,,gardening   ,,indoors ,,and   ,,under 
,,glass    ,a ,,practical ,,guide ,,to  
,,the ,,planting1   ,,care ,,and        
,,propagation ,,of ,,house   ,,plants1  
,,and ,,to ,,the ,,construction   ,,and 
,,management ,,of ,,hotbed1             
,,coldframe ,,and ,,small ,,greenhouse  
,,by   ,f4 ,f4 ,,rockwell   ,author of  
,home ,vegetable ,gardening    ,,new    
,,york   ,mc,b,r,i,d,e1 ,,nast          
,,company   #aiab    ,copyright1 #aiaa1 
#aiab1 by   ,mc,bride1 ,nast  ,co4      
,published ,september1 #aiab            
99       99       99       99       99  
,illustration3 ,too few people realize  
the possibilities for enjoyment in      
prolonging the garden through the winter
 months indoors       ,,foreword        
,there is nothing which adds so much    
sunshine and cheer to the rooms of a    
house besieged by winter and all his    
dreary encampment of snow and ice1   as 
the greenery1 color and fragrance of    
blossoming plants4 ,there is no         
pastime quite so full of pleasure and   

constant interest as this sort of       
horticulture2 the rooting of small      
slips1 the repotting and watering and   
watching1 as new growth develops1 and   
buds unfold4 ,some have the magic       
gift1 that everything they touch will   
break into blossom2 others              
strive--perhaps too hard--only to gain  
indifferent results4 ,it is hoped   that
 this book will aid those of the second 
class to locate past   mistakes and     
progress to future success2 and further 
that it may   indicate to those more    
fortunate ones of the first class the   
way to more   extensive achievements in 
the work they love4    ,this is not a   
technical book2 simply an attempt to    
tell in so plain a   way that they      
cannot be misunderstood the everyday    
details of the   successful management  
of plants in the house and within such  
small glass   structures as may be made1
 even with limited means and time1 a    
part of   the average home4    ,there is
 another aspect of the case worth       

considering2 so much so in   fact1 that 
it is one of the reasons for writing    
this book4 ,by the use of   such modest 
glass structures as almost everyone can 
afford not only is   the scope of winter
 gardening enlarged and the work        
rendered more easy   and certain1 but   
the opportunity is given to make this   
light labor pay   for itself4 ,fresh    
vegetables out of season are always     
acceptable and   well grown plants find 
a ready sale among one's flower-loving  
friends4                                
,,cranmere1 ,august #ast1 #aiab4   ,f4  
,f4 ,r4       ,,contents     ,,part     
,i--,,plants ,,in ,,the ,,house         
,,chapter                               
,,page    ,i ,,introduction             
#a    ,,ii ,,the ,,proper ,,conditions3 
,,light1 ,,temperature ,,and ,,moisture 
#f    ,,iii ,,soils1 ,,manures ,,and    
,,fertilizers                           
#ad    ,,iv ,,starting ,,plants ,,from  
,,seed                                  
#bb    ,v ,,starting ,,plants ,,from    

,,cuttings                              
#bi    ,,vi ,,transplanting1 ,,potting  
,,and ,,repotting                       
#ce    ,,vii ,,management ,,of ,,house  
,,plants                                
#dd    ,,viii ,,flowering ,,plants      
#ea    ,,ix ,,shrubs                    
#gj    ,x ,,foliage ,,plants            
#ha    ,,xi ,,vines                     
#ij    ,,xii ,,ferns                    
#ig    ,,xiii ,,palms                   
#ajc    ,,xiv ,,cacti                   
#aaj    ,,xv ,,bulbs                    
#aaf    ,,xvi ,,veranda ,,boxes1        
,,window-,,boxes1 ,,vases ,,and         
,,hanging ,,baskets           #abh      
,,xvii ,,house ,,plant ,,insects ,,and  
,,diseases                              
#acb    ,,xviii ,,accessories           
#adj     ,,part ,,ii--,,home ,,glass    
,,xix ,,its ,,opportunities             
#adf    ,,xx ,,the ,,coldframe ,,and    
,,the ,,hotbed                          
#adi    ,,xxi ,,the ,,construction ,,of 
,,conservatories ,,and ,,small          

,,greenhouses         #aef    ,,xxii    
,,methods ,,of ,,heating                
#afg    ,,xxiii ,,management            
#agb    ,,xxiv ,,flowers                
#ahj    ,,xxv ,,vegetables              
#aic    ,,xxvi ,,vegetable ,,and        
,,bedding ,,plants ,,for ,,spring       
#aig    ,,index                         
#bjg       ,,illustrations     ,a       
flourishing flower bay                  
,frontispiece                           
,,facing ,,page   ,an isolated          
bay-window conservatory                 
#h    ,a tiled window-sill garden       
#i    ,preparing flats for the          
sub-irrigation method of watering       
#bh    ,cuttings ready for sand         
#bi    ,geranium cuttings ready for     
potting                                 
#bi    ,potted cuttings ready for their 
first shift                             
#dj    ,striking ,rex begonia leaf      
cuttings                                
#dj    ,crocking in a flower pot        
#da    ,seedlings ready to transplant   

#dh    ,a flower bay protected with     
heavy curtains                          
#di    ,pride of ,cincinnati begonia    
#fj    ,pansy geranium                  
#fa    ,primrose 7,primula obconica7    
#fa    ,the ,silk ,oak 7,grevillea      
robusta7                                
#gb    ,otaheite orange                 
#gc    ,baby rambler rose               
#hj    ,araucaria excelsa               
#ha    ,screw ,pine 7,pandanus          
,veitchii7                              
#hh    ,rubber plant 7,ficus elastica7  
#hi    ,vines on an indoor trellis      
#if    ,crested ,scott ,fern            
7,nephrolepis exaltata1 var4 ,schoizeli7
         #ig    ,propagation of ,boston 
,fern by division                       
#ajj    ,a variety of the ,fan ,palm    
7,phoenix ,roebelenii7                  
#aja    ,weddell's ,palm                
#aja    ,a pan of forced crocuses       
#aaf    ,victory gladiolus              
#aag    ,a second story window-box      
#abh    ,iceland poppies and trailing   

vines in a window-box                   
#abh    ,a movable plant table          
#abi    ,inside a small greenhouse      
#adh    ,a small lean-to greenhouse     
#adi    ,a three-sash coldframe         
#afd    ,the simplest type of window    
greenhouse                              
#afe    ,tomatoes in the greenhouse     
#aif    ,cucumbers and lettuce in the   
greenhouse                              
#aig       ,,gardening    ,,indoors     
,,and ,,under ,,glass     ,part         
,one--,plants in the ,house             
,,chapter ,i  ,,introduction   ,to-day  
the garden is in the zenith of its      
glory4 ,the geraniums and salvias blaze 
in the autumn sun2 the begonias have    
grown to a small forest of beautiful    
foliage and bloom2 the heliotropes have 
become almost little trees1 and load the
 air with their delicate fragrance4     
,to-night--who knows8--grim winter may  
fling the first fleet-winged detachment 
of his advance across the land1 by every
 roadside and into every garden-close2  

and to-morrow there will be but         
blackening ruins and burned bivouacs    
where the thousand camps of summer      
planted their green and purple in the   
golden haze4  ,and what provision1 when 
that inevitable day of summer's defeat  
comes1 have you made for saving part of 
the beauty and joy of your garden1 of   
carrying some rescued plants into the   
safe stronghold of your house1 like     
minstrels to make merry and cheer the   
clouded days until the long siege is    
over1 and spring1 rejuvenescent1 comes  
to rout the snows8  ,i do not know which
 is the more commonly overlooked1 the   
importance and fun of keeping the       
living-rooms of the house cheerful with 
plants and flowers in winter1 or the    
certainty and economy with which it may 
be done if one will use the plain       
common-sense methods necessary to make  
plants succeed4 ,too much care and      
coddling is just as sure to make growth 
forlorn and sickly as too much neglect4 
,that may be one reason why one         

frequently sees such healthy looking    
plants framed in the dismal window of a 
factory tenement1 where the chinks can  
never be stopped tight and the occupants
 find it hard enough to keep warm1 while
 at the same time it is easy to find    
leafless and lanky specimens in the     
superheated and moistureless air of     
drawing-rooms4  ,it certainly is true   
that many modern houses of the better   
sort do not offer very congenial        
conditions to the healthy growth of     
plants4 ,it is equally certain that in  
many cases these conditions may be      
changed by different management in such 
way that they would be not only more    
healthy for plants to live in1 but so   
also for their human occupants4 ,in many
 other cases there is nothing but lack  
of information or energy in the way of  
constructing a place entirely suitable  
for the growth of plants4 ,to illustrate
 what ,i mean1 ,i mention the following 
instance of how one person made a       
suitable place in which to grow flowers4

 ,two narrow storm windows1 which had   
been discarded1 were fastened at right  
angles to the sides of the dining-room  
windows1 and the regular storm sash     
screwed on to these4 ,here were the     
three glass sides of a small            
conservatory4 ,half-inch boards made a  
bottom and roof1 the former being       
supported by brackets to give strength1 
and the latter put on with two slanting 
side pieces nailed to the top of the    
upright narrow sash spoken of1 to give  
the roof a pitch4 ,top and bottom were  
covered with old flexible rubber matting
 which was carried back under the       
clapboards making a weather-proof1 tight
 joint with the side of the house4      
,six-inch light wooden shelves on the   
inside gave a conservatory of           
considerable capacity4 ,how many houses 
there are where some such arrangement   
could be made as the result of a few    
hours' work and thought1 and a very     
small expense4 ,and yet how infrequently
 one sees anything of the kind4 ,in many

 instances such a glassed-in window     
would be all that is needed1 sufficient 
heat being furnished by a radiator under
 the window within the house4 ,in the   
case mentioned1 however1 it was         
necessary to heat the small greenhouse4 
,this was done by installing a small gas
 stove in the cellar1 as nearly as      
possible under the window greenhouse4   
,over this stove a large tin hood was   
fitted1 with a sliding door in front to 
facilitate lighting and regulating the  
stove4 ,from the hood a six-inch pipe1  
enclosed in a wood casing for           
insulation1 ran through the cellar      
window and up into the floor of the     
conservatory1 ending in a small         
radiator4  ,these details are given not 
with the idea that they can be          
duplicated exactly 7although in many    
instances they might71 but to show what 
a little ingenuity and effort will      
accomplish in the way of overcoming     
difficulties4  ,nor is the reward for   
such efforts as these restricted to the 

growing of a few more plants4 ,from the 
actual accomplishments described in the 
second part of this book1 the reader    
must see that it is entirely possible   
and feasible for one with only average  
advantages to have during a large part  
or even all of the year not only flowers
 which cannot be grown to advantage in  
the house1 but also such vegetables as  
lettuce1 radishes1 tomatoes and         
cucumbers1 and others if desired2 and   
also to give the flower and vegetable   
gardens such a start as would never be  
possible otherwise4  ,do not attempt too
 much1 but do not be content with too   
little1 when only a slight increase in  
planning and work will bring such a     
tremendous increase in results and      
happiness4 ,i feel confident that there 
is not one home out of ten where more   
thought and more information brought to 
bear on the things whereof this book    
treats1 would not yield a greater return
 in actual pleasure than any other equal
 investment which could be made4  ,do   

not be impatient to get to a description
 of all the results at once4 ,do not    
skip over the chapters on dirt and      
manures and pots and other seemingly    
uninteresting things1 because in a      
thorough understanding of these         
essentials lies the foundation of       
success4 ,and if a condition of soil1 or
 an operation in handling plants does   
not seem clear to you as you read it    
over1 remember that in all probability  
it will become so when you actually     
attempt the work described4 ,nothing    
worth while is ever won without a       
little--and often a great deal--of      
patient work4 ,and what is more worth   
while than to keep busy in the constant 
improvement and beautifying of one's    
daily surroundings8     ,,chapter ,,ii  
,,the ,,proper ,,conditions3--,,light1  
,,temperature ,,and ,,moisture   ,after 
so much advice as to the possibility of 
making conditions right for the growing 
of plants in the house1 the             
inexperienced reader will naturally want

 to know what these conditions are4     
,,light  ,in the first place1 almost all
 plants1 whether they flower or not1    
must have an abundance of light1 and    
many require sunshine1 especially during
 the dull days of winter4 ,plants       
without sufficient light never make a   
normal1 healthy growth2 the stems are   
long1 lanky and weak1 the foliage has a 
semi-transparent1 washed-out look1 and  
the whole plant falls an easy victim to 
disease or insect enemies4 ,even plants 
grown in the full light of a window1 as 
everyone with any experience in managing
 them knows from observation1 will draw 
toward the glass and become one-sided   
with the leaves all facing one way4     
,therefore even with the best of        
conditions1 it is necessary to turn them
 half about every few days1 preferably  
every time they are watered1 in order   
that they may maintain an even1 shapely 
growth4  ,as a rule the flowering       
plants1 such as geraniums and           
heliotropes1 require more light and     

sunshine than those grown for foliage1  
such as palms1 ferns and the decorative 
leaved begonias4 ,it is almost          
impossible1 during the winter months1 to
 give any of them too much sunlight and 
where there is any danger of this1 as   
sometimes happens in early fall or late 
spring1 a curtain of the thinnest       
material will give them ample           
protection1 the necessity being not to  
exclude the light1 but simply to break  
the direct action of the sun's rays     
through glass4  ,a great variety of     
plants may be grown in the ordinary     
window garden1 for which the sunniest   
and broadest window available should be 
selected4 ,there are two methods of     
handling the plants3 they may be kept as
 individual specimens in pots and dishes
 or pans 7which are nothing more or less
 than shallow flower pots71 or they may 
be grown together in a plant box1 made  
for the purpose and usually more or less
 decorative in itself1 that will        
harmonize with and set off the beauty of

 the plants4  ,the latter method1 that  
of growing in boxes1 offers two distinct
 advantages1 especially where there is  
likely to be encountered too high a     
temperature and consequent dryness in   
the air4 ,the plants are more easily    
cared for than they are in pots1 which  
rapidly dry out and need frequent       
changing2 and effects in grouping and   
harmonious decoration may be had which  
are not readily secured with plants in  
pots4 ,on the other hand1 it is not     
possible to give such careful attention 
to individual plants which may require  
it as when they are grown in pots2 nor  
can there be so much re-arrangement and 
change when these are required--and what
 good housekeeper is not a natural born 
scene shifter1 every once in so often   
rolling the piano around to the other   
side of the room1 and moving the        
bookcase or changing the big ,boston    
fern over to the other window1 so it can
 be seen from the dining-room8  ,if the 
plants are to be kept in pots--and on   

the whole this will generally be the    
more satisfactory method--several       
shelves of light1 smooth wood of a      
convenient width 7six to twelve inches7 
should be firmly placed1 by means of the
 common iron brackets1 in each window to
 be used4 ,it will help1 both in keeping
 the pots in place and in preventing    
muddy water from dripping down to the   
floor or table below1 if a thin1 narrow 
strip of wood is nailed to each edge of 
these shelves1 extending an inch or two 
above them4 ,a couple of coats of       
outside paint will also add to the looks
 and to the life of these shelves and   
further tend to prevent any annoying    
drip from draining pots4 ,such a shelf  
will be still further improved by being 
covered an inch or two deep with coarse 
gravel or fine pebbles4  ,illustration3 
,if possible it is well to have the     
house plants in a place where the       
moisture and temperature can be         
regulated for them alone  ,illustration3
 ,in almost any house it is possible to 

arrange a wide sill with a metal or tile
 bottom where house plants may be       
properly cared for  ,this is much better
 than the use of pot saucers1 especially
 for small pots4 ,where a bay-window is 
used1 if cut off from the room by glass 
doors1 or even by curtains1 it will aid 
greatly in keeping a moist atmosphere   
about the plants and preventing dust    
from settling on the leaves when        
sweeping or dusting is being done4  ,a  
window-box can readily be made of planed
 inch pine boards1 tightly fitted and   
tightly joined4 ,it should be six to ten
 inches wide and six to eight inches    
deep4 ,if a plain box is used1 it will  
be necessary to bore inch holes every   
six inches or so through the bottom to  
provide for carrying off of any excess  
of water--although1 with the method of  
filling the box described in a later    
chapter1 those holes would hardly ever  
be called into service4 ,plants in the  
house in the winter1 however1 are as    
likely to suffer from too much water as 

from too little1 and therefore1 to      
prevent the disagreeable possibility of 
having dirty drainage water running down
 onto several feet of floor1 it will be 
almost as easy1 and far better1 to have 
the box constructed with a bottom made  
of two pieces1 sloping slightly to the  
center where one hole is made in which a
 cork can be kept4 ,a false bottom of   
tin or zinc1 with the requisite number  
of holes cut out1 and supported by three
 or four inch strips of wood running    
lengthways of the box1 supplies the     
drainage4 ,these strips must1 of course1
 be cut in the middle to allow all the  
water to drain out4 ,the false bottom   
will take care of any ordinary surplus  
of water1 which can be drained off into 
a watering can or pitcher by taking out 
the cork4 ,the details of construction  
of such a box are shown in figure #a4   
,it will be best to have the box so     
placed upon its supporting brackets that
 it can be changed occasionally end for 
end1 thus keeping the plants growing    

evenly1 and not permitting the blooms   
continually to turn their backs to the  
inside of the room4  ,illustration3     
,fig4 #a--;,box for plants4 ,,ac--false 
zinc bottom2 ,,ab1 ,,cb--slanting bottom
 to drain water out at hole ,b4  ,with  
the above simple provisions one may take
 advantage of all the light to be had in
 an ordinary window4 ,occasionally a    
better place may be found ready to hand1
 such as the bay-window illustrated     
facing page #h or such as that described
 in the preceding chapter1 or those     
mentioned in the first chapter of ,part 
,,ii 7page #adf74 ,the effort demanded  
will always be repaid many times by     
greater ease and greater success in the 
management of plants1 and by the wider  
scope permitted4   ,,temperature  ,next 
in importance to light1 is the matter of
 temperature4 ,the ordinary house       
plants1 to be kept in health1 require a 
temperature of sixty-five to            
seventy-five degrees during the day and 
fifty to fifty-five degrees at night4   

