everybody loves
a flower or plant while 1t Is beautiful' as
they love a baby while It is good. But
10 retain. to increase the beauty requires
care. and understanding. Also. an adapta-
ton 10 conditions.
Growing plants are nearly always set too
loy-on the floor. or tabouret, or even
footstool OF course the floor is worst
II has the coolest air, likewise the worst
In a heated apartment, the destination OF
more than half Of Easter flowers. the AIR
is nearly always dry. This Is as bad Tor
tho human occupants as for the plants
maintain folk should keep at least fe"
nIants by way OF insuring that they them
selves get enough water-vapor in the air,
Every radiator should have set upon II An
open shallow vessel, filled ana reriied DIT
need with fresh cold water. An average
radiator will evaporate the water IN such
vessel at least twice every tWenty-lour
hours. As a result the house air VIII be
soft. easily breathed, never distressing 10
delicate textures, as flower petals or mower
faces. with somewhat the feel OF spring
ANY healthy plant will thrive In such ar
IL given light enough, protection from ICY
drafts and by and by food.
No sort cf plant will long thrive. without
sursbine The thick-leafed greenland
r,bita asnidastra flourishes longer than any
o,bor Eucbsias can do with an hour or so
pf
,tven water enough. they leap with JOY III
aI,.dav shining. Back of me sull IN south
window as / write stands fern proushl
bone nine years ago. an ostricn-piu'''
fern. then rather a novelty. 1t mas peeh
the parent of many other ferns Out ho"
FOR four seasons has stood undisturoed'
AS a consequence it is like green lacy
fountain. with fronds some OF them loui
foot long and broader than two hands. IL
ros been fed and tended, bathed fortnight
=. Ie,t free from insect pests. and away
,.,r, lingering. Visitors have sometimes
c,irious trick Of runping their hnsers al.
400. the leaves or fronds of plants IL
,bav are my plants the fingerers are asked
o,i,oIy 70 stop-and made aware that such
enooring disturbs the repose essenuai 10
eanpered house plant why, Kno" ho'
hnt such handling certainly hurts any
sort of plant ,.,,r
word as 10 what to buy for either your
.o,t or your friends. II only immediate JOY
e aimed at. nothing is better than tuli-