Evening star., 1914-08-16
Most Ferns Need Sunlight.

Most Ferns Need Sunlight
The prevalent idea that ferns must have
no sun 10 false. Ferns will live In the
shade, and there are some sorts, Of course.
that are scorchsd by the sun. But most
ferns that are cultivated In the house IKE
much light and some sunlight and never
do their best without 1t.
Window boxes should be sprinkied Law
sw,s: :heaS sa y Vi. i shaken s
H possible get the earth with which
to al your boxss from an old hothsd..
rich s loan and rottsd MANURE about hs''
Failing that. take any which IL handy.
and enrich II with ammouiated bone meal.
mixed well through. or else with rotesd
sheep manure. A heaping teaspoonfui OF
the bone meal or a tablespoonful OF
manure is enough for a six-inch pot Of
earth. Neither must be kept directly on
the roots Of plants. Liquid fertilizer. like.
wise must be kept of roots. stems ana
leaves. Make a hole at one side, or
a trench just inside the pot rim. pour IN
the fertilizer and let 1t sink. then put
back the earth. and water the pot we'll
To make liquid manure, pour han
gallon OF boiling water upon TWO heap-
ing tabiespoonfuls Of sheep manure, OF
one Of ammoniated bone meal STIR Wen.
let 1t stand overnight, then apply IN tne
proportion of a small cupful to six-incn
pot Dig the undissolved residue IN the
earth of the bigger pots. as those OF fup-
Der plants. palms and 80 on
Fern balls should be well watered De-
fore getting tho fertilizer. II will spread
all through the wet mass by capillary at
traction. Vigorous plants Will take up
and rejoice In twice as much fertilizer al
sickly or stunted ones Of the same size.
Indeed, care must be taken not to over
fertilize a sickly plant. on pain Of having
its last state worse than its first Give
the feeding stun very moderately until
growth is well established. This applies
especially to bulbs and woody-stemmed
things, such as fuchsias and lemon YER
benas. also roses and camelliaA
You can keep your plants In q steam.
heated living room II It has sunshine and
light But you must keep an open jar
Of water on the radiators to keep the air
from becoming too dry. The moisture
that Is essential to plant health is also
good for human lungs.
TO Force Plants Into Bloom.
When you wish to force plants Into
bloom. put them on a bracket high up
on the window frame. where the tom
perature will be ten or dftsen degrees
higher than II ID lower down In the room.
In the same manner give each sort Of
plant the kind Of temperature It needs by
placing 1t either high OF low, where the
air II either hot or cool. But be careful
not to shift plant too quickly from the
floor to q position up toward the ceiling.
The change might make the leaves turn
yellow and fall OF. Blooming plants win
stand such change better than any
other kind.
To Make Bulbs Flower.
Pot some bulbs IN the early fAll-about
the last of September. Put hyacinths In
four-inch pots, one to pct, Put jon
quils, TULIPS and the other smaller bulbs
in groups of from four to six in q pot.
This 10 the method followed by one
woman who knows how to make bulbs
flower:
First. the pots have an inch Of crooks
at the bottom. then are half nlled with
earth which Is at least half rotted ma
bulbs 20 in and are covered an inch over
the crown. Then the pots are well
watered and ct whore 1t u dark for .
fortnight. and Kept moist. but not wet,
throughout that time. This is to en-
courage them in making roots. without .
good supply Of which the flowers Will be
stunted and crowded.
Next the pots are set In a cool room
moderately lighted. and stay there till
flower buds peep up among the leaves
Then they are taken, q few at q time,
into the living room where sunshine and
warmth bring them quickly into full
flower. As the first flowers fade. others
take their placs. THUS. from the same
planting. this woman 10 able to show two
months Of steady bloom BY thus know
Ing what to do. and doing It regularly
ana in time. she has much pleasure and
precious little trouble. Y