,frequently it will not be possible to  
keep the room from going lower at night1
 but it should be kept as near that as  
possible2 forty-five degrees            
occasionally will not do injury1 and    
even several degrees lower will not     
prove fatal1 but if frequently reached  
the plants will be checked and seem to  
stand still4 ,plants in the dormant1 or 
semi-dormant condition are not so easily
 injured by low temperature as those in 
full growth2 also plants which are quite
 dry will stand much more cold than     
those in moist soil4  ,the proper       
condition of temperature is the most    
difficult thing to regulate and maintain
 in growing plants in the house4 ,there 
is1 however1 at least one room in almost
 every house where the night temperature
 does not often go below forty-five or  
fifty degrees1 and if necessary all     
plants may be collected into one room   
during very cold weather4 ,another      
precaution which will often save them is
 to move them away from the windows2 put

 sheets of newspaper inside the panes1  
not1 however1 touching the glass1 as a  
dead air space must be left between4    
,where there is danger of freezing1 a   
kerosene lamp or stove left burning in  
the room overnight will save them4      
,never1 when the temperature outside is 
below freezing1 should plants be left   
where leaves or blossoms may touch the  
glass4  ,as with the problem of light1  
so with that of temperature--the        
specially designed place for plants1 no 
matter how small or simple a little nook
 it may be1 offers greater facility for 
furnishing the proper conditions4 ,but  
it is1 of course1 not imperative1 and as
 ,i have said1 there is probably not one
 home in twenty where a number of sorts 
of plants cannot be safely carried      
through the winter4   ,,moisture  ,it   
would seem1 at first thought1 that the  
proper condition of moisture could be   
furnished as easily in the house as     
anywhere4 ,and so it can be as far as   
applying water to the soil is concerned2

 but the air in most dwellings in winter
 is terribly deficient in moisture4 ,the
 fact that a room is so dry that plants 
cannot live in it should sound a warning
 to us who practically live there for   
days at a time1 but it does not1 and we 
continue to contract all sorts of nose  
and throat troubles1 to say nothing of  
more serious diseases4 ,no room too dry 
for plants to live in is fit for people 
to live in4 ,hot-air and steam heating  
systems especially1 produce an over-dry 
condition of the atmosphere4 ,this can  
be overcome to a great or complete      
extent by thorough ventilation and by   
keeping water constantly where it can   
evaporate2 over radiators1 etc4 ,this   
should be done for the sake of your own 
health1 if not for that of the plant4   
,further information as to watering and 
ventilation will be found in ,chapter   
,,vii 7page #de71 but before we get     
anxious about just how to take care of  
plants we must know how to get them1 and
 before getting them we must know what  

to give them to grow in--the plant's    
foundation4 ,so for a little we must be 
content with those prosaic but          
altogether essential matters of soil1   
manures and fertilizers1 which in the   
next chapter ,i shall try to make clear 
in as brief manner as possible4         
,,chapter ,,iii  ,,soils1 ,,manures     
,,and ,,fertilizers   ,the soil must    
furnish the whole foundation of plant   
life4 ,for centuries those who have     
grown things have realized the vital    
importance of having the soil rich or   
well supplied with plant food2 and if   
this is important in growing plants in  
the field or flower garden1 where each  
vegetable or flower has from one to     
several cubic feet of earth in which to 
grow1 how imperative it is to have rich 
soil in a pot or plant box where each   
plant may have but a few cubic inches6  
,but the trouble is not so much in      
knowing that plants should be given rich
 soil1 as to know how to furnish it4 ,i 
well remember my first attempt at making

 soil rich and thinking how ,i would    
surprise my grandmother1 who worked     
about her plants in pots every day of   
her life1 and still did not have them as
 big as they grew in the flower garden4 
,i had seen the hired man put fertilizer
 on the garden4 ,that was the secret6   
,so ,i got a wooden box about two-thirds
 full of mellow garden earth1 and filled
 most of the remaining space with       
fertilizer1 well mixed into the soil1 as
 ,i had seen him fix it4 ,i remember    
that my anxiety was not that ,i get too 
much fertilizer in the soil1 but that ,i
 would take so much out of the bag that 
it would be missed4 ,great indeed was my
 chagrin and disappointment1 twelve     
hours after carefully setting out and   
watering my would-be prize plants1 to   
notice that they had perceptibly turned 
yellow and wilted4 ,and ,i certainly had
 made the soil rich4  ,so the problem is
 by no means as simple as might at first
 be supposed4 ,not only must sufficient 
plant food be added to the soil but it  

must be in certain forms1 and neither   
too much nor too little may be given if 
the best results are to be attained4    
,now it is a fact established beyond all
 dispute that not only food1 but air and
 water1 as well1 must be supplied to the
 roots of growing plants2 and this being
 the case1 the mechanical condition of  
the soil in which the plant is to grow  
has a great deal to do with its success 
or failure4 ,it must be what is termed a
 porous and friable soil--that is1 one  
so light and open that water will drain 
through it without making it a compact1 
muddy mass4 ,one of the things ,i       
noticed about my special fertilizer     
soil1 mentioned above1 was that it      
settled1 after being watered1 into a    
solid mass from which water would not   
drain and into which air could not      
penetrate4  ,it is next to impossible to
 find a soil just right for house       
plants1 so1 as a general thing the only 
way to get a good soil is to mix it     
yourself4 ,for this purpose several     

ingredients are used4 ,if you live in a 
village or suburb1 where the following  
may be procured1 your problem is not a  
difficult one4 ,take about equal parts  
of rotted sod1 rotted horse manure and  
leaf-mould from the woods and mix       
thoroughly and together1 adding from    
one-sixth to one-third1 in bulk1 of     
coarse sand4 ,if a considerable quantity
 of soil will be required during the    
year1 it will be well to have some      
place1 such as a bin or large barrel1 in
 which to keep a supply of each         
ingredient4 ,the sod should be cut three
 or four inches thick1 and stacked in   
layers with the grassy sides together1  
giving an occasional soaking1 if the    
weather is dry1 to hasten rotting4 ,the 
manure should be decomposed under cover1
 and turned frequently at first to      
prevent burning out2 or sod and manure  
can be rotted together1 stacking them in
 alternate layers and forking over two  
or three times after rotting has begun4 
,the manure furnishes plant food to the 

compost1 the rotted sod body1 the       
leaf-mould water-absorbing qualities1   
and the sand1 drainage qualities4  ,if  
the soil is wanted at once1 and no      
rotted sod is to be had1 use good garden
 loam1 preferably from some spot which  
was under clover-sod the year before4   
,if it is difficult to obtain           
well-rotted manure1 street sweepings may
 be used as a substitute1 and old       
chip-dirt from under the wood pile1 or  
the bottom of the woodshed if it has a  
dirt floor1 will do in place of         
leaf-mould4 ,peat1 or thoroughly dried  
and sweetened muck are also good        
substitutes for leaf-mould4 ,finely     
screened coal ashes may take the place  
of sand4  ,if you live in the city1     
where it is difficult to obtain and to  
handle the several materials mentioned1 
the best way is to get your soil ready  
mixed at the florists1 as a bushel will 
fill numerous pots4 ,if you prefer to   
mix it yourself1 or to add any of the   
ingredients to the soil you may have1   

most florists can supply you with light 
soil1 sand1 peat or leaf-mould and      
rotted manure2 and sphagnum moss1 pots1 
saucers and other things required for   
your outfit4 ,if a large supply is      
wanted1 it would probably be cheaper to 
go to some establishment on the         
outskirts of the city where things are  
actually grown1 than to depend upon the 
retail florist nearer at hand4  ,potting
 soil when ready to use should be moist 
enough to be pressed into a ball by the 
hand1 but never so moist as not to      
crumble to pieces again readily beneath 
the finger4   ,,manures  ,manure of some
 sort is essential to the growing of    
plants in pots or boxes1 both because of
 the plant-food it adds to the soil1 and
 because it improves its mechanical     
condition and sponginess or             
water-holding quality4 ,thoroughly      
rotted horse manure or horse and cow    
manure mixed is by far the best4 ,cow   
manure alone1 or pig manure1 is lumpy   
and cold1 and hen1 sheep1 pigeon or     

other special manures are not safe in   
the hands of the beginner1 as they are  
one-sided1 being especially rich in     
nitrogen and likely either to burn the  
plants or to cause too soft and watery  
growth4  ,this brings us to the point   
where it is necessary to say a few words
 about the theory of manures1 for they  
are not all alike and what would be wise
 to give a plant under some             
circumstances under others would be     
quite wrong1 just as you would not think
 of feeding beefsteak to a baby just    
recovering from the colic1 while it     
might be a very good thing for a hungry 
man who was going to saw up your        
wood-pile4  ,plants of all sorts--in    
pots1 in the garden or in a ten-acre    
lot--require three kinds of food        
elements3 nitrogen1 phosphoric acid and 
potash4 ,these elements may be fed to   
the plants in various forms2 for        
instance1 the nitrogen in hen manure1 or
 in cottonseed meal1 or in salts from   
the nitrate fields of ,chile1 known as  

nitrate of soda2 the phosphoric acid    
from bone1 or from acid phosphate 7a    
ground rock treated with acid72 the     
potash from wood ashes or from ,german  
potash salts 7muriate or sulphate of    
potash74 ,plants1 to do their best1     
require that all three elements shall be
 present in sufficient amounts to supply
 their wants4  ,it is not necessary1    
however1 to go very deeply into the     
science of plant foods in order to grow 
plants successfully4 ,fortunately1      
manure rotted as described above1       
furnishes all three elements in about   
the right proportions4 ,cow1 sheep1 hen 
and pigeon manure are best used as      
described later1 under ,liquid          
,manuring4   ,,fertilizers  ,there are  
many brands of mixed fertilizers        
prepared specially for use in the       
greenhouse or on plants in pots4 ,there 
is a temptation to use these on account 
of their convenient compact form1 and   
because they are more agreeable to      
handle4 ,as a general rule1 however1    

much better results will be obtained by 
relying on rotted manure4  ,if you want 
to use fertilizers at all--and for      
certain purposes they will be very      
valuable--,i would advise restricting   
the list to the following pure materials
 which are not mixed1 and which are     
always uniform2 nitrate of soda1        
cottonseed meal1 pure fine ground bone1 
and wood ashes4 7,several of the other  
chemicals are good1 but not so commonly 
used47  ,ground bone is the most        
valuable of these4 ,it should be what is
 known as fine ground1 or bone dust4 ,it
 induces a strong but firm growth1 and  
can be used safely in the potting soil1 
supplementing the manure as a source of 
plant food4 ,from two to three quarts to
 a bushel of soil is the right amount to
 use4 ,it should be thoroughly mixed    
through the soil4 ,it may also be       
frequently used to advantage as a top   
dressing on plants that have exhausted  
the food in their pots1 or while        
developing buds or blooming4 ,work two  

or three spoonfuls into the top of the  
soil4  ,nitrate of soda is the next in  
importance4 ,it is very strong and must 
be carefully used1 the safest way being 
to use it as a liquid manure1 one or two
 teaspoonsful dissolved in three gallons
 of water4 ,if first dissolved in a pint
 of hot water1 and then added to the    
other1 it will be more quickly done4    
,use a pint or so of this solution in   
watering4 ,the results will often be    
wonderful4  ,cottonseed meal may be     
safely mixed with the soil1 like ground 
bone1 but requires some time in which to
 rot1 before the plant can make use of  
it4  ,wood ashes are also safe1 and good
 to add to the potting soil4 ,they help 
to make a firm1 hard growth1 as a result
 of the potash they furnish4 ,where     
plants seem to be making a too rapid1   
watery growth1 wood ashes may be applied
 to the surface and worked in4  ,with a 
soil prepared as directed in the first  
part of this chapter1 there will be very
 little need for using any other of the 

fertilizers1 until plants have been     
shifted into their last pots and have   
filled them with roots4 ,when this stage
 is reached the use of liquid manures as
 described later will frequently be     
beneficial4 ,if1 however1 a plant for   
any reason seems backward1 or slower in 
growth than it should be1 an application
 or two of nitrate of soda will often   
produce results almost marvelous4 ,be   
sure1 however1 that your troubles are   
not due to some mistake in temperature1 
ventilation or watering1 before you     
ascribe them to improper or exhausted   
soil4  ,now1 having had the patience to 
find out something about the conditions 
under which plants ought to succeed1 let
 us proceed to the more interesting work
 of actually making them grow4          
,,chapter ,,iv  ,,starting ,,plants     
,,from ,,seed   ,one of the ways of     
getting a supply of plants for the house
 is to start them from seed4 ,with a    
number of varieties1 better specimens   
may be obtained by this method than by  

any other4 ,most of the annuals1 and    
many of the biennials and perennials1   
are best reproduced in this way4        
,simple as the art of starting plants   
from seed may seem1 there are a number  
of things which must be thought of1 and 
done correctly4 ,we must give them a    
proper situation1 soil1 temperature1    
covering and amount of moisture1 and    
when once above ground they need careful
 attention until lifted and started on  
their way as individual plants4  ,the   
number of plants of one sort which will 
be required for the house is naturally  
not large1 and for that reason beginners
 often try starting their seeds in pots4
 ,but a pot is not a good thing to try  
to start plants in3 the amount of earth 
is too small and dries out quickly4     
,seed pans are better1 but even they    
must be watched very carefully4 ,a      
wooden box1 or flat1 is better still4   
,cigar boxes are often used with good   
results2 but a more satisfactory way is 
to make a few regular flats from a soap 

or cracker box bought at the grocer's4  
,saw it lengthwise into sections two    
inches deep1 being careful to first draw
 out nails and wire staples in the way1 
and bottom these with material of the   
same sort4 ,either leave the bottom     
boards half an inch apart1 or bore seven
 or eight half-inch holes in the bottom 
of each1 to provide thorough drainage4  
,if they are to be used in the house1 a 
coat or two of paint will make them very
 presentable4 ,of course one such box   
will accommodate a great many           
seeds--enough to start two hundred to a 
thousand little plants--but you can sow 
them in rows1 as described later1 and   
thus put from three to a dozen sorts in 
each box4  ,where most beginners fail in
 attempting to start seeds is in not    
taking the trouble to prepare a proper  
soil4 ,they are willing to take any     
amount of trouble with watering and heat
 and all that1 but they will not fix a  
suitable soil4 ,the soil for the seed   
box need not be rich1 in fact it is     

better not to have manure in it2 but    
very porous and very light it must be1  
especially for such small seeds as most 
flowers have4 ,such a soil may be mixed 
up from rotted sod 7or garden loam71    
leaf-mould and sharp sand1 used in equal
 proportions4 ,if the loam used is      
clayey1 it may take even a larger       
proportion of sand4 ,the resulting      
mixture should be extremely fine and    
crumbling1 and feel almost light as a   
feather in the hand4 ,if the sod and    
mould have not already been screened1   
rub the compost through a sieve of not  
more than quarter-inch mesh--such as a  
coal-ash sifter4 ,this screening will   
help also to incorporate the several    
ingredients evenly and thoroughly4      
,while we provided holes in the seed box
 for drainage1 it is best to take even  
further precautions in this matter by   
covering the bottom of the box with     
nearly an inch of coarse material1 such 
as the roots and half decayed leaves1   
screened out of the sods and leaf-mould4

 ,on the top of this put the prepared   
soil1 filling the box to within about a 
quarter of an inch of the top1 and      
packing down well into the corners and  
along sides and ends4 ,the box should   
not be filled level full1 because in    
subsequent waterings there would be no  
space to hold the water which would run 
off over the sides instead of soaking   
down into the soil4  ,the usual way is  
to fill the boxes and sow the seed1 and 
then water the box on the surface1 but  
,i mention here a method which ,i have  
used in my own work for two years4 ,when
 filling the box1 set it in some place  
where it may be watered freely1 such as 
on the cellar floor1 if too cold to work
 outdoors4 ,after putting in the first  
layer of coarse material1 give it a     
thorough soaking and then put in about  
two-thirds of the rest of the soil      
required and give that a thorough       
watering also4 ,the balance of the soil 
is then put in and made level1 the seeds
 sown1 and no further watering given1 or

 just enough to moisten the surface and 
hold it in place1 if dry4 ,the same     
result can be obtained by filling and   
sowing the box in the usual way1 and    
then placing it in some place--such as  
the kitchen sink--in about an inch of   
water1 and leaving it until moisture1   
not water1 shows upon the surface4      
,either of these ways is much surer than
 the old method of trying to soak the   
soil through from the surface after     
planting1 in which case it is next to   
impossible to wet the soil clear through
 without washing out some of the small  
seeds4  ,after filling the box as       
directed1 make the soil perfectly smooth
 and level with a small flat piece of   
board1 or a brick4 ,do not pack it down 
hard1--just make it firm4 ,then mark off
 straight narrow lines1 one to two      
inches apart1 according to the size of  
the seed to be sown4  ,the instructions 
usually given are to cover flower seeds 
to from three to five times their own   
depth4 ,you may1 if you like1 take a    

foot-rule and try to measure the        
diameter of a begonia or mignonette     
seed2 but you will probably save time by
 simply trying to cover small seeds just
 as lightly as possible4 ,i mark off my 
seed rows with the point of a lead      
pencil--which ,i have handy back of my  
ear for writing the tags--sow the seed  
thinly1 and as evenly as possible by    
shaking it gently out of a corner of the
 seed envelope1 which is tapped lightly 
with the lead pencil1 and then press    
each row down with the edge of a board  
about as thick as a shingle4 ,over the  
whole scatter cocoanut fiber 7which may 
be bought of most seedmen7 or light     
prepared soil1 as thinly as             
possible--just cover the seeds from     
sight--and press the surface flat with a
 small piece of board4 ,a very light    
moistening1 with a plant sprinkler1     
completes the operation4  ,the          
temperature required in which to start  
the seeds of any plant will be about the
 same as that which the same plant      

requires when grown4 ,germination will  
be stronger and quicker1 however1 if ten
 to fifteen degrees more1 especially at 
night1 can be supplied4 ,if this can be 
given as what the florists term bottom  
heat1 that is1 applied under the seed   
box1 so much the better4  ,until        
germination actually takes place1 there 
is little danger of getting the soil too
 warm1 as it heats through from the     
bottom very slowly4 ,the box may be     
placed on the steam radiator1 on a stand
 over the floor radiator1 or on a couple
 of bricks on the back of the kitchen   
range2 or the box may be supported over 
a lamp or small kerosene stove1 care    
being taken to have a piece of metal    
between the wood and the direct heat of 
the flame4 ,for the first few days it   
may be kept in the shade1 but as soon as
 the seeds push through they must be    
given all the light possible4  ,if the  
seed flats or pans are prepared by the  
newer method suggested above1 they will 
probably not need any further watering1 

or not more than one1 until the seeds   
are up4 ,the necessity of further       
watering1 in any case1 will be shown by 
the soil's drying out on the surface4   
,in the case of small seeds1 such as    
most flower seeds are1 the moisture in  
the soil will be retained much longer by
 keeping the box covered with a pane of 
glass1 slightly raised at one side4 ,if 
the box is to be kept in bright         
sunlight1 shade the glass with a piece  
of paper1 until the seedlings are up1   
which will be in a day or so with some  
sorts1 and weeks with others4  ,from the
 time the little plants come up1 until  
they are ready to prick off in other    
flats or into pots1 the boxes should    
never be allowed to dry out4 ,if they   
are being grown in winter or early      
spring1 while the days are still short  
and the sun low1 they will require very 
little water1 and it should be applied  
only on bright mornings4 ,in autumn and 
late spring1 especially the latter1 they
 will require more1 and if the boxes dry

 out quickly1 you should apply it toward
 evening4 ,in either case1 do not water 
until the soil is beginning to dry on   
the surface1 and then water thoroughly1 
or until the soil will not readily      
absorb more4 ,if you will take the      
pains1 and have the facilities for doing
 it1 by far the best way to keep the    
seed boxes supplied with moisture is to 
place them1 when dry1 in an inch or so  
of water 7as described for seed sowing7 
and let them soak up what they need1 or 
until the surface of the soil becomes   
moist4 ,this does the job more evenly   
and thoroughly than it can be done from 
the surface1 and is also a safeguard    
against damping off1 that dreaded       
disease of seedlings which is likely to 
carry away your whole sowing in one     
day--a decaying of the stem just at or  
below the soil4  ,from the time the     
seedlings come up they should be given  
abundance of light1 and all the air     
possible while maintaining the required 
temperature4 ,it will be possible1      

except on very cold dark days1 to give  
them fresh air4 ,never1 however1 let a  
draft of air more than a few degrees    
colder than the room in which they are  
blow directly upon them4  ,the secret of
 growing the little plants until they   
are ready for their first shift is not  
so much in the amount of care given1 as 
in its regularity4 ,tend them every     
day--it will take only a few minutes    
time4 ,when the second true leaf appears
 they will be ready for their first     
change1 which is described in ,chapter  
,,vi4  ,illustration3 ,a new scheme of  
sub-irrigation for flats4 ,some porous  
material such as sphagnum moss or       
excelsior 7as here7 is put on the open  
bottom and the flat watered by allowing 
it to stand in a sink or tub for a few  
minutes  ,illustration3 ,cuttings ready 
for sand2 the leaves have been clipped  
back4 ,from left to right1 heliotrope1  
geranium1 patience plant  ,illustration3
 ,geranium cuttings ready to pot4       
,notice the roots1 which should not be  

allowed to grow more than half or       
three-quarters of an inch long before   
potting     ,,chapter ,v  ,,starting    
,,plants ,,from ,,cuttings   ,while many
 plants are best started from seed1 as  
described in the preceding chapter1     
there are many which cannot be so       
reproduced2 especially named varieties  
which will not come true from seeds1 but
 revert to older and inferior types4    
,also it very frequently happens that   
one has a choice plant of some sort of  
which the seed is not to be obtained1   
and in this case also it becomes        
necessary to reproduce the plant in some
 other way4  ,where large numbers of    
plants are to be started1 and they may  
be had from seed1 that is usually the   
best way in which to work up a supply3  
but where only a few are wanted1 as for 
house plants or use in a small garden1  
propagation by cuttings is the quickest 
and most satisfactory method4           
,practically all of the house plants1   
including most of those which can be    

started from seed1 may be increased in  
this way4  ,the matter of first         
importance1 when starting plants by this
 system1 is to have strong1 healthy     
cuttings of the right degree of         
hardiness4 ,take your cuttings only from
 plants that are in full vigor1 and     
growing strongly4 ,they should be taken 
from what is termed new growth1 that is 
the terminal portions of shoots1 which  
have not yet become old and hard4 ,the  
proper condition of the wood may be     
determined by the following test3 if the
 stem is bent between the fingers it    
should snap 7like a green bean72 if it  
bends and doubles without breaking it is
 either too old and will not readily    
root1 or too soft and will be almost    
sure to wilt or rot4  ,the cutting      
should be from two to four inches long1 
according to the plant and variety to be
 propagated4 ,it should be cut off      
slant-wise1 as this will assist in its  
being pushed firmly down into the       
cutting box4 ,it may be cut either near1

 or between a joint or eye--with the    
exception of a few plants1 noted later4 
,the lower leaves should be taken off   
clean2 those remaining1 if large1       
shortened back1 as shown in the         
illustration facing page #bi4 ,then the 
plant will not be so likely to wilt4    
,if the cuttings cannot be put in the   
propagating medium immediately after    
being made2 keep them in the shade1 and 
if necessary sprinkle to prevent        
wilting4 ,i once obtained a batch of    
chrysanthemum cuttings from a brother   
florist who said that they were so badly
 wilted that they could never be rooted4
 ,i immersed them all in water for      
several hours1 which revived them1 and  
had the satisfaction of rooting almost  
every one4  ,the medium most commonly   
used in which to root cuttings is clean1
 medium-coarse sand1 such as builders   
use4 ,it must not be so fine as to pack 
tightly1 nor so coarse as to fit loosely
 about the cuttings1 and admit air so   
freely as to dry them out4  ,make a flat

 similar to that used for starting      
seeds1 but four or five inches deep4    
,place in the bottom an inch or two of  
gravel or coal ashes1 covered lightly   
with moss or a single thickness of old  
bag1 and then fill nearly full of clean 
sand4 ,make this level1 and give a      
thorough soaking4 ,after drying out for 
an hour or so1 it is ready for the      
cuttings4  ,mark the box off in straight
 lines1 two or three inches apart1 and  
insert the cuttings as closely as       
possible without touching1 and to a     
depth of about one-third or one-half    
their length4 ,a small1 pointed stick1  
or dibber1 will be convenient in getting
 them in firmly4 ,wet them down to pack 
the sand closely around them4  ,the best
 temperature for the room in which the  
cutting box is to be kept will be from  
fifty to fifty-five degrees at night4   
,like the seed box1 however1 it will be 
greatly helped by ten or fifteen degrees
 of bottom heat in addition4 ,for method
 of giving this extra bottom heat1 see  

page #bf4  ,if the box is kept in a     
bright sunny place1 shade the cuttings  
with a piece of newspaper during the    
heat of the day1 to prevent wilting1 and
 if the weather is so hot that the room 
is warmer than seventy degrees1 an      
occasional light sprinkling will help to
 keep them fresh4  ,never let the sand  
dry out or all your work will be lost4  
,as a rule1 it will require a thorough  
soaking every morning4  ,with these     
precautions taken1 the cuttings should  
begin to throw out roots in from eight  
to twenty days1 according to conditions 
and varieties4 ,do not let them stay in 
the sand after the roots form2 it is    
much better to pot them off at once1    
before the roots get more than half an  
inch long4 ,if some of the cuttings have
 not rooted but show a granulated       
condition where they were cut1 they will
 be safe to pot off1 as they will1 as a 
rule1 root in the soil4  ,the above     
method is the one usually employed4     
,there is another1 however1 just as easy

 and more certain in results1 especially
 where bottom heat cannot easily be had4
 ,it is called the saucer system of     
propagation4 ,make the cuttings as      
described above4 ,put the sand in a     
deep1 water-tight dish1 such as a glazed
 earthenware dish or a deep soup plate1 
and pack the cuttings in as thickly as  
necessary4 ,wet the sand to the         
consistency of mud and keep the dish in 
a warm light place4 ,the temperature may
 be higher than when using the sand box1
 and there will not be a necessity for  
shading4 ,the sand must be kept         
constantly saturated3 that is the whole 
secret of success with this method of   
rooting cuttings4 ,pot them off as soon 
as the roots begin to grow4  ,cuttings  
made by the two systems described above 
are usually taken in autumn1 or in      
spring4 ,when it is necessary to get new
 plants during ,june1 ,july or ,august1 
a method called layering in the air will
 have to be resorted to if you would be 
certain of results4 ,instead of taking  

the cutting clean off1 cut it nearly    
through2 the smallest shred of wood and 
bark will keep it from wilting1 but it  
should be kept upright1 for if it hangs 
down the end of the shoot will          
immediately begin to turn up1 making a  
,u-shaped cutting4 ,the cuttings are    
left thus partly attached for about     
eight days or until they are thoroughly 
calloused1 when they are taken off and  
potted1 like rooted cuttings1 but giving
 a little more sand in the soil and not 
quite so much water4 ,they are1 of      
course1 shaded for several days4  ,some 
of the plants ordinarily grown in the   
house1 such as ,rex begonias1 rubber    
plants1 sword ferns1 are best increased 
by leaf cuttings1 topping1 layering or  
other methods differing from seed sowing
 or rooting cuttings4 ,these several    
operations will be described in treating
 of the plants for which they are used4 
,having carried our little plants safely
 through the first stage of their       
growth1 it is necessary that we use some

 care in getting them established as    
individuals1 and give them the best     
possible preparation for successful     
service in their not unimportant world4 
,,chapter ,,vi  ,,transplanting1        
,,potting ,,and ,,repotting             
,directions have already been given for 
preparing the best soil for house       
plants4 ,this soil1 sifted through a    
coarse screen--say a one-half inch      
mesh--is just right for pricking off or 
transplanting the little seedlings4     
,use flats similar to those prepared for
 the seeds1 but an inch deeper4 ,in the 
bottom put an inch of the rough material
 screened from sods and manure4 ,give   
this a thorough watering2 cover with an 
inch of the sifted soil1 and wet this   
down also4 ,then fill the box nearly    
level full of the sifted soil1 which    
should be neither dry nor moist enough  
to be sticky4 ,take care also that this 
soil is not much--if any--colder than   
the temperature in which the seedlings  
have been kept4  ,it is usually best to 

transplant the seedlings just as soon as
 they are large enough to be handled1   
which is as soon as the second true leaf
 appears4 ,nothing is gained by leaving 
them in the seed boxes longer1 as they  
soon begin to crowd and get lanky and   
are more likely to be attacked by the   
damping off fungus than they are after  
being transferred4  ,find a table or    
bench of the right height upon which to 
work comfortably4 ,with a flat stick1 or
 with a transplanting fork 7which can be
 had for fifteen cents7 lift a bunch of 
the little plants out1 dirt and all1    
clear to the bottom of the box4 ,hold   
this clump in one hand and with the     
other gently tear away the seedlings1   
one at a time1 discarding all crooked or
 weak ones4 ,never attempt to pull the  
seedlings from the soil in the flat1 as 
the little rootlets are very easily     
broken off4 ,they should come away      
almost intact1 as shown facing page #dh4
 ,water the seed flats the day previous 
to transplanting1 so that the soil will 

be in just the right condition1 neither 
wet enough to make the roots sticky1 nor
 so dry as to crumble away4  ,take the  
little seedling by the stem between the 
thumb and forefinger1 and with a small  
round pointed stick or dibber1 or with  
the forefinger of the other hand1 make a
 hole deep enough to receive the roots  
and about half the length--more if the  
seedlings are lanky--of the stem4 ,as   
the little plant is dropped into place1 
the tips of both thumbs and forefingers1
 by one quick1 firm movement1 compress  
the earth firmly both down on the roots 
and against the stem so that the plant  
sticks upright and may not readily be   
pulled out4 ,of course there is a knack 
about it which cannot be put into       
words--,i could have pricked off a      
hundred seedlings in the time ,i am     
spending in trying to describe the      
operation--but a little practice will   
make one reasonably efficient at it4    
,when the flat is completed1 jar it     
slightly to level the surface and give a

 watering1 being careful1 however1 to   
bend down the plants as little as       
possible4 ,set the plants on a level    
surface1 and if the sun is bright1 shade
 with newspapers during the middle of   
the day for two or three days4  ,from   
now on until ready for potting1 keep at 
the required temperature1 as near as    
possible1 and water thoroughly on bright
 mornings when necessary1 but only when 
the drying of the surface shows that the
 soil needs it4 ,above all1 give all the
 air possible1 while maintaining the    
necessary heat4 ,the quality of the     
mature plants will depend more upon this
 precaution than upon anything else in  
the way of care4  ,the little seedlings 
are sometimes put from the seed flat    
directly into small pots4 ,i strongly   
advise the method described above4 ,the 
flats save room and care1 and the plants
 do much better for a few weeks than    
they will in pots4 ,where room is       
scarce1 it is well to transplant        
cuttings into flats instead of potting  

them off4 ,as soon1 however1 as either  
the transplanted plants or cuttings     
begin to crowd in the flats1 they must  
be put into pots4 ,how soon this will be
 depends largely1 of course1 upon the   
amount of room they have been given4 ,as
 many as a hundred are often set in a   
flat #acx#ai inches1 but it is well to  
give them twice as much space as that if
 room permits4   ,,potting  ,cuttings   
and small plants are put into two-inch  
or thumb pots4 ,some of the larger      
growing geraniums or very sturdy plants 
require two-and-one-half inch pots1 but 
the smaller size should be used when    
possible4  ,the soil for pots up to     
three inches should be screened1 but not
 made too fine4 ,a coal-ash sifter1 or  
half-inch screen will do4 ,the soil     
should be made up as directed in        
,chapter ,,iii4  ,the pots should be    
thoroughly cleaned with sand and water1 
or by a several days' soaking1 and then 
wiping out with a cloth1 if they have   
been used before4 ,an old pot1 with dirt

 sticking to the inside and the pores   
all clogged up1 will not do good work4  
,old or new1 they should be immersed in 
water until through bubbling just before
 using2 otherwise they will absorb too  
much moisture from the soil4  ,the      
method of potting should depend somewhat
 upon the condition of the roots of the 
cutting4 ,if they are less than half an 
inch long1 as they should be1 fill the  
pot level full of soil1 make a hole with
 the forefinger of one hand2 insert the 
cutting to about half its depth with the
 other1 rap the bottom of the pot       
smartly against the bench to settle the 
earth1 and then press it down firmly    
with the thumbs1 leveling it as the pot 
is placed to one side in an empty flat4 
7,the jarring down of the soil should   
precede the firming with the thumbs1 as 
this will compact the soil more evenly  
within the pot47 ,this should leave the 
soil a little below the rim of the pot1 
making a space to hold water when       
watering2 and the cutting should be so  

firmly embedded that it cannot be moved 
without breaking the soil4  ,with       
cuttings whose roots have been allowed  
to grow an inch or more in length1 and  
plants with a considerable ball of      
roots--as they should have when coming  
from the transplanting flats--it is     
better partly to fill the pot4 ,hold the
 plant or cutting in position with the  
left hand and press the soil in about it
 with the right hand--firming it as     
directed in the former case4 ,with a    
little practice either operation can be 
performed very rapidly4 ,florists do    
four to five hundred pots an hour4      
,when for any reason it is necessary to 
put a small or weakly rooted plant or   
cutting1 or a cutting that is just on   
the point of sending forth roots1 in a  
pot that seems too large1 put it near   
the edge of the pot1 instead of in the  
middle4 ,this will often save a plant   
which would otherwise be lost1 and at   
the next shift it can1 of course1 be put
 in the center of the pot4  ,if no small

 pots are at hand1 several small plants 
or cuttings can be put around the edge  
of a four-or five-inch pot1 with good   
results4 ,care must be taken1 however1  
not to give too much water4  ,as soon as
 the little plants or cuttings are      
potted up1 give them a thorough watering
 and place them where the holes in the  
bottoms of the pots will not be clogged 
with soil4 ,a large flat1 in the bottom 
of which an inch of pebbles1 coarse sand
 or sifted cinders has been put1 will be
 a good place for them4 ,keep shaded    
during the hot part of the day for three
 or four days4 ,at first the pots may be
 placed as close together as possible1  
but in a very short time--two weeks at  
the most1 if the growing conditions are 
right--they will need to be put farther 
apart4 ,nothing will injure them so     
quickly as being left crowded together  
where they cannot get enough air4       
,better1 if necessary1 give or throw    
away half of them than to attempt to    
grow fifty plants where you have room   

for only two dozen4  ,as before1 water  
only when necessary1 i4e41 when the     
surface of the soil begins to look      
whitish and dry4 ,then water thoroughly4
 ,until by practice you know just what  
they need1 knock a few out of the pots1 
say fifteen minutes after watering1 and 
see if the ball of earth has been wet   
through to the bottom2 if not1 you are  
not doing the job thoroughly4 ,if the   
pots do not dry out between waterings1  
but stay muddy and heavy1 either your   
soil is not right or you have used pots 
too large for your plants4   ,,repotting
  ,in the course of a week or two1 if a 
plant is knocked out1 the small white   
roots may be seen coming through the    
ball of earth and beginning to curl     
around the outside of it4 ,the time for 
repotting the young plants will have    
been reached when these roots have made 
a thick network around the ball of      
earth1 but before they become brown and 
woody2 that is1 while they are still    
white and succulent--working roots1 as  

the florists term them4  ,illustration3 
,potted cuttings ready for shifting to a
 larger pot4 ,from left to right1 ivy   
geranium1 snapdragon1 geranium and dusty
 miller  ,illustration3 ,some plants1   
like ,rex begonia1 will strike root from
 their leaves if perforated with a knife
 into damp sand  ,illustration3 ,in all 
potted plants an important detail is the
 placing of rough drainage material1    
such as broken pieces of pot1 charcoal1 
ashes1 etc41 at the bottom1 to prevent  
moisture from settling in the soil and  
souring it  ,the shift1 as a general    
rule1 should be to a pot only one size  
larger1 that is1 from a three to a four1
 or a four to a five4  ,remove the plant
 from the old pot by holding the stem of
 the plant between the index and middle 
finger of the left hand1 and with the   
right inverting the pot and rapping the 
edge of the rim sharply against the edge
 of the bench or table4  ,before putting
 the plant into the new pot1 remove the 
top half inch of soil and gently loosen 

up the lower half of the ball of roots1 
if it is firmly matted4  ,put soil in   
the bottom of the pot to such a depth   
that when the ball of roots is covered  
with half an inch or so of new soil1 the
 surface thereof will still be about    
half an inch below the rim of the pot4  
,hold the plant in place with the left  
hand1 and with the right fill in around 
it1 making the soil firm as before4     
,water and care is the same as after the
 first potting4  ,pots four inches or   
over in size should be crocked to make  
certain of sufficient drainage4 ,the    
best material to use is broken charcoal1
 in pieces one-half to an inch in       
diameter4 ,pieces of broken pots1       
cinders or rough pebbles will do4 ,be   
sure that the drainage hole is not      
covered2 if pieces of pots are used1 put
 the concave side down over the hole1 as
 illustrated facing page #da4 ,the depth
 of the drainage material1 or crocking1 
will be from half an inch to three      
inches1 according to the size of the    

pot4 ,over this rough material put a    
little screenings1 leaf mould or        
sphagnum moss1 to prevent the soil's    
washing down into it4 ,then fill in with
 soil and pot in the regular way4  ,the 
time for repotting house plants is at   
the beginning of their growing season4  
,it varies1 of course1 with the         
different kinds4 ,the great majority1   
however1 start into new growth in the   
spring and should be repotted from the  
middle of ,march to the middle of ,may4 
,plants kept through the winter for     
stock plants are usually started up and 
repotted early in ,february to induce   
the abundant new growth that furnishes  
cuttings4 ,the method of repotting will 
depend on the nature of the plant4      
,soft-wooded plants1 like geraniums1 are
 put in in the ordinary way and firmed  
with the fingers4 ,the palms do best    
with the new soil more firmly packed    
about the old ball of roots4            
,hard-wooded plants with very fine      
roots1 like the azaleas1 should have the

 soil rammed down firmly about the old  
ball2 for which purpose it is necessary 
to use a blunt1 flat piece of wood1 of  
convenient size4 ,in repotting such     
plants1 it is well to let the ball of   
roots soak several minutes in a pail of 
water before putting into the new pot4  
,if very densely matted1 make several   
holes in it with a spike1 working it    
around1 and leave the soil a little     
lower at the center of the pot to induce
 the water to run down through the root 
ball4  ,plants that have been crocked in
 the old pots should have this material 
removed1 if possible1 before going into 
their new quarters4  ,plants in large   
pots often use up all the plant food    
available1 and where they cannot be     
given still larger pots become quite a  
problem4 ,they are usually handsome     
specimens which one does not like to    
lose4 ,remove such a plant from its pot 
and carefully wash all the soil from the
 roots2 clean the pot and carefully     
repot in fresh soil in the same pot4    

,the result will be extremely           
satisfactory4  ,until one has become    
proficient in the art of potting1 it    
will pay well to practice with every    
plant and cutting that may be had4 ,if  
you have mistakes to make1 make them    
with these1 so that your favorite plants
 may be handled safely4     ,,chapter   
,,vii  ,,management ,,of ,,house        
,,plants   ,there are some general rules
 that will apply to taking care of all  
plants in the house2 then there are     
several groups1 the different sorts in  
which are handled more or less alike2   
and lastly there are the individual     
requirements of the plants in the       
several groups to be considered4        
,information about all these varieties1 
as given in the usual way1 results in a 
more or less confusing mass of detail4  
,it is for the purpose of getting this  
information into as plain a form as     
possible that the instructions in the   
first chapters of this book have been   
given in such detail2 and those         

instructions should be used in          
conjunction with the following pages4   
,the beginner cannot expect to fully    
comprehend the suggestions given until  
the plain everyday operations of plant  
growing have become familiar4  ,much of 
what has been said in the previous pages
 has borne upon the several points of   
managing plants successfully in the     
house4 ,it will be of use1 however1 to  
have those various suggestions brought  
together in condensed form4  ,in the    
first place it must be remembered that  
at best it is hard to get conditions in 
the living-room that will be suitable   
for the healthy growth of plants4 ,every
 effort should be made to prepare a     
place for them in which such conditions 
may be made as nearly ideal as possible3
 plenty of light1 evenly regulated      
temperature2 moisture in the air4  ,for 
most house plants the temperature should
 be #ej to #ee at night and #fe to #ge  
during the day4 ,an occasional night    
temperature of #de or even #dj will not 

do great harm but if reached frequently 
will check the growth of the plants4    
,air should be given every day when the 
temperature of the room will not be too 
greatly lowered thereby4 ,avoid direct  
drafts1 as sudden chills are apt to     
produce bad results4 ,even on very cold 
days1 fresh air may be let in           
indirectly1 through a window open in an 
adjoining room or through a hall4 ,it is
 better1 when possible1 to give a little
 ventilation during an hour or two1 than
 to rush too sudden a lowering of the   
temperature by trying to do it all in   
fifteen minutes4  ,the amount of water  
which should be given will depend both  
upon the plant and upon the season4     
,during the dull days of winter and     
during the resting season of all plants1
 very little water will be required4 ,it
 should be given on bright mornings4    
,during early fall and late spring1 when
 the pots or boxes dry out very rapidly1
 water in the evening4 ,in either case1 
however1 withhold water until the soil  

is beginning to get on the dry side and 
then water thoroughly4 ,water should be 
given until it runs down through into   
the saucers but should not be allowed to
 remain there4  ,sometimes it will be   
beneficial to moisten the foliage of    
plants without wetting the soil4 ,just  
after repotting and in fighting plant   
lice1 red spider and other insect       
enemies 7see ,chapter ,,xvii7 this      
treatment will be necessary4 ,a         
fine-rose spray on the watering-can may 
be used but a rubber plant-sprinkler    
costing about sixty-five cents1 will be 
very much better1 as with it the water  
will be applied in a finer spray with a 
great deal more force and to either the 
upper or under surface of the leaves--a 
point of great importance4  ,plants     
growing in windows1 where the light     
strikes them only1 or mostly1 from one  
side1 should be frequently turned to    
prevent their growing one-sided4  ,also 
do not hesitate to use knife1 scissors  
and fingers in keeping them symmetrical 

and shapely4 ,one of the greatest       
mistakes that amateurs make is in being 
afraid to cut an ungainly or half       
leafless branch4 ,instead of injuring a 
plant1 such pruning frequently is an    
actual benefit4  ,if neglected1 dust    
will quickly gather on the leaves and   
clog their pores1 and as the plants have
 no way of breathing but through their  
leaves1 you can see what the result must
 be4 ,syringing1 mentioned above1 will  
help4 ,they should also be wiped clean  
with a soft dry cloth1 especially such  
plants as palms1 rubbers1 ,rex begonias4
 ,do not use olive oil or any other     
sticky substance on the cloth4 ,always  
remove at once any broken1 dead or      
diseased leaf or flower4 ,do not let    
flowering plants go to seed3 nothing    
else will so quickly bring the blooming 
period to a close4  ,do not try to force
 your plants into continuous growth4    
,almost without exception they demand a 
period of rest1 and if you do not allow 
them to take it when nature suggests1   

they will take it themselves when you do
 not want them to4 ,the natural rest    
period is during the winter4 ,during    
this time a very little water will do   
and no repotting or manuring should be  
attempted4  ,it is1 however1 desirable  
in some cases1 as with many of the      
flowering plants1 to change the season  
bloom1 as we want their beauty during   
the winter4 ,in such cases they should  
be made to rest during the summer1 by   
withholding water and keeping them      
disbudded4  ,many beginners get the idea
 that as soon as any plant has filled   
its pot with roots it must be           
immediately shifted to a larger one4    
,while this is as a rule true with small
 plants1 being grown on1 it is not at   
all true of mature plants1 especially   
those wanted to bloom in the house4     
,when a shift has been given1 at the    
beginning of the growing period1 no     
further change should be necessary      
during the winter4 ,it will1 however1 be
 well1 if not imperative1 to furnish    

food in the form of liquid manures when 
the soil in the pot has become filled   
with roots4 ,it should be applied from  
one to three times a week--the former   
being sufficient for a plant showing    
ordinary growth4  ,all the animal       
manures1 cow1 horse1 sheep1 hen1        
etc41--are good to use in this way1 but 
cow manure is the safest and best4      
,place three or four inches of          
half-rotted manure in a galvanized iron 
pail1 fill with water1 and after        
standing a few hours it will be ready   
for use4 ,the pail can be refilled4 ,as 
long as the liquid becomes the color of 
weak tea it will be strong enough to    
use4 ,give from a gill to a pint at each
 application to a six-or eight-inch pot4
 ,the other manures should not be made  
quite so strong4 ,for liquid chemicals  
see page #ai or mix up the following3 #e
 lbs4 nitrate of soda1 #c of nitrate of 
potash and #b of phosphate of ammonia1  
and use #a oz4 of the mixture dissolved 
in five or six gallons of water4  ,at   

the beginning of the growing period and 
at frequent intervals during the early  
growth of plants they must be repotted4 
,the operation is described on page #dj4
  ,illustration3 ,from left to right1   
cabbage seedlings just right for        
transplanting2 seedlings of stocks2     
lanky seedlings that have been too      
thickly sown4 ,these last should be set 
deeply1 as indicated by the cross line  
,illustration3 ,an attractive and       
efficient flower bay was made here by   
waterproofing the floor1 building plant 
shelves and isolating the whole when    
necessary with the curtains  ,as soon as
 danger of late frost is over in the    
spring the plants should be got out of  
the house4 ,it is safest to harden them 
off first by leaving them a few nights  
with the windows wide open or in a      
sheltered place on the veranda4 ,those  
which require partial shade may be kept 
on the veranda or under a tree4 ,most of
 them1 however1 will do best in the full
 sun and should1 if wanted for use in   

the house a second season1 be kept in   
their pots4 ,the best way to handle them
 is to dig out a bed six or eight inches
 deep 7the sod and earth taken out may  
be used in your dirt heap for next year7
 and fill it with sifted coal ashes4 ,in
 this1 plunge1 that is1 bury the pots up
 to their rims4 ,if set on the surface  
of the soil it will be next to          
impossible to keep them sufficiently wet
 unless they are protected from the     
direct rays of the sun by an overhead   
screening of lath nailed close together1
 or protecting cloth waterproofed4      
,where many plants are grown for the    
house such a shed1 open on all sides1 is
 sometimes made4  ,care must be taken   
not to let plants in plunged pots root  
through into the soil4 ,this is         
prevented by lifting and partly turning 
the pots every week or so4 ,they will   
not root through into the coal cinders  
as rapidly as into soil and better      
drainage is secured4 ,watch the soil in 
the pots1 not that in which they are    

plunged1 when deciding about watering4  
,for most plants a thorough watering1   
tops and all1 once every afternoon      
ordinarily will not be too much4        
,plants such as geraniums and           
heliotrope1 which are wanted for        
blooming in early winter1 should be kept
 rather dry and all buds pinched off4   
,do not shift them to new pots until two
 or three weeks before time to take them
 in4     ,,chapter ,,viii  ,,flowering  
,,plants   ,the very important          
question--,what plants shall be grown in
 the house8--must be left for the       
individual to answer4 ,in selecting a   
few to describe somewhat in detail in   
the first part of this chapter1 ,i do   
not mean to imply that the others are   
not as beautiful1 or may not1 with      
proper care1 be successfully grown in   
the house4 ,however1 most of those      
described are the more popular--very    
possibly because as a rule greater      
success is attained with them4  ,the    
same is true of the treatment of the    

other groups--shrubs1 foliage plants1   
palms1 ferns1 vines1 cacti and bulbs1   
which are classed not upon a strict     
botanical basis but with reference to   
their general habits and requirements1  
my sole object in this book being to    
make the proper cultural directions as  
definite and clear as possible4         
,begonias  ,i think if ,i were          
restricted to the use of one class of   
plants for beautifying my home in winter
 ,i should without hesitation choose the
 begonias4 ,no other plants so combine  
decorative effect1 beauty of form and   
flower1 continuity of bloom and general 
ease of culture4  ,there are three      
types3 the flowering fibrous-rooted     
begonias1 the decorative leaved begonias
 and the tuberous-rooted1 with their    
abundant and gorgeous flowers and       
beautiful foliage4 7,these latter are   
described more fully in ,chapter ,,xv on
 ,bulbs47  ,begonias are rather         
difficult to raise from seed and the    
best way to get them is to go to some   

good florist and select a few specimens2
 after that you can easily keep supplied
 by cuttings 7see page #bi74 ,the large 
fancy-leaved begonias 7,rex begonias7   
are increased by leaf-cuttings4 ,take an
 old leaf and cut it into triangular    
pieces1 about three inches each way and 
with a part of one of the thick main    
ribs at one corner of each piece2 this  
is the corner to put into the sand4     
,these--seven or eight of which can be  
made from one leaf--should be inserted  
about an inch into the sand of the      
cutting box or saucer1 and treated as   
ordinary cuttings4 ,the new growth will 
come up from the rib4 7,illustration    
facing page #dj74 ,some of the foliage  
begonias have long1 thick stems1 or     
rhizomes growing just above the soil2   
from these the leaves grow4 ,propagate  
by cutting the rhizome into pieces about
 two inches long and covering in the    
rooting medium4  ,the most satisfactory 
way to select your begonias is to see   
them actually growing at the florist's4 

,in case selection cannot be made1 thus1
 however1 the following brief           
descriptions may be helpful4 ,the       
begonia with the most showy flowers is  
the coral begonia--7in catalogues ,b4   
maculata1 var4 ,corallina74 ,the        
flowers1 which grow in large clusters1  
reach half an inch across4  ,begonias   
rubra1 ,alba1 ,vernon1 nitida and ,n4   
alba1 ,luminosa1 ,sandersoni and        
semperflorens1 gigantea rosea1 are all  
good sorts4  ,for foliage1 ,begonia     
metallica1 is the most popular4 ,the    
flowers while not conspicuous are very  
pretty4 ,b4 ,thurstoni1 albo-picta1 and 
argenteoguttata are also very           
attractive1 the two latter having small 
silvery spots upon the leaves4  ,of the 
large leaved ,rex begonias new varieties
 are frequently introduced4 ,they are   
seldom improvements over the old        
favorites1 ,philadelphus1 ,silver       
,queen1 ,fire ,king1 ,mrs4 ,rivers and  
others4  ,one of the most glorious of   
all flower sights is a plant of begonia 

,gloire de ,lorraine in full bloom4 ,it 
makes a graceful hanging mass of the    
most beautiful pink flowers4 ,i cannot1 
however1 conscientiously recommend it as
 a house plant4 ,the best way is to get 
a plant1 say in ,october1 which is just 
about to bloom4 ,even if you lose it    
after it is through blooming--they      
continue in flower for several          
months--it will have been well worth the
 expense4 ,but it is not necessary to   
lose it4 ,when through flowering give it
 less water and keep in a cool light    
place4 ,during summer keep it as cool as
 possible1 on the veranda1 or plunged in
 the shade of a tree4 ,about ,september 
rapid growth will be made and it may    
gradually be given full sunlight4       
,gloire ,cincinnati is a splendid       
begonia of very recent introduction and 
it is claimed to be much hardier than   
,gloire de ,lorraine1 but whether it    
will prove satisfactory as a house plant
 ,i cannot say4 ,there are many other   
beautiful kinds of begonias besides the 

few described above4 ,if you have room1 
by all means try some of them4  ,as to  
soil1 add about one-third of thoroughly 
pulverized leaf-mould to the potting    
soil described on page #ae1 if you would
 give them the best conditions4 ,in     
watering keep them if anything a little 
on the dry side4 ,they like plenty of   
light but will do best if kept out of   
the direct rays of the sun4   ,fuchsia  
,there is perhaps no plant which more   
perfectly combines gracefulness and     
beauty of color than a well grown       
fuchsia in full bloom4 ,well-grown in   
this case does not simply mean that it  
should have been given the proper care  
as regards food and temperature4 ,the   
fuchsia is naturally a somewhat trailing
 and very brittle-wooded plant4 ,it     
needs support and the problem is to give
 it this support and at the same time   
not destroy its natural gracefulness of 
form1 as is usually done when it is tied
 up stiffly to a wooden stake4 ,if tied 
carefully to an inconspicuous green     

stake by means of green twine this may  
be accomplished4 ,a better way will be  
to use one of the stakes described on   
page #add4  ,fuchsias are shade plants4 
,the full direct sunlight is likely to  
prove fatal to their existence4 ,in     
winter they may be kept in an east or   
north window1 or on the inside of other 
plants in a south window4 ,if they are  
wanted to bloom early in the fall keep  
well pinched back and disbudded during  
the summer which is the natural blooming
 season for all the best varieties4 ,for
 summer blooming1 dry off gradually in  
the fall and keep during the            
winter--until ,february or ,march--in a 
frost-proof room or cellar4 ,after they 
have been brought into the light1 repot 
and water and new growth will start4    
,prune back the old branches severely1  
as the next crop of flowers will be     
borne on the new wood4 ,this is also a  
good time to start cuttings for a new   
supply of plants4  ,old plants--two or  
three years--will1 however1 give a far  

greater abundance of flowers4  ,the most
 serious enemy of the fuchsia indoors is
 the pernicious red spider4 ,for details
 of the proper reception to be given him
 see page #acd4  ,the varieties of the  
fuchsia1 in both single and double      
flowers1 are many4 ,among popular sorts 
are ,elm ,city1 ,black ,prince1         
speciosa1 ,phenomenal4 ,florists'       
catalogues list many others1 new and for
 the most part well worth trying4       
,geraniums  ,the geranium has been for  
years1 and is likely to remain1 the most
 popular flowering plant of all1 whether
 for use in summer flower beds or for   
the winter window garden4 ,to some      
people this wide popularity renders it  
less desirable1 but with those who grow 
plants for their intrinsic beauty and   
not because they may or may not be in   
vogue the geranium with its healthy     
vitality1 its attractive foliage and its
 simply marvelous range of color and    
delicate shadings will always be a      
favorite4 ,i even venture to predict    

more2 to prophesy that it is going to be
 used1 as one seldom sees it now1 as a  
cut flower for decorative purposes4 ,i  
have grown some of the newer varieties  
with stems from twelve to eighteen      
inches long1 supporting enormous trusses
 of dull red or the most delicate pink  
and keeping fresh in vases for days at a
 time4 ,i find that very few people1    
even old flower lovers1 have any        
conception of the improvement and       
variety which the last few years have   
brought1 especially in the wonderful new
 creations coming from the hands of the 
,french hybridizers4 ,the latest news is
 that a ,german plant-breeder has       
produced the first of a new race of     
,pelargoniums 7,pansy or ,lady          
,washington geraniums7 that continues to
 bloom as long as any of our ordinary   
bedding sorts4 ,it has not yet been     
offered in this country1 but doubtless  
soon will be1 and it will be an         
acquisition indeed4  ,the culture of the
 geranium is simple4 ,for its use as a  

house plant there are just two things to
 keep in mind2 first give it a soil     
which is a little on the heavy side2    
that is1 use three parts of good heavy  
loam1 one of manure and one of sand2    
secondly do not over-water4 ,keep it on 
the dry side--7see page #de74  ,to have 
geraniums blooming in the house all     
winter prepare plants in two ways1 as   
follows3 ,first1 in ,may or ,june pot up
 a number of old plants4 ,cut back quite
 severely1 leaving a skeleton work of   
old wood1 well branched1 from which the 
new flowering wood will grow4 ,keep     
plunged and turned during the summer and
 take off every bud until three or four 
weeks before you are ready to take the  
plants inside4 ,secondly1 in ,march or  
,april1 start some new plants from      
cuttings and grow these1 with frequent  
shifts1 until they fill six-or          
seven-inch pots1 but keep them pinched  
back to induce a branching growth1 and  
disbudded1 until about the end of       
,december4 ,these will come into bloom  

after the old plants4  ,the best time   
for propagating the general supply of   
geraniums is from ,september #aeth to   
the end of ,october4 ,cuttings should be
 taken from wood that is as firm and    
ripe as possible1 while still yielding  
to the snapping test 7see page #cj74 ,in
 all stages of growth the geranium is   
remarkably free from any insect or      
disease4  ,the varieties of geraniums   
now run into the hundreds--a wonderful  
collection4 ,i shall name but a few1 all
 of which ,i know from my own experience
 in selling several thousand every      
spring1 are sure to be well-liked and   
good bloomers4   ,geranium ,varieties   
,s4 ,a4 ,nutt leads them all4 ,it is the
 richest1 darkest crimson--usually      
ordered as the darkest red4 ,it is a    
great bloomer1 but one word of caution  
where you grow your own plants3--,you   
must keep it cut back and make it       
branch1 otherwise it will surely grow up
 tall and spindling4 ,e4 ,h4 ,trego is  
the most brilliant of the reds that ,i  

have grown4 ,marquis de ,castellane is  
the richest of the reds--a dull1 even1  
glowing color with what artists term    
warmth and depth4 ,the trusses are      
immense and the stems long1 stiff and   
erect4 ,it is the best geranium for     
massing in bouquets that ,i know4       
,beaute ,potevine is the richest1 most  
glorious of the salmon pinks--perhaps   
the most popular of all the geraniums as
 a pot plant for the house4 ,it is a    
sturdy grower and a wonderful bloomer4  
,dorothy ,perkins is a strong growing   
bright pink1 with an almost white       
center4 ,very attractive4  ,roseleur is 
one of the most lovely delicate pinks4  
,mme4 ,recamier1 perhaps the best of the
 double whites1 making a very compact1  
sturdy plant4  ,silver-leafed ,nutt1    
very recently introduced1 is1 ,i        
believe1 destined to be one of the most 
popular of all geraniums4 ,it has the   
rich flowers of ,s4 ,a4 ,nutt and leaves
 of a beautiful dull1 light green1      
bordered with silver white4 ,i am chary 

of novelties1 and got my first plants   
last spring with the expectation of     
being disappointed4 ,so far it has      
proved a great acquisition4  ,new-life  
is another new sort which has won great 
popularity1 the center of the flowers   
being white in contrast to the red of   
the outer petals4 ,this is one of a new 
type of geranium having two more or less
 distinct colors in each flower4        
,another new type is the ,cactus        
section1 with petals narrower and       
recurved4 ,in fact1 the geranium seems  
to have by no means reached its full    
development4  ,foliage ,geraniums4 ,the 
foremost of these is ,mme4 ,salleroi    
7,silver-leaf geranium74 ,it is         
unequaled as a border and for mingling  
with other plants in the edge of boxes  
and vases4 ,well grown specimens make   
beautiful single pot plants4 ,mrs4      
,pollock and ,mountain of ,snow are     
other good varieties4  ,sweet ,scented  
,geranium4 ,this type has two valuable  
uses2 their delicious fragrance and also

 the beauty and long keeping quality of 
the leaves when used in bouquets or to  
furnish green with geranium blossoms4   
,rose and ,lemon 7or ,skeleton7 are the 
two old favorites of this type4 ,the    
,mint geranium1 with a broad1 large leaf
 of a beautiful soft green1 and thick   
velvety texture1 should be better known4
 ,all three must be kept well cut back1 
as they like to grow long and scraggly4 
,the ivy-leafed geraniums have not yet  
come into their own4 ,to me they are the
 most beautiful of all4 ,the leaves are 
like ivy leaves1 only thicker and more  
glossy4 ,the flowers1 which are freely  
borne1 contain some of the most         
beautiful and delicate shades and       
markings of any flowers1 and the vines  
are exceedingly graceful in habit when  
given a place where they can spread out 
or hang down4 ,like the common or ,zonal
 geranium1 the ivy-leafed section has   
within the last few years been greatly  
improved4 ,there is space here to       
mention but one variety 7,l',elegantea71

 whose variegated white and green       
foliage1 in addition to its lovely      
flowers1 gives it a wonderful charm4    
,illustration3 ,begonias combine more   
fully than any other house plant the    
three important factors of beauty of    
form and flower1 continuity of bloom and
 ease of culture4 ,this is the variety  
,pride of ,cincinnati  ,illustration3   
,the pansy geraniums bear the most      
beautiful flowers of the whole geranium 
family1 but as yet the flowering season 
is rather short  ,illustration3 ,primula
 obconica4 ,primroses need no particular
 care4 ,buy small plants from the       
florist each spring  ,the ,pelargoniums 
7,pansy ,geraniums7--,this section      
contains the most wonderful flowers of  
all the geraniums4 ,imagine1 if you can1
 a rather graceful shrub with attractive
 foliage1 eighteen inches or so high and
 broad1 covered with loose clusters of  
pansies in the most brilliant and       
harmonious contrasts of color1 and the  
most delicate blendings of rare shades1 

such as snow white and lilac4           
,unfortunately1 these marvelous blossoms
 remain but a few weeks at most1 and    
then there is a year's care and waiting4
 ,as with the fantastic cacti1 all their
 blossoming energy and beauty seems to  
be concentrated into one brief but      
glorious effort4 ,it certainly is to be 
hoped that the new strain1 mentioned on 
a former page1 will successfully be     
developed4 ,pelargoniums are propagated 
by cuttings1 and cared for as the       
ordinary geraniums1 except that they    
should be kept very cold and dry during 
their winter resting spell4 ,cut back   
after blooming4   ,heliotrope  ,the     
heliotrope has long been the queen of   
all flowers grown for fragrance4 ,it is 
grown readily from either seeds or      
cuttings2 the latter generally rooted in
 the spring4 ,for blooming in winter1   
start young plants in ,february1 or cut 
back old ones after flowering1 and keep 
growing but pinched back and disbudded1 
in partial shade during the summer4     

,there are several varieties1 from dark 
purple to very light and white4         
,lemoine's hybrids have the largest     
flowers1 but are not so fragrant as some
 of the smaller sorts4  ,by pinching off
 the side shoots and training to a      
single main stalk1 the plants may be    
grown as formal standards1 with the     
flowering branches several feet from the
 pot1 like the head of a tree4 ,for     
certain uses they are appropriate1 but  
,i think not nearly as beautiful as when
 well trimmed to shape and grown in the 
ordinary way4  ,the heliotrope objects  
to any sudden change1 whether of        
temperature1 watering or soil1 and will 
readily turn brown and drop all its     
leaves4 ,giving it proper care and      
cutting back1 however1 will quickly     
bring it into good humor again4         
,petunia  ,the petunia is one of the    
most easily grown and generous bloomers 
of all house plants4 ,it is1 however1 a 
little coarse and some people object to 
its heavy odor4 ,the flowers are both   

single and double1 each having its      
advocates4 ,both have been vastly       
improved within the last few years4     
,certain it is that some of the new     
ruffled giant singles are remarkably    
beautiful1 even as individual flowers2  
and the new fringed doubles1 which come 
in agreeable shades of pink1 variegated 
to pure white 7instead of that harsh    
magenta which characterized the older   
style7 produce beautiful mass effects   
with their quantities of bloom4  ,they  
are grown either from seed or cuttings1 
the latter frequently blooming in the   
cutting box1 if allowed to4 ,in raising 
seedlings1 be sure to save all the      
slowest growing and delicate looking    
plants1 as they are fairly sure to give 
some of the best flowers1 the worthless 
singles growing strong and rank from the
 start4 ,plants growing outdoors during 
the summer may be cut back1 potted up   
and started into new growth4 ,the       
singles bloom more freely than the      
doubles1 especially indoors4 ,after     

blooming1 cut the plants back to within 
a few inches of the root1 repot or give 
liquid manure and a new growth will be  
sent up1 and soon be in blossom again4  
,primroses  ,of the deservedly popular  
primrose there are two types1 the       
,chinese primrose 7,primula ,sinensis7  
and ,primula obconica4 ,both are        
favorites1 because of their simple      
beauty and the remarkable freedom and   
constancy with which they bloom4        
,another advantage is that they do not  
require direct sunlight4 ,primroses need
 no particular care4 ,the soil may have 
a little extra leaf-mould and should    
slope toward the edges of the pot1 to   
prevent the possibility of any water    
collecting at the crown of the plant1   
which must be left well above the soil  
when potting4  ,the easiest way to get  
plants is to buy small ones from the    
florist every spring4 ,they may be      
raised from seed successfully1 however1 
if one will take care to give them a    
shaded1 cool location during the hot    

summer months1 such as a coldframe      
covered with protecting cloth1 or any   
light material that will freely admit   
air4 ,from seed sown in ,february or    
,march they should be ready to bloom by 
the following ,christmas4 ,it does not  
pay to keep the plants over for a second
 season4  ,there are numerous varieties4
 ,one very small sort1 ,p4              
,forbesi--sometimes called ,baby        
,primrose--is exceedingly floriferous4  
,several plants of this sort put        
together in a large pan make a most     
beautiful sight1 and will do well as a  
decoration for a center table4  ,until  
recently ,p4 obconica was inferior in   
size of flower to the ,chinese primrose1
 but the newer strains1 under the name  
,p4 grandiflora fimbriata1 or ,giant    
,fringed1 are quite wonderful4 ,some of 
the individual flowers are over an inch 
and a quarter across1 and range from    
pure white to deep rose4 ,if you cannot 
obtain other plants of this type from   
your florist they will well repay the   

trouble of starting from seed4          
,snapdragon  ,i feel somewhat doubtful  
about giving this comparatively little  
known flower a place among the          
especially recommended plants4 ,not on  
the basis of my own experience with it1 
but because in the several books in my  
possession which deal with house plants1
 ,i do not find it mentioned4 ,there    
certainly can be no question that the   
long spikes of flowers in pure white1   
light and dark reds1 deep wines and     
clear yellows1 with combinations of two 
or more of these in many cases1 are     
among our most beautiful flowers4 ,they 
stay in blossom a long time1 each stalk 
opening out slowly from the bottom to   
the top of the spike1 like a gladiolus4 
,they seem1 in my own experience at     
least1 to stand almost any amount of    
abuse2 this spring several old plants   
that ,i had abandoned to their fate     
insisted on coming to life again and    
trying to vie with their younger progeny
 in flowering4  ,snapdragons are easily 

raised from seed1 or propagated by      
cuttings4 ,for winter blooming sow the  
former in ,march or ,april1 grow on in a
 cool place and keep pinched back to    
make bushy plants4 ,if you have limited 
room1 let one stalk blossom on each     
plant1 so that you can avoid selecting  
duplicates4 ,cuttings may be taken at   
any time when the weather is not too    
hot4 ,take the tops of flowering shoots 
which have not yet matured so far as to 
become hollow4  ,the varieties have been
 greatly improved1 that now sold as     
,giant-flowered ,hybrids being the best4
 ,there is also a dwarf type and of     
still later introduction a double white4
 ,this will undoubtedly break into the  
other colors and give us a valuable new 
race4  ,with the directions given for   
the foregoing1 and also on pages #f to  
#ej1 the following brief instructions   
should be necessary to enable success   
with the other flowering plants which   
are worth trying in the house for winter
 blooming4   ,,other ,,flowering        

,,plants  ,ageratum--,valuable for its  
bright blue flowers and dwarf growth1   
going in well with other plants4 ,there 
is also a white variety4 ,make cuttings 
in ,august1 or cut back and pot up old  
plants4   ,alyssum--,good with other    
plants to produce a light bouquet-like  
effect4 ,white4 ,fall and dwarf         
varieties4 ,seed or cuttings4           
,balsam--,beautiful colors4 ,take up and
 pot after blooming in garden4 ,only    
double sorts worth while4               
,candytuft--,colors4 ,good for cut      
flowers4 ,seed or cuttings4             
,cannas--,new dwarf hybrids1 named      
varieties have beautiful flowers4 ,give 
rich soil1 lots of sun and water4 ,dry  
off after flowering4   ,carnation--,this
 beautiful flower is not well adapted   
for house culture4 ,it may1 however1 be 
grown in five-or-six-inch pots1 using a 
heavy soil1 keeping in a cool           
temperature1 about forty-five degrees at
 night1 watering regularly and spraying 
daily with as much force as possible4   

,for further information about growing  
the plants1 see ,part ,,ii41 page #aha4 
,carnation ,marguerite--,these are much 
better suited for the trials of house   
culture4 ,while not as large1 they are  
in other respects fully as beautiful4   
,take up the best sorts from the flower 
garden1 cut back severely and keep      
shaded until new growth starts4         
,chrysanthemum--,this is another        
beautiful flower not well suited to     
house culture4 ,however1 if you have    
room1--it will take an eight-1 nine-or  
even ten-inch pot for each plant--and   
want to go to the trouble1 you can have 
it indoors4 ,for cultural directions see
 ,part ,,ii1 page #ahe4  ,daisies1      
,double ,english ,daisies--,the bright  
little short-stemmed daisies1 seen so   
frequently in spring 7,bellis perennis7 
are not often used as a house plant1 but
 make a very agreeable surprise4 ,start 
from seed in ,august2 transplant to     
boxes of suitable size1 and on the      
approach of freezing weather cover      

gradually with leaves and rough manure  
or litter in a sheltered1 well drained  
place4 ,bring them in as wanted from    
,january on4  ,daisy1 ,paris or         
,marguerite--,beautiful daisy-like      
flowers1 very freely borne1 in two      
colors1 pure white and delicate yellow4 
,root cuttings in spring and keep       
pinched back for winter flowering4 ,grow
 in rather heavy rich soil1 with plenty 
of water4  ,patience ,plant             
7,impatiens7--,this old-fashioned but   
cheery flowered plant resembles the     
flowering begonias in looks and habit4  
,it grows very rapidly and is one of the
 most indefatigable bloomers of all     
plants4 ,spring cuttings grown on will  
make good flowering plant for winter4   
,give plenty of water4  ,lobelia--,this 
favorite little plant bears starry      
blossoms of one of the most intense     
blues found anywhere in the realm of    
flowers4 ,grown easily from fall sown   
seed1 or cuttings4 ,star of ,ishmael and
 ,kathreen ,mallard are two named       

varieties recently introduced and great 
improvements4                           
,mahernia--7,honey-bell7--,of great     
value for its fragrance4 ,grow on from  
summer cuttings4  ,mignonette--,another 
flower owing its popularity to its      
fragrance4 ,start winter plants by      
sowing in two-inch pots in ,july or     
,august1 several seeds to a pot4 ,as    
soon as well started1 thin to the best  
plant4 ,grow on1 keeping cool and well  
pinched back4 ,give support4 ,there are 
several newer named varieties that are  
great improvements over the old type1   
especially in size of spike4 ,colossal1 
,allan's ,defiance1 ,machet1 are all    
fine sorts4  ,pansy--,if wanted for     
winter blooming1 take cuttings or start 
from seed1 as described for ,daisy      
7,bellis perennis74 ,the seed bed must  
be kept cool and shaded4  ,salvia--,one 
of the most brilliant of all flowering  
plants4 ,for winter make cuttings in    
,august1 or take off suckers with roots 
at base of plant4 ,they like heat4 ,keep

 thoroughly sprayed to ward off red     
spider4  ,piqueria or ,stevia           
serrata--,another fragrant flower4 ,root
 cuttings in ,january or ,february and  
grow on for blooming from ,november to  
,february4  ,stocks--,what ,i said about
 snapdragons on page #fd might well be  
repeated here4 ,start from seed in      
,august or ,september4 ,they are very   
easily grown4 ,in addition to their     
beauty--they resemble a spray of small  
roses--is their entrancing fragrance4   
,only the double sorts are good4 ,there 
are many fine new sorts4 ,abundance1 a  
beautiful delicate pink1 will be sure to
 arouse your enthusiasm4  ,verbena--,if 
any of these old brilliant favorites are
 wanted1 start from cuttings1 being sure
 to use strong new growth which may be  
induced by spading up and enriching the 
soil in ,august1 and cutting back the   
plants4  ,verbena1 ,lemon--,see page    
#gg4  ,violets--,see ,part ,,ii 7page   
#ahc74  ,there is one thing which the   
beginner cannot be told too often1 and  

which ,i repeat here1 as it has much to 
do with the success of many of the above
 plants4 ,do not fail to pinch back     
seedlings and cuttings during their     
early stages of growth1 to induce the   
formation of stocky1 well-branched      
plants4 ,this must be the foundation of 
the winter's returns4     ,,chapter ,,ix
  ,,shrubs   ,the shrubs of dwarf habit 
available for growing inside in winter  
are numerous and valuable4 ,they include
 a number of the most attractive plants 
one may have1 and as a rule will stand  
more hardships in the way of poor light1
 low temperature and irregular attention
 than any of the other flowering plants4
  ,they differ from the other flowering 
plants in several ways4 ,they are harder
 wooded2 the resting spell is more      
marked and they make growth and store up
 energy for flowering ahead of the      
blossoming season4  ,their differences  
in habit of growth naturally involve    
differences in treatment4 ,in the first 
place1 they are harder to propagate2 in 

many cases it is better for the amateur 
to get plants from the florist than to  
try to raise them4 ,this is not such a  
disadvantage as might at first appear1  
because most of them can be kept for    
several years1 only improving with age4 
,the snapping test 7page #cj7 will not  
apply to many of the shrubs when taking 
cuttings4 ,in this case they are made   
from the new growth after it becomes    
firm and well ripened4 ,it should be    
fresh and plump1 and rooting will be    
made more certain by bottom heat4 ,often
 cuttings of hard-wooded plants1 such as
 oleander1 are rooted in plain water1 in
 wide-mouthed bottles hung in a warm    
place in the sun1 the water being       
frequently renewed or kept fresh with a 
lump or so of charcoal4  ,many of the   
shrubs are beautiful for summer blooming
 on the veranda or in large pots or     
tubs4 ,these may be kept over winter    
safely by drying off and keeping in a   
frost-proof cellar where they will get  
little light4 ,in this way they will    

come out again in the spring1 just as   
hardy shrubs do out-of-doors4 ,the earth
 should not be allowed to get dust dry1 
but should not be more than slightly    
moist2 very little1 and often no1 water 
is required1 especially if mulching of  
some sort is put over the earth in pots 
or boxes2 but it should not be any      
material that would harbor rats or mice4
 ,the leaves will fall off1 but this is 
not a danger signal1 such plants being  
deciduous in their natural climates4 ,it
 will be best to keep such plants as are
 to be stored in the cellar1 from the   
time there is danger of frost until     
about ,november first1 in an outbuilding
 or shed1 where they will not freeze4   
,this makes the change more gradual and 
natural4 ,the temperature of the cellar 
should be as near thirty-four to        
thirty-eight degrees as possible4 ,about
 ,march first will be time to start     
giving most plants so treated heat1     
light and water again1 the latter       
gradually4  ,the fact that growth is    

made in advance of the flowering period 
means that the summer care and feeding  
of such plants is very important4       
,plenty of water must be given1 and     
frequent applications of liquid manure  
or fertilizers1 or top dressing4        
,flowering shrubs that bloom on last    
season's wood1 like hydrangeas1 should  
be pruned just after blooming4          
,abutilon--,the ,flowering ,maple       
7,abutilon7 is an old favorite1 but well
 worthy of continued popularity4 ,it is 
practically ever-blooming1 which at once
 marks it as highly desirable4 ,the     
pendulous flowers are very pretty1      
coming in shades of pink1 white1 yellow 
and dark red4 ,the foliage is also      
beautiful1 especially that of the       
variegated varieties1 than which very   
few plants are more worthy of a place in
 the window gardener's collection4  ,new
 plants1 which will grow and bloom very 
rapidly1 are propagated by cuttings     
rooted in the fall or spring4 ,give the 
plants when indoors plenty of light4    

,old plants1 for which there is not room
 in the window garden1 may be wintered  
almost dry in a cool place and allowing 
the leaves to fall off4  ,illustration3 
,grevillea robusta1 the ,silk ,oak1 is  
easily grown and an exceedingly graceful
 shrub for growing indoors              
,illustration3 ,otaheite orange4 ,their 
rest period should be given during      
,november1 ,december and ,january  ,the 
varieties are numerous4 ,some of the    
best are ,santana1 deep red2 ,boule de  
,neige1 pure white2 ,gold ,bell1 yellow2
 ,darwini tesselatum2 ,souvenir de ,bonn
 and ,savitzii 7the latter the most     
popular of all variegated72 ,eclipse and
 vexillarium1 trailing in habit4        
,acalypha--,valuable for its variegated 
foliage4 ,for use in the house root     
cuttings in early fall4 ,the old roots1 
after cutting back1 may be kept on the  
dry side to furnish cuttings in spring  
for the garden plants4  ,aralia--,aralia
 7,fatsia ,japonica7 and ,a4 ,j4        
variegata1 especially the last1 are two 

of the most decorative plants one may   
have4 ,they are not widely known--very  
likely because they are difficult to    
propagate4 ,easily kept4 ,get from      
florist4  ,ardisia--7,ardisia crenulata7
 is the best red berried plant for the  
house4 ,it is a dwarf1 with very        
beautiful dark green foliage4 ,while    
kept healthy it will be laden constantly
 with its attractive clusters of        
berries1 one crop lasting over the next4
 ,seedlings make the best plants1 and   
are readily grown4 ,sow in ,january to  
,april1 and plants will flower within a 
year and thereafter be perpetually      
decorated4 ,old plants can be topped    
7see page #hf7 and make fine specimens4 
,by all means give the ardisia a place  
in your collection4  ,aucuba--,the ,gold
 ,dust ,plant3 one of the beautiful     
shrubs and especially valuable for      
decoration because doing well in such   
shaded positions as inner rooms1 or by  
doorways4 ,strong tip cuttings--six to  
ten inches--can be rooted readily in the

 fall4 ,give a soil on the heavy side4  
,azalea--,the azalea is the most        
beautiful flowering shrub--if not the   
most beautiful of all winter flowering  
plants4 ,with proper treatment an azalea
 should do service for several years1   
becoming more splendid each season4     
,you will probably get your plant when  
it is in full bloom4 ,at this time1 and 
during the whole growing season1 it     
requires abundant water4 ,the best way  
to make sure of giving it a thorough    
one1 is to stand it for half an hour in 
a pail of water4 ,keep it in a rather   
cool place1 say forty-five at night1 and
 the flowering season1 which should last
 several weeks1 will be prolonged4      
,with the azaleas you must do the work  
for next year's success as soon as the  
flowering season is over4 ,after        
repotting1 keep in a temperature of     
fifty to fifty-five degrees at night4   
,there are three types of azalea        
suitable for winter blooming1 the       
,indian1 ,ghent and ,mollis1 of each of 

which there are several kinds4 ,the     
,indian type has the advantage of not   
blooming without its leaves1 as the     
others do4 ,the best way to select the  
varieties wanted is to purchase when in 
bloom4 ,it will not pay the amateur to  
attempt propagation4  ,bouvardia--,pink1
 white or red flowers1 sweet scented4   
,propagated by root cuttings1 but as the
 plants are good for a number of years1 
the best way is to get them from the    
florist4 ,old plants may be divided1    
small enough to go into number three    
pots4 ,give either cuttings or divisions
 about sixty degrees at night after     
potting1 which should be in spring1     
until put outdoors4 ,keep pinched to    
shape4 ,then bloom from late fall to    
,february4  ,browallia--,a very         
attractive flowering shrub1 easily grown
 in a cool room1 with plenty of         
sunlight4 ,sow seeds in #d-;inch pots in
 ,august1 thinning to three or four4    
,repot to #f inches4 ,cuttings make good
 plants4 ,best grown as standards4  ,b4 

elata is especially valuable because of 
its deep blue flowers4 ,b4 ,jamesonii is
 orange4 ,roezlii and ,grandiflora1 blue
 or white4  ,daphne--,d4 odora is easily
 grown and very fragrant4 ,as ornamental
 as orange or lemon and very free       
flowering4 ,give almost no water in     
winter1 or store in cellar4 ,plants good
 for many years4  ,genista--,a beautiful
 evergreen shrub1 bearing freely in     
spring clusters of pea-shaped yellow    
flowers1 richly fragrant4 ,cut back     
after flowering1 and in fall put in a   
cold room1 forty degrees1 or a frame1   
giving several weeks rest4 ,cuttings may
 be rooted readily in spring1 when      
pruning the plants4  ,grevillea         
robusta--,the ,silk ,oak is grown with  
the greatest ease and makes an extremely
 graceful1 beautiful plant1 either by   
itself or as a center for fern dishes1  
etc4 ,sow in ,march and grow on with    
frequent shifts4  ,hibiscus--,one of the
 most brilliant flowering shrubs outside
 of the azaleas1 with single and double 

flowers4 ,give a warm1 sunny spot4      
,large plants can be stored in the      
cellar4 ,cuttings in spring or summer   
will furnish new plants4                
,hydrangea--,this is another popular    
flowering shrub1 often had in bloom     
inside in the spring1 but personally ,i 
do not consider it suited for such use4 
,the flowers are rather coarse to bear  
close inspection1 such as a house plant 
must be subject to3 they are far more   
effective in masses out-of-doors or used
 as semi-formal decorations about paths 
or stoops1 for which purpose they are   
unsurpassed4  ,if you care to have them 
bloom indoors1 get small plants from the
 florist1 or start cuttings of new      
growth in spring1 taking shoots which do
 not have buds4 ,after flowering1 cut   
back each branch and grow on1 in a cool 
airy place with slight protection from  
noonday sun4 ,take into the house before
 frost1 and gradually dry off for a rest
 of six weeks or more in a cold room4   
,then start into growth4  ,plants for   

flowering early in the spring outdoors  
should be treated in the same way during
 summer1 and wintered in the cellar1 as 
directed above4 ,take up to the light   
any time after first of ,march in the   
spring1 but be careful to harden off    
before setting outside4  ,the varieties 
of the hydrangea are several1 some being
 entirely hardy farther north than ,new 
,york1 but the sorts best for house and 
tub culture are not4 ,most of them will 
come through some winters1 but it       
doesn't pay to take the chance4  ,h4    
,hortensia ,japonica is the blue        
flowering variety2 the color will depend
 much1 however1 upon the soil4 ,to make 
sure of the color1 dissolve one pound of
 alum in two quarts of ammonia1 dilute  
with twenty gallons water and use as a  
liquid fertilizer4 ,thomas ,hogg is a   
beautiful pure white1 quite hardy4 ,h4  
h4 ,otaksa1 pink1 is one of the most    
popular4  ,lantana--,easily grown       
flowering shrub1 trailing in habit1 with
 small flower clusters of white1 pink1  

red1 yellow or orange4 ,new dwarf       
varieties best for pot culture4         
,cuttings root easily4 ,i have never    
cared for this plant1 and its odor is   
not pleasant to most people4            
,lemon--,the best lemon for house       
culture is the ,ponderosa1 or ,american 
,wonder1 of comparatively recent        
introduction4 ,most florists now have   
it4 ,easily grown and a very attractive 
plant4 ,the fruit is good to use4       
,lemon ,verbena 7,aloysia               
citriodora7--,many people consider this 
the most delightfully fragrant plant    
grown4 ,certainly no window garden      
should be without it4 ,early in         
,september cut back old plants1 if in   
the garden1 and pot up4 ,new growth will
 quickly be made4 ,plants kept in pots  
should be rested in early winter by     
keeping dry and cool4 ,spring cuttings  
root easily4  ,oleander--,a beautiful   
old-time favorite1 with fragrant        
blossoms of red1 pink1 yellow or white4 
,give a very rich soil and plenty of    

water when growing4 ,rest after         
flowering4 ,cuttings are rather hard1   
but will root with care4                
,orange--,there are several sorts suited
 to house culture1 and they should be   
more frequently tried1 as a well grown  
plant will have flowers1 green fruit and
 attractive golden oranges almost all   
the time--to say nothing of its foliage 
beauty and delightful fragrance4 ,their 
rest period should be given during      
,november1 ,december and ,january4      
,otaheite ,orange is the one most       
commonly grown for house culture1 and   
while the fruit is of no use for eating1
 it has the more valuable advantage of  
remaining on the tree 7which is eighteen
 to twenty-four inches high7 for months4
 ,satsuma is another good sort4 ,kumquat
 7,citrus ,japonica7 is also very       
attractive4  ,reinwardtia 7known usually
 as ,linum trigynum7--,another          
attractive flowering shrub1 with light  
or bright yellow flowers4 ,cuttings will
 root with bottom heat in ,april4 ,l4   

tetragynum is a companion variety4      
,roses--,those who will take the proper 
pains can grow roses successfully in the
 house2 but as a general rule           
satisfactory results are not obtained4  
,the first essential to success is the  
use of the right varieties and those    
only4 ,the second is a moist atmosphere2
 the third is cleanliness1--insect      
enemies must be kept off4 ,for soils1   
growing in summer1 etc41 see ,part ,,ii1
 page #ahh4  ,the best varieties for    
house culture are the ,crimson ,baby    
,rambler 7,mme4 ,norbert ,levavasseur71 
,pink ,baby ,rambler 7,anchen ,muller71 
,crimson ,rambler1 ,clothilde ,soupert1 
,agrippina1 ,hermosa1 ,safrano1 ,maman  
,cochet1 ,white ,maman ,cochet and ,la  
,france4  ,if the plants are set in a   
window-box 7see page #i7 about one foot 
apart1 they will be more easily cared   
for than in pots4 ,they may be treated  
in two ways4 7#a7 ,after blooming1 cut  
away most of the old growth and enforce 
rest during the summer4 ,start again in 

,october and grow on in the house4 7#b7 
,grow on through the summer and dry off 
in the fall as the leaves drop4 ,store  
in a cold place 7a little freezing will 
not hurt7 until about ,january first4   
,then prune back severely--about        
half--and bring into warmth and water4  
,a combination of the two methods will  
give a long flowering season4           
,swainsona--,a shrub of vine-like habit1
 bearing flowers1 white and light pink1 
which greatly resemble sweet peas4 ,the 
foliage is unusual and very pretty4 ,it 
should be trained up to stakes or other 
supports and cut back quite severely    
after flowering4  ,sweet ,olive 7,olea  
fragrans7--,this is still another       
fragrant flowering shrub and one of the 
very easiest to grow4  ,the house       
shrubs1 having harder stems and tougher 
leaves than other classes of plants1    
will stand many hardships that to the   
latter would prove fatal4 ,they are1    
however1 particularly susceptible to    
attacks of red spider and scale4 ,keep  

your shrubs clean4 ,if you do not1 in   
spite of their seeming immunity to harm1
 you will have no success with them4    
,syringing1 showering1 washing1 spraying
 with insecticides1 even giving a       
next-to-freezing rest1--all the remedies
 mentioned in ,chapter ,,xvii on        
,insects and ,diseases--may at times    
have to be resorted to4 ,but1 at        
whatever trouble1 if you want them at   
all1 keep your shrubs clean4            
,illustration3 ,baby rambler rose4 ,few 
varieties of rose will stand the dry air
 and dust that oppress most house plants
  ,illustration3 ,araucaria excelsa4    
,give little water in winter and a cool1
 even temperature     ,,chapter ,x      
,,foliage ,,plants   ,the foliage plants
 depend very largely for their beauty   
upon making a rapid1 unchecked growth   
and being given plenty of sunlight4 ,in 
many of those having multi-colored and  
variegated leaves1 the markings under   
unfavorable conditions of growth become 
inconspicuous and the value of the plant

 is entirely lost4 ,therefore1 where the
 proper conditions cannot be given1 it  
will be far wiser to devote your space  
to plants more suited to house culture4 
,aspidistra1 araucaria1 ,pandanus and   
the rubber plant are exceptions2 two of 
them being remarkable for their         
hardihood under neglect and ignorance4  
,while many of the foliage plants will  
live under almost any conditions1 it    
must be remembered1 however1 that the   
better care they receive the more       
beautiful they will be4                 
,achyranthes--,achyranthes are still    
popular as bedding plants1 as they      
furnish good coloring4 ,they may be used
 as house plants also1 but in my opinion
 are a little coarse4 ,take cuttings in 
,august for new plants and keep on the  
warm side and rather dry in winter4     
,alternanthera--,these little plants are
 unique and brilliant1 and a few will be
 worth having in any collection4 ,they  
make dense1 shrubby miniature bushes a  
few inches high1 very attractively      

colored4 ,take cuttings in ,august2 give
 rich soil1 on the sandy side1 plenty of
 light and heat4  ,a4 versicolor has    
leaves bearing a happy contrast of pink1
 crimson and bronzy-green4 ,tricolor is 
dark green1 rose and orange4 ,there are 
numerous other attractive varieties4    
,anthericum 7,a4 variegatum7--,the      
foliage is shaped like a broad blade of 
grass and very prettily bordered with   
white4 ,of the easiest culture1 doing   
well in the shade4 ,propagated by       
division4 ,a4 medio-picta is another    
variety1 often considered more          
attractive than the above4              
,araucaria--,the several araucarias     
should be much more widely known than   
they are4 ,their beauty has made them   
popular as ,christmas gifts1 but most of
 the fine specimens which leave the     
florists during the holiday season find 
their end1 after a few weeks in a       
gas-tainted1 superheated atmosphere1    
with probably several times the amount  
of water required given at the roots1 in

 the ash barrel4 ,they are1 when one    
knows something of their habits of      
growth1 very easily cared for4 ,little  
water in winter1 and a cool even        
temperature1 are its simple             
requirements4  ,the araucaria is1 ,i    
think1 the most beautiful of all formal 
decorative plants4 ,its dignity1        
simplicity and beautiful plumelike      
foliage place it in a class of its own4 
,the branches leave the main stem at    
regular intervals1 in whorls of five1   
and the foliage is a clean soft green1  
lighter at the tips4 ,propagated by     
cuttings from leading shoots1 not side  
shoots4  ,the two varieties ordinarily  
used are ,a4 excelsa glauca and ,a4 e4  
robusta4 ,some time ago ,i saw a        
specimen of a new variety1 not yet put  
on the market1 and the name of which ,i 
have forgotten4 7,i think it was        
stellata7 ,the outer half of each branch
 was almost white1 giving the whole     
plant a wonderful star-like effect4     
,aspidistra--,the aspidistra is the     

toughest of all foliage plants--if not  
of all house plants4 ,it has proved     
hardy out-of-doors as far north as      
,philadelphia4 ,the long flat leaves    
grow to a height of eighteen to         
twenty-four inches1 springing directly  
from the ground4 ,its chief requirement 
is plenty of water during the growing   
season4 ,new plants are readily obtained
 by dividing the old roots in ,february 
or ,august4  ,there are several         
varieties and those familiar only with  
the common green sort 7,a4 elatior7 will
 be surprised and pleased with the      
striking effectiveness of the           
variegated1 7,a4 e4 varigata7 and with  
the spotted leaved ,a4 punctata4        
,caladium--,this is another popular     
plant for which ,i have never cared     
greatly myself4 ,it seems to have no    
personality4 ,well grown plants1        
however1 give most gorgeous color       
effects4 ,buy bulbs of the fancy-leaved 
section1 and start in ,february or      
,march1 giving very little water at     

first4 ,take in before the first sign of
 frosts4 ,when growth stops1 dry off    
gradually and store in warm cellar2 or  
better1 take out of pots and pack in    
sand4 ,do not let them dry out enough to
 shrivel4  ,coleus--,the best of all the
 gay colored foliage plants1 but tender4
 ,to keep looking well in winter they   
must have plenty of warmth and sunlight4
 ,root cuttings in ,august4 ,they grow  
on very rapidly4 ,make selections from  
the garden or a florist's1 as they come 
in a great variety of colors and        
markings4  ,dracaena--,the best of all  
plants1 outside the palms1 for centers  
of vases1 boxes and large pots4 ,small  
plants make very beautiful centers for  
fern dishes4 ,the colored section need  
to be kept on the warm side4 ,give      
plenty of water in summer1 but none on  
the leaves in winter1 as it is apt to   
lodge in the leaf axils and cause       
trouble4  ,dracaena                     
7,cordyline7--,indivisa1 with long1     
narrow1 recurved green leaves1 is the   

one mostly used4 ,the various colored   
sorts are described in most catalogues4 
,leopard ,plant--,farfugium grande1     
better known as ,leopard ,plant1 has    
handsome dark green leaves marked with  
yellow4 ,it is of the easiest culture1  
standing zero weather4 ,old plants may  
be divided in spring and rooted in sand4
 ,there is a newer variety with white   
spots1 very beautiful4 ,the farfugium is
 now more commonly listed as ,senecio   
,kaempferi4  ,pandanus--,the ,screw     
,pine is another favorite decorative    
plant1 easily grown4 ,the leaves are two
 or three feet long and come out        
spirally1 as the name indicates4 ,as    
they get older they curve down          
gracefully1 giving a very pleasing      
effect4  ,the soil for pandanuses should
 contain a generous amount of sand4     
,give plenty of water in summer1 little 
in winter1 and be sure that none of it  
lodges in the axils of the leaves1 as   
rot is very easily induced4  ,new plants
 are produced from suckers at the base  

of the old ones4  ,pandanus utilis is   
the variety most commonly seen4 ,p4     
,veitchii1 dark green bordered with     
broad stripes of pure white1 is much    
more decorative1 a really beautiful     
plant4 ,p4 ,sanderi is another good     
sort1 with golden yellow coloring1 that 
should be given a trial4  ,pepper--,some
 of the peppers make very attractive pot
 plants on account of their bright      
fruit1 which is very pretty in all      
stages of growth from the new green     
pods1 through yellow to bright red4 ,buy
 new plants or start from seed in       
spring4 ,they are easily grown if kept  
on the warm side4 ,celestial and        
,kaleidoscope are the two kinds best    
suited for house culture4  ,the ,rubber 
7,ficus47 ,this is the most popular of  
all formal decorative plants4 ,at least 
part of the secret of its success       
undoubtedly lies in the fact            
that--almost literally--you cannot kill 
it6 ,but that is no excuse for abusing  
it either1 as there is all the          

difference in the world between a well  
cared for symmetrical plant and one of  
the semi-denuded1 lop-sided1 spotted    
leaved plants one so frequently sees1   
and than which1 as far as ornamentation 
is concerned1 an empty pot would be far 
more decorative4  ,the rubber           
requires--and deserves--a good rich     
soil1 and in the spring1 summer and     
fall1 all the water that the soil will  
keep absorbed4 ,give less in winter1 as 
an excess at this time causes the leaves
 to turn yellow and droop4  ,as the     
rubber is more difficult to propagate   
than most house plants1 and specimens   
will not get too large for several      
years1 it will be best to get plants    
from the florist4 ,it frequently        
happens1 however1 that an old plant     
which has been grown up to a single     
stem1 becomes unwieldy1 and bare at the 
bottom4 ,in such cases the upper part   
may be removed by topping and the main  
trunk cut back to within six to eighteen
 inches of the pot or tub1 and water    

withheld partly until new growth starts4
 ,the old stem may thus be transformed  
into a low1 bush plant and frequently   
they make very handsome specimens4 ,the 
topping is performed by making a deep   
upward slanting cut1 with a sharp knife1
 at the point you want in the pot for   
your new plant4 ,in the cut stuff a     
little sphagnum moss2 remove this after 
a few days and wash the cut out with    
warm water1 removing the congealed sap4 
,insert fresh moss and with strips of   
soft cloth tie a good handful over the  
wound4 ,keep this moist constantly until
 the roots show through the moss1 which 
may be several weeks4 ,then pot in moist
 earth1 not wet1 and syringe daily1 but 
do not water the pots for two or three  
days4 ,sometimes pots cut in halves and 
the bottoms partly removed are used to  
hold the moss in place4 ,august is a    
good time to propagate4  ,ficus elastica
 is the common rubber plant4 ,the       
fiddle-leaved rubber plant 7,f4         
pandurata7 is another variety1 now      

largely grown4 ,it differs from the     
former in having very broad1 blunt      
leaves1 shaped like the head of a       
fiddle1 which are marked by the whitish 
veins4 ,two other beautiful plants are  
,f4 ,cooperia1 having large leaves with 
red mid-ribs1 and ,f4 ,parcelli1 with   
leaves marbled with white4 ,they should 
be given a higher temperature than ,f4  
elastica4  ,saxifraga3 ,s4 sarmentosa   
tricolor is the commonly known          
strawberry geranium1 or beefsteak plant4
 ,it has a quite unique habit of growth 
and is best displayed where its numerous
 runners have a chance to hang down1 as 
from a basket or hanging pot4 ,the      
runners are easily rooted in soil4      
,there are numerous varieties1 with     
flowers of red1 white and pink4         
,sensitive ,plant 7,mimosa              
pudica7--,this is a pretty little       
green-leaved plant1 the never-failing   
interest in which lies not in its       
beauty1 however1 but in the fact that it
 shrinks and folds up when touched1 as  

though it belonged to the animal        
kingdom4 ,it is easily grown from seed4 
,tradescantia--,this is otherwise known 
as spiderwort1 ,wandering ,jew1         
,creeping ,charles and under other      
names4 ,it is a very pretty running or  
trailing plant1 of the easiest culture1 
its chief requirement being plenty of   
water4 ,cuttings root easily at any     
time4 ,there are several varieties1     
among them being discolor1 a variegated 
leaf1 and ,zebrina multi-color1 the     
leaves of which give almost a rainbow   
effect in their wonderful diversity and 
blending4 ,for those familiar only with 
the old green variety it will prove a   
great surprise4  ,illustration3         
,pandanus ,veitchii1 the ,screw ,pine4  
,the soil for this family should have a 
generous amount of sand  ,illustration3 
,the rubber plant 7,ficus elastica71    
perhaps the most popular of all formal  
decorative house plants  ,zebra ,plant  
7,maranta zebrina7--,this is another    
easily grown decorative plant with      

tropical looking1 large leaves4 ,while  
usually listed as ,maranta zebrina1 it  
is really a calathea and the plants of  
this genus show a variation in their    
markings unsurpassed by any4 ,zebrina   
and most of the varieties1 of which     
there are many1 should be grown in the  
shade1 with plenty of water and a       
minimum temperature of sixty degrees all
 the year4 ,c4 pulchella and ,c4        
intermedia resembles ,c4 zebrina and can
 be grown in a cooler temperature4 ,do  
not allow the plants to flower4         
,increase by division4     ,,chapter    
,,xi  ,,vines   ,a number of the vines  
make very excellent house plants1 though
 one seldom sees them4 ,this seems      
rather strange when one takes into      
consideration the facts that they are   
easily grown and can be used for        
decorative effects impossible with any  
other plants4  ,if there is one         
particular caution to be given in regard
 to caring for plants in the house1 it  
is to keep the foliage clean4 ,naturally

 a vine that runs up the window trim1   
and maybe halfway across the wall to a  
picture frame1 cannot well be sprinkled 
or syringed2 but the leaves can be      
occasionally wiped off with a moist1    
soft cloth4 ,keep the pores open2 they  
have to breathe4  ,cissus               
discolor--,this altogether too little   
known vine has the most beautiful       
foliage of any4 ,the leaves are a       
velvety green veined with silver1 the   
under surfaces being reddish and the    
stems red4 ,it is a rapid grower and    
readily managed if kept on the warm     
side4 ,new plants may be had from       
cuttings at almost any season4 ,c4      
antarctica is better known and easily   
grown4  ,clematis--,this popular outdoor
 vine is sometimes successfully used as 
a house plant1 and has the advantage of 
doing well in a low temperature4        
,cuttings rooted in ,june and grown on  
will make good plants1 but the best way 
will be to get at the florist's two or  
three plants of the splendid new        

varieties now to be had4  ,coboea       
scandens--,the ,coboea is sometimes     
called the cup-and-saucer flower4 ,it is
 very energetic1 growing under good     
conditions to a length of twenty to     
thirty feet4 ,the flowers1 which are    
frequently two inches across1 are       
purplish in color and very pretty4 ,they
 are borne quite freely4  ,the coboea is
 easily managed if kept properly        
trained4 ,as the plant in proportion to 
the pot room is very large1 liquid      
manures or fertilizers are desirable4   
,either seeds or cuttings will furnish  
new plants4 ,the former should be placed
 edge down1 one in a two-inch pot and   
pressed in level with the surface4 ,they
 will soon need repotting1 and must be  
shifted frequently until they are put in
 six-or eight-inch pots4  ,coboea       
scandens variegata is a very handsome   
form and should without fail be tried4  
,hoya carnosa--,this is commonly known  
as the wax plant on account of its thick
 leaves and wax-like flowers1 which are 

a delicate pink and borne in large      
pendulous umbels4 ,it is easily cared   
for2 give full sun in summer and keep   
moderately dry in winter4 ,leave the old
 flower stalks on the plant4 ,cuttings  
may be rooted in early spring in pots1  
plunged in bottom heat4  ,the           
,ivys--,the ivys are the most graceful  
of all the vines1 and with them the most
 artistic effects in decoration may be  
produced4 ,i have always wondered why   
they are not more frequently used1 for  
they are in many respects ideal as house
 plants2 they produce more growth to a  
given size pot than any other plants1   
they thrive in the shade1 they withstand
 the uncongenial conditions usually     
found in the house1 and are among the   
hardiest of plants suitable for house   
culture4 ,and yet how many women will   
fret and fume over a ,lorraine begonia  
or some other refractory plant1 not     
adapted at all to growing indoors1 when 
half the amount of care spent on a few  
ivys would grace their windows with     

frames of living green1 giving a setting
 to all their other plants which would  
enhance their beauty a hundred percent4 
,the ,english ivy 7,hedera helix7 is the
 best for house culture4 ,a form with   
small leaves1 ,h4 ,donerailensis1 is    
better for many purposes4 ,and then     
there is a variegated form1 which is    
very beautiful4 ,large cuttings1 rooted 
in the fall1 will make good plants4     
,hedera helix arborescens is known as   
the ,irish ivy and is a very rapid      
grower4  ,the ,german ivy 7,senecio     
scandens7 has leaves the shape of the   
,english ivy1 and is a wonderfully rapid
 grower and a great climber4 ,it lacks1 
however1 the substance and coloring of  
the real ivy4 ,it is1 nevertheless1     
valuable for temporary uses1 and a plant
 or two should always be kept4 ,cuttings
 root freely and grow at any time4      
,manettia--,this is a cheery1 free      
flowering little vine1 especially good  
for covering a small trellis in a pot4  
,the brilliant little flowers1 white1   

blue or red and yellow1 are very welcome
 winter visitors4 ,cuttings root easily 
in summer and the plants are very easily
 cared for1 being particularly free from
 insect pests4 ,give partial shade in   
summer4  ,mimosa moschatus--,this is the
 common ,musk ,plant which1 according to
 one's taste1 is pleasant--or the       
opposite4 ,it is of creeping habit and  
has very pretty foliage4  ,there are a  
number of varieties4 ,that described    
above is covered with small yellow      
flowers4 ,m4 m4 ,harrisonii has larger  
flowers4 ,m4 cardinalis1 red flowers and
 is dwarf in habit4 ,m4 glutinosus is   
erect in habit1 with salmon colored     
flowers1 very pretty4  ,moneywort       
7,lysimachia ,nummularia7--,this is a   
favorite basket plant1 as it is a rapid 
grower and not particular about its     
surroundings1 so long as it has enough  
water4 ,while the flowers are pretty1   
being a cheery yellow1 the plant is     
grown for its foliage4 ,new plants may  
be had by dividing old clumps4          

,morning-,glory--,this beautiful flower 
is seldom seen in the house1 but will do
 well there if plenty of light can be   
given4 ,neither vines nor flowers grow  
as large as they do out-of-doors1 but   
they make very pretty plants4           
,nasturtium--,another common summer     
flower that makes a very pretty plant in
 the house4 ,start seeds in ,august and 
shift on to five-or-six-inch pots4      
,there is also a dwarf form and other   
sorts with variegated ivy leaves that   
make splendid pot plants4 ,of the tall  
sorts some of the new named varieties1  
like ,sunlight and ,moonlight1 give     
beautiful and very harmonious effects4  
,they will be a very pleasant surprise  
to those familiar only with the old     
bright mixed colors4  ,othonna          
crassifolia--,this pretty little yellow 
flowered trailing plant1 sometimes known
 as little ,pickles is quite a favorite 
for boxes1 or as a hanging or bracket   
plant4 ,it should be given the full sun 
but little water in winter4 ,when too   

long1 it it may be cut back freely4     
,root cuttings1 or the small tufts along
 the trailing stems1 in spring4         
,smilax--,in some ways this is the most 
airily beautiful and graceful of all the
 decorative vines4 ,and it is valuable  
not only for its own beauty1 but for its
 usefulness in setting off the beauty of
 other flowers4 ,it is very easily grown
 if kept on the warm side1 and given    
plenty of root room4 ,care should be    
taken to provide green colored strings  
for the vines to climb up1 as they make 
a very rapid growth when once started4  
,the best way to provide plants is to   
get a few from the florist late in the  
spring1 or start from seed in ,february4
 ,new plants do better than those kept  
two seasons4  ,sweet ,peas--,of late    
years a great deal has been done with   
sweet peas in winter1 and where one can 
give them plenty of light1 they will do 
well inside4 ,plenty of air and a       
temperature a little on the cool side1  
with rich soil1 will suit them4 ,start  

seed in very early fall1 or in winter1  
according as you want bloom early or    
late4 ,there are now a number of        
varieties grown especially for winter   
work such as ,christmas ,pink1          
,christmas ,white1 etc4 ,five or six    
varieties will give a very satisfactory 
collection4 ,the fragrant1 beautiful    
blossoms are always welcome1 but doubly 
so in winter4 ,do not let the flowers   
fade on the vines1 as it increases the  
number of flowers to have them taken    
off4  ,thunbergia--,the ,thunbergia1    
sometimes called the butterfly plant1 is
 the best all-round flowering vine for  
the house4 ,the flowers are freely      
produced1 average an inch to an         
inch-and-a-half across1 and cover a wide
 range of colors1 including white1 blue1
 purple1 yellow and shades and          
combinations of these4 ,its requirements
 are not special3 keep growing on during
 summer into a somewhat bushy form1 as  
the vines will grow rapidly when allowed
 to run in the house4 ,it can be grown  

from seed but cuttings make the best    
plants4 ,root early in spring1 and by   
having a succession of rooted cuttings  
blossoms may be had all winter4         
,thunbergia laurifolia has flowers of   
white and blue2 ,t4 fragrans1 pure      
white2 and ,t4 ,mysorensis1 purple and  
yellow4  ,illustration3 ,one too seldom 
sees vines used indoors1 although they  
are easily grown and can be made most   
decorative  ,illustration3 ,the ,crested
 ,scott ,fern 7,nephrolepis exaltata1   
var4 ,scholzeli7 is one of the most     
beautiful developments from the ,boston 
,fern     ,,chapter ,,xii  ,,ferns      
,ferns1 although there are not many     
varieties of them available for culture 
indoors1 are probably more universally  
used as house plants than any other     
class of plants4 ,their culture is not  
difficult1 although it differs somewhat 
from that given most of the plants      
described in the preceding pages4  ,in  
the first place1 ferns want a porous    
soil1 say two parts screened leaf-mould1

 one sand and one old manure or rich    
loam1 the latter being preferable4 ,in  
the second place1 they should be given a
 warmer temperature1 a minimum of       
fifty-five degrees at night being very  
desirable1 although not absolutely      
essential4  ,the third requisite in     
success with ferns is a moist           
atmosphere1 as well as plenty of water  
at the roots4 ,if the pots are carefully
 drained 7facing page #da7 as they      
should be1 and the soil properly porous1
 it will be almost impossible to        
over-water at the roots4 ,great care    
should be taken1 however1 not to wet the
 foliage1 particularly where the sun can
 shine on the leaves4 ,when the fronds  
must be wet1 to keep them clean1 try to 
do it on a warm day1 that they may dry  
off quickly near an open north or east  
window4 ,they should always be given as 
much light as possible1 without direct  
sunlight1 and as much air as possible   
while maintaining the proper            
temperature4  ,many of the ferns can be 

increased either by runners or division1
 and these are easily propagated at     
home4 ,those which are grown from spores
 7the fern's seeds7 it will be better to
 get from the florist's4  ,most of the  
ferns belong to one of three groups1 the
 sword ferns 7,nephrolepis71 the        
maidenhairs 7,adiantum7 or the spider   
ferns 7,pteris74 ,the distinguishing    
feature of the sword ferns is their long
 pointed fronds2 the maidenhairs command
 attention by their beautiful feathery  
foliage1 in some varieties as delicate  
as the filmiest lace2 and the spider    
ferns1 seen usually in mixed varieties  
in dishes or fern pans1 are attractive  
for their shades of green1 gray1 white  
and silver1 and compact growth4   ,,the 
,,sword ,,ferns  ,the old widely popular
 sword fern was ,nephrolepis exaltata1  
but the original form has been almost   
entirely replaced by new varieties      
developed from it1 the most widely known
 of which is the ,boston fern 7,n4 ex4  
var4 ,bostoniensis74 ,the wide          

popularity of this fern is due to both  
its beauty and its hardiness1 as it will
 stand more ill usage than any other    
house fern4 ,it grows rapidly and makes 
a handsome plant at all stages of       
development4   ,,the ,,scott ,,fern  ,a 
well grown large ,boston fern requires a
 good deal of room1 and the long        
fronds--three feet or more in           
length--are apt to get damaged at the   
ends4 ,for these reasons the ,scottii   
fern1 a development of the ,boston1 is  
for some purposes a better plant4 ,its  
fronds are like those of the latter1 but
 shorter and proportionately narrower1  
and the habit of the plant is much more 
dense and compact4 ,it makes a very     
satisfactory plant4   ,,the ,,plumed    
,,type  ,another fern developed from the
 ,boston is ,whitmani1 in which the     
fronds are not so long but the foliage  
is so finely divided that it gives a    
decided plumey effect4 ,the ,whitmani is
 perhaps the best of this type for house
 culture as the others1 under adverse   

conditions1 are likely to revert to the 
,boston type of frond4 ,piersoni and    
,elegantissima are exceptionally        
beautiful1 but must be given careful    
attention4 ,scholzeli1 sometimes called 
the ,crested ,scott fern1 is very       
beautiful and well worth trying4   ,,the
 ,,maidenhairs  ,of the beautiful1 but  
delicate1 adiantums perhaps the one most
 frequently seen in the florist's window
 is ,a4 ,farleyense1 with its drooping1 
lace-like1 light green leaves4 ,it is   
not1 however1 suited for house culture  
and while it can be made to succeed1 do 
not waste time in trying it until you   
have mastered the growing of the hardier
 sorts4  ,however1 just because         
,farleyense is so delicate1 do not feel 
that you cannot have any maidenhair     
fern4 ,croweanum is another beautiful   
adiantum1 and as its fronds are much    
firmer than those of most of this class1
 it withstands the trying conditions of 
house culture very satisfactorily4      
,another maidenhair1 often called the   

hardy ,farleyense1 is ,adiantum c4 v4   
imbricatum4 ,as its name suggests1 it   
looks very much like the ,farley fern1  
but it is suitable for house culture4   
,it is a very satisfactory fern4 ,and   
just recently there is another from     
,england called the ,glory fern 7,glory 
of ,moordrecht74 ,i have not seen it1   
but certainly from photographs and what 
the horticultural journals have said of 
it1 it will make a very fine fern for   
the winter garden4   ,,the ,,spider     
,,ferns  ,the name given ,pteris ferns  
is descriptive of only part of them1 as 
they vary greatly4 ,they are commonly   
used in made up dishes1 or with other   
plants1 but most of them will make fine 
single plants as well4 ,p4 ,wilsoni is a
 popular sort making a compact plant    
with a unique tufted foliage of light   
clear green4 ,p4 cretica is dark green1 
or green lined with white1 according to 
the variety4 ,victoriae is perhaps the  
best of the several variegated ,pteris'4
  ,illustration3 ,the ,boston ,fern is  

easily propagated at home by division   
,illustration3 ,phoenix ,roebellenii is 
one of the more recent and best         
developments of the old favorite ,fan   
,palms  ,illustration3 ,cocus           
,wedelliana is a small palm but one of  
the most graceful of all   ,,other      
,,ferns  ,the ,holly fern 7,cyrtomium   
falcatum7 is another very desirable     
house plant and has been a favorite for 
years4 ,it has very dark green          
substantial glossy foliage1 and stands  
up well4 ,there is a new ,holly fern1   
however1 which ,i think will replace ,c4
 falcatum2 it is ,c4 ,rochfordianum2 its
 foliage is not only a richer deeper    
green1 but the pinnae1 or leaflets1 are 
deeply cut and also wavy1 and have given
 it the popular name of the ,crested    
,holly fern4 ,be sure to try it among   
the next ferns you get4  ,fern balls1   
which are usually composed of one of the
 ,davallias1 sometimes prove            
unsatisfactory4 ,be sure in ordering to 
get them fresh from some reliable mail  

order house1 rather than take chances on
 them at the florist's4 ,the best way1  
however1 is to get them already started4
 ,if you get them in dormant condition1 
soak in tepid water and then give a     
temperature as near sixty degrees at    
night as possible until they start4     
,while not strictly members of the fern 
family1 the asparagus used for          
decorative purposes under the name of   
,asparagus ,ferns1 are commonly classed 
with them4 ,since their introduction    
they have proved very popular indeed4   
,asparagus plumosus nanus1 the ,lace    
fern4 ,no foliage is more beautiful than
 the feathery light green sprays of this
 asparagus4 ,notwithstanding its        
delicacy1 it keeps wonderfully well when
 cut4 ,the plants can be grown as pot   
plants1 or as vines4 ,if wanted for the 
former purpose1 keep the sprays pinched 
back at twelve inches1 and the roots    
rather restricted4 ,for vines1 keep in  
large pots or boxes--always well        
drained--and keep well fed4  ,asparagus 

,sprengeri in both foliage and habit is 
very distinct from ,a4 plumosus4 ,the   
leaves resemble small glossy pine       
needles1 borne in long sprays1 and as it
 is trailing in habit it makes a unique 
and beautiful plant for stands or       
baskets4 ,the sprays keep well when cut1
 and make an excellent background for   
flowers4 ,it is now used more           
universally for green by florists than  
any other plant4  ,either of the above  
may be started from seed1 or propagated 
by dividing old plants1 but small young 
plants may be had of the florists at a  
very low price4 ,they need about the    
same treatment as smilax 7see page #id71
 but will do well in a temperature of   
fifty to fifty-five degrees at night4   
,shower frequently1 but water only      
moderately4  ,for many years these two  
varieties have held the field to        
themselves1 but recently a new          
asparagus1 of each type has put in an   
appearance4 ,hatcheri resembles plumosus
 nanus1 but is more compact in habit and

 the leaves are much closer together on 
the stems4 ,if it remains true to type1 
and is as hardy as plumosus1 it will    
replace it1 for it certainly is a more  
beautiful plant4 ,a4 ,s4 variegata is a 
very pretty sport with the leaves edged 
white4     ,,chapter ,,xiii  ,,palms    
,the number of palms adapted to house   
culture is very limited but they        
comprise the most elegant of the        
decorative plants4  ,although popular   
now1 they would be much more widely used
 if their culture were better           
understood4 ,mistakes made in handling  
palms are serious in results1 for they  
produce for the most part only two or   
three new leaves in a year1 and so any  
injury shows for a long time2 it is not 
soon replaced by new growth and         
forgotten1 as with many of the more     
rapid growing house plants4             
,nevertheless1 if the few cultural      
requirements of palms are carefully     
attended to1 they are as easily grown as
 any plants and yield a solid and       

lasting satisfaction4  ,the house palms1
 as ,i have said1 grow very slowly4 ,it 
is not only useless1 but dangerous1 to  
try to force them into unnatural growth4
  ,palms do best when restricted as to  
root room4 ,when your plant comes from  
the florist1 do not get impatient after 
a month or so and think that a larger   
pot would make it grow faster4          
,repotting once a year while palms are  
growing1 and not so frequently as that  
after they are in eight-or ten-inch     
pots1 will be sufficient4 ,the best time
 for repotting is late spring--,may or  
,june4 ,use a pot only one size larger  
than that in which the palm has been    
growing4 ,remove carefully1 do not      
disturb the roots1 and put into the new 
pot carefully1 ramming the new earth in 
firmly about the old ball with a thin   
piece of wood 7see directions for       
repotting1 page #dj74  ,the soil for    
palms need not contain as much humus    
7leaf-mould or peat7 as that for most   
other house plants4 ,good rich garden   

loam1 with sharp sand added1 and bone   
meal worked through it1 will be right4  
,be sure the drainage is perfect4 ,crock
 the pots carefully 7facing page #da74  
,if any of the crocking from the old pot
 comes out with the ball of earth1      
remove it as carefully as possible and  
fill in the space with soil4 ,after     
potting1 keep shaded for several days4  
,while palms require plenty of water1 no
 plants are more fatally injured by     
overwatering4 ,above all must care be   
taken never to let water accumulate in  
saucers or jardinieres in which the pots
 are standing4 ,water will soak up      
through a pot as well as down through   
it1 and water-saturated soil will       
quickly become sour4 ,when you do water1
 water thoroughly and then see that the 
pots are kept where they can drain out1 
and do not water again until they show a
 tendency to get too dry4 ,much water   
will cause the leaves to turn brown4 ,in
 this case change the treatment at once4
 7,the looks of the leaves can be       

somewhat improved by cutting them to    
shape with a pair of scissors47 ,the    
amount of water required is much greater
 in summer than in winter1 when the     
plants are practically at rest4  ,direct
 sunlight is not desirable for palms1   
but they should have plenty of light4   
,do not stick them away in a dark corner
 or an inner room and expect them to do 
well4 ,they will stand such a situation 
several days without injury1 but should 
be brought back to the light as soon as 
possible4 ,they do well in north        
windows1 providing the temperature of   
the room is high enough4 ,remember1     
however1 that pots kept in a shady place
 will dry out much less quickly than    
those in the light or sunlight4 ,if they
 are to be kept permanently where the   
sun does not strike1 it is a good thing 
to add charcoal to the soil1 as this    
aids greatly in keeping it from getting 
sour4  ,give plenty of air4 ,the more   
the better1 so long as a proper         
temperature is kept up1 as that         

counteracts the effect of the more or   
less poisonous atmosphere of            
living-rooms kept closed during winter4 
,beware of drafts blowing across the    
plants1 but provide plenty of fresh air4
  ,in the spring as soon as it warms up 
outdoors--say after the apple blossoms  
fall--plunge the palms outside1 in a    
sheltered position1 where they can be   
given plenty of water4 ,at this time1 if
 they are not repotted1 bone meal should
 be worked into the surface of the soil 
and a liquid manure of bone meal given  
once a month or so during the growing   
season4  ,both during winter and summer1
 shower the leaves frequently1 with as  
forceful a stream as possible1 to       
prevent scale and mealy-bug getting a   
start4 7,for treatment see page #ace47  
,keep the leaves and stems clean by     
wiping off every once in a while with a 
soft cloth and soapy warm water1        
syringing with clean water afterwards4  
,,the ,,best ,,house ,,palms  ,although 
the number of palms cultivated is very  

large1 very few indeed--only about a    
dozen--will give satisfactory results in
 the house4 ,the fact that a palm will  
live--or rather1 takes a very long time 
to die--under abuse1 has misled people  
into thinking that they do not need as  
much care as other house plants4 ,this  
is a mistake4  ,palms may be considered 
in two classes1 the fan-leaved and the  
feather-leaved1 or deeply cut1 sorts4   
,of the former there are but three sorts
 good for house culture4  ,latania      
,borbonica1 the ,chinese ,fan-leaved    
palm1 is the best known4 ,it is one of  
the hardiest1 standing a temperature as 
low as forty-five degrees at night4 ,it 
is broad in habit1 and the large leaves 
are deeply cut and drooping at the edge1
 making a very attractive plant4        
,livistona rotundifolia1 the ,miniature 
,fan palm1 is a more compact type of the
 above2 not only the leaves but the     
whole plant being round in habit and    
growing quite dense4 ,it is a beautiful 
lively green in color1 and making a     

neater plant1 is in many ways more      
desirable for the house than ,latania   
,borbonica4 ,it requires more warmth1   
however1 and should be kept up to #ee   
degrees at night if possible4           
,chamaerops excelsa has the             
distinguished feature of forming shoots 
at the base1 thus having foliage where  
most palms are bare1 and in old         
specimens unattractively so4 ,its leaves
 are shaped like those of ,borbonica1   
but are smaller1 and the leaf stalk in  
proportion is longer4 ,it is a good     
strong variety4   ,,the                 
,,feather-,,leaved ,,palms  ,many of    
these are of more recent introduction   
than the old favorite fan palms1 but    
they have won their way to a growing and
 deserved popularity4  ,phoenix         
,roebelenii is one of the newest4 ,it is
 destined1 ,i venture to say1 to become 
the most popular of all palms for the   
house4 ,it has frequently been described
 as having the beauty of ,weddelliana   
and the hardiness of ,kentia4 ,that     

perhaps describes it1 but does not do it
 full justice4 ,it has several times the
 amount of foliage that ,cocos          
,weddelliana has1 and is a more robust  
grower4 ,it has1 unlike that palm1 leaf 
stalks growing all the way to the       
bottom1 the lower ones gracefully       
recurved and the upper ones spreading   
airily4 ,it is very easily cared for1   
and on the whole wins on a larger number
 of counts than any other house palm4   
,phoenix ,rupicola has gracefully       
arching1 drooping foliage and is very   
handsome1 the dark green leaves being   
even more feather-like than those of    
,cocus ,weddelliana4 ,it is also one of 
the hardiest4  ,areca ,verschaffeltii is
 unique in having a creamy colored      
mid-rib4 ,it must be given the best of  
care1 but will well repay any extra     
pains taken with it4  ,the ,kentias1 ,k4
 ,belmoreana1 the ,thatch-leaf palm1 and
 ,k4 ,forsteriana1 the ,curly palm1 are 
the hardiest of all the house palms and 
sure to give satisfaction4 ,the former  

is of dwarf1 sturdy habit1 with broadly 
divided1 dark green leaves borne up well
 on stiff stems4 ,k4 ,forsteriana is of 
stronger growth1 spreads more1 and the  
divisions of the leaf are broader4      
,cocos ,weddelliana is the most         
artistically graceful of the house      
palms4 ,the finely cut1 feathery leaves 
spring well up from the pot and from the
 slender erect stem4 ,it is a small     
palm1 and grows slowly4 ,i think ,i     
should give it a place among the three  
choicest palms for the house1 although1 
unfortunately1 it is not as hardy as    
some of the others4 ,it is the best palm
 to use as a center for fern dishes4    
,seaforthia elegans1 the ,australian    
,feather palm1 is a tall growing and    
stately variety1 which does well in the 
house4  ,caryota urens is commonly known
 as the ,fishtail palm1 and on account  
of that distinguishing characteristic   
deserves a place in any good collection4
 ,it is a large growing sort and will   
utilize more root room than most of the 

others4 ,it is not so strong as most of 
the others described1 but will succeed  
well if precautions are taken not to let
 it get chilled in cold weather4        
,,chapter ,,xiv  ,,cacti   ,personally  
,i am not an enthusiast over cacti4     
,while a cactus in bloom is a marvelous 
sight1 so gorgeous in fact that it is   
almost unbelievable and unreal1 ,i      
prefer flowers a little less fervid and 
more constant4  ,there are1 however1 two
 distinct advantages which most of the  
cacti possess1 making them available for
 use where no other plants could be     
kept4 ,they are practically proof       
against any hardships that may be       
imposed upon them1 and they take up very
 little room4 ,in addition to that they 
are always an interesting curiosity1 and
 for that reason alone well worth the   
little attention they require4 ,the     
low-growing sorts1 among which some of  
the most curious are to be found1 may be
 given a narrow shelf or the edge of the
 plant shelf in the winter window       

garden4  ,as far as care and soil are   
concerned1 their requirements are       
simple4 ,the most important thing to see
 to is that they are given perfect      
drainage4 ,the soil should be sandy1 and
 coal ashes1 or better still1 old       
plastering or lime rubbish1 should be   
added4 ,only a moderate amount of water 
will be required in winter1 but when the
 plants are set outside in a well       
drained position in summer they should  
be showered frequently4 ,as to          
temperature1 although they come from hot
 climates1 most of the sorts will stand 
as low as thirty-five degrees without   
injury4 ,just before and during the     
blooming period about sixty degrees is  
desirable1 but forty-five to fifty      
degrees will be better at other times4  
,where room is lacking1 they may1 for   
the most part1 be wintered over in the  
cellar1 as described previously for     
other plants 7page #ga74 ,propagation is
 performed either by seeds or cuttings1 
the latter being the more generally     

used1 as they root very readily--just   
break a piece off and stick it in the   
sand4  ,considered from the layman's    
point of view1 cacti are made up of two 
classes3 those which are valued for     
their wonderful flowers and those which 
excite curiosity by their weird habits  
of growth4 ,some of the latter--such as 
the ,crown of ,thorns and the           
,mammillaria--have small or infrequent  
flowers4  ,specimens of this class1 well
 cared for1 are worthy of a place in any
 collection of flowering plants4 ,they  
will stand1 especially during the       
flowering period1 weak applications of  
manure water4  ,the ,epiphyllums or     
,crab cacti 7,ephiphyllum truncatum and 
its varieties7 are by far the most      
valuable1 because of their profuse and  
long flowering season1 especially as it 
comes in the winter when bright flowers 
are scarce4 ,e4 t4 coccineum1 with deep 
scarlet flowers1 is one of the best4    
,ruckerianum1 light purple with violet  
center2 ,magnificum1 white1 slightly    

pinkish at the edge2 and violaceum      
superbum1 white with rich purple edge1  
are some of the other good varieties of 
these beautiful plants4 ,phyllocactus is
 perhaps the next best flowering sort4  
,the flowers are larger1 more gorgeous1 
but borne only for a very short time4   
,p4 ,ackermanni is one of the best of   
these4 ,it has very large flowers1      
lily-shaped1 bright red shading to light
 red with the inner petals1 and the long
 gracefully curved stamens add to its   
beauty4 ,it blossoms in ,may or early   
,june1 but the season is usually limited
 to two or three weeks4 ,the night      
blooming ,phyllocactus1 with white      
flowers1 is commonly confused with the  
,night-,blooming cereus4 ,cereus may be 
distinguished by its angular stems as   
compared to the broad flat stems of     
,phyllocactus4 ,c4 grandiflorus and ,c4 
,macdonaldiae1 the famous               
,night-blooming cereuses1 have white    
flowers which remain open only one      
night4 ,they are1 however1 though so    

transient1 a marvelous sight4 ,prone to 
strange tasks indeed is the hand of     
,nature which has fashioned these       
grotesque1 clumsy1 lifeless looking     
plants to accumulate nourishment and    
moisture for months from the niggardly  
desert sands1 and to mature for a few   
hours' existence only these marvelously 
fashioned flowers which collapse with   
the first rays of the heat-giving       
sunshine4 ,c4 flagelliformis1 and ,c4   
speciosissimus1 two very gorgeous       
flowered day blooming sorts1 remain     
longer1 but they are not so hardy as    
most of the other cacti4 ,opuntia1 the  
,indian fig1 is another flowering sort1 
though not so valuable4 ,they are       
grotesque in shape and the flowers1     
which are various shades of red or      
yellow and two inches or so across1     
according to variety1 look as though    
they had been stuck onto the plant4  ,of
 the other cacti commonly grown most are
 of dwarf form and a single window will 
accommodate quite a number of them4     

,echinocactus1 the ,hedge-hog cactus1 is
 one of the best known of these4 ,e4    
myriostigma1 the ,bishop's ,cap1 is a   
quite familiar variety4  ,echinopsis1   
the ,sea-urchin cactus1 is another queer
 dwarf type4 ,the flowers seem much too 
large for the plants1 being sometimes   
half a foot long4 ,they are lily-shaped 
and rose pink or white1 according to    
variety4  ,pilocereus senilis1 the ,old 
,man cactus1 is another sort which      
always attracts attention in any        
collection4 ,the stem is covered with   
fine white hairy spines1 three to five  
inches long1 which give it a very       
peculiar appearance4 ,when kept in the  
house the hairs are likely to become    
dusty and grimy4 ,they may be protected 
by cutting two panes of glass into four 
long pieces1 just wide enough to square 
the pot1 and enclosing it1 putting a    
fifth piece over the top4  ,opuntia     
senilis1 the dwarf prickly pear1 is very
 similar to the above1 but indoors makes
 a larger plant usually1 although much  

smaller in its natural habitat4         
,anhalonium fissuratum1 the ,living     
,rock1 is an other frequently           
encountered and very interesting sort4  
,the ,mammillarias are compact1 neat    
little plants quite unique and          
attractive in spite of their spiral rows
 of vicious spines4 ,they grow only a   
few inches high and have inconspicuous  
pale flowers of yellow1 red or purple1  
followed by the bright red little fruits
 which are one of the most interesting  
characteristics4 ,m4 bicolor is one of  
the best and most frequently encountered
 sorts4 ,m4 plumosa has fuzzy spines1   
like the ,old ,man cactus4 ,it can be   
kept clean by growing under a large     
glass4  ,there are several succulent    
plants quite closely resembling cacti1  
which need about the same treatment4    
,the century plant 7,agave ,americana7  
is universally known4 ,there are two    
sorts frequently seen1 that with the    
green leaves and a variety with broad   
yellow bands which is much handsomer4   

,they make excellent formal tub plants1 
standing almost any hardships and       
lasting for years4 ,they are easily     
propagated from suckers and grow quite  
rapidly4 ,they are1 however1 in the     
larger sizes very difficult to handle1  
armed with spines at leaf tips and      
edges4 ,tub specimens are usually       
wintered over in the cellar1 or at the  
florist's4 ,there is an unfounded       
superstition that they bloom once every 
hundred years4 ,they rarely flower when 
domesticated4 ,repot as often as needed1
 in fairly rich soil1 while growing4    
,small plants are quite attractive in   
the house in winter and may be plunged  
outside in summer4 ,the ,crown of       
,thorns 7,euphorbia splendens7 is also  
quite well known4 ,it makes a long      
tangled vine1 full of wicked short      
thorns and small1 pretty leaves4 ,the   
flowers are not large but the bright red
 bracts add a touch of color and the    
plant is covered with them most of the  
year4 ,it must be carefully staked up   

and trained1 a short wide pot trellis   
being the best thing to use4  ,little   
,pickles 7,othonna crassifolia7 is quite
 a favorite basket and hanging plant4   
,the odd1 thick foliage looks like small
 cucumbers4 ,it must be given plenty of 
light1 sunshine if possible1 to produce 
its flowers1 which are small and yellow1
 in shape like those of the sun pink1   
but smaller4  ,there are a number of    
other succulents sometimes used for     
house plants1 among them the aloes1     
mesembryanthemums 7fig marigolds71      
echeverias 7,e4 metallica being the best
 sort71 sedums and house leeks          
7,sempervivums71 among which ,s4        
globiferum1 hen-and-chickens1 is the    
most widely known4 ,these do not occupy 
very important positions1 however1 and  
space does not permit further           
description here4     ,,chapter ,,xv    
,,bulbs   ,bulbs furnish one of the most
 satisfactory classes of winter-blooming
 house plants1 especially for city      
houses and apartments where conditions  

are not apt to favor the longevity of   
plants4  ,they may be considered in two 
classes3--the forcing bulbs1 such as    
narcissus and freesia1 and those given  
natural conditions of growth in pots1   
such as amaryllis or callas4  ,most of  
the forcing bulbs are included in what  
florists term the ,dutch and ,cape      
bulbs4 ,they may be had in a succession 
of bloom from ,thanksgiving to ,easter1 
and yet all the work is done at one     
time4 ,the task of bringing them to     
bloom is an easy one4  ,illustration3 ,a
 pan of forced crocuses4 ,the big secret
 of success lies in securing a good root
 growth before a top growth starts      
,illustration3 ,few people realize that 
the gladiolus is an easily forced bulb  
for indoor bloom4 ,this variety is named
 ,victory  ,if you want to have the     
enjoyment of attending to the whole     
process yourself1 procure your supply of
 bulbs from a reliable seed store1 or   
order by mail4 ,the bulbs should be firm
 and plump4 ,the easiest to grow and the

 most satisfactory are hyacinths1       
tulips1 narcissus and freesia4 ,they can
 be grown in pots1 but success will be  
more certain with small boxes four to   
six inches deep and any size up to the  
regular flat 7about #acx#bb inches71    
according to the number you wish in     
bloom at one time4 ,all the             
paraphernalia you will need is a supply 
of light1 rich soil 7one-third old      
rotted manure1 two-thirds rotted        
turf-loam is good7 a few fern or bulb   
pans1 boxes1 and your bulbs4 ,begin     
operations early in ,october4 ,cover the
 bottoms of your pots and boxes1 which  
should have ample drainage 7see         
illustration7 with an inch or so of     
coarse screenings1 charcoal lumps1 pot  
fragments or sifted coal cinders to     
assure good drainage4 ,cover this with  
an inch or so of soil1 and put the bulbs
 in place1 setting them firmly1 right   
side up1 and near enough almost to touch
 each other4 ,the extra size bulbs can  
go a little further apart1 but not more 

than two or three inches4 ,then cover   
over and fill with the same soil1 until 
the bulbs are an inch or so below the   
surface of the potting soil4  ,the      
,dutch or ,cape ,bulbs4--,the next step 
is to select your storage place1 where  
the bulbs are to be kept while making   
roots1 and until they are wanted to     
flower in the house4 ,a dark1 cold1 dry 
cellar1 free from mice1 will do4 ,if    
this is not available use the coldframe1
 if you have one1 or simply dig a       
trench1 in any well drained spot1 about 
one foot deep1 and long enough to hold  
your boxes and pots4 ,after placing them
 here give them a thorough watering1 and
 cover with six or eight inches of soil4
 ,cover freesias only two inches1 with a
 light soil4 ,if you wish to keep tabs  
on your plantings1 use a long stake1    
with place for tag at the top1 in each  
pan or box4 ,don't trust to your memory4
  ,your bulbs will need no further care 
until they are ready to be brought in1  
except1 on the approach of freezing     

weather1 to cover the trench with       
leaves1 or litter if they are kept      
outdoors4 ,in four or five weeks bring  
in hyacinths and polyanthus narcissi4   
,von ,thol tulips may be had in bloom by
 ,christmas4 ,success will be more      
certain with the other tulips and large 
flowered narcissi if you wait until the 
last of ,november before bringing them  
into the house4 ,their growth outside   
will have been almost entirely root     
growth2 the first leaves may have       
started1 but will not be more than an   
inch or two high4 ,immediately upon     
bringing them in1 the bulbs should be   
given another good watering1 and from   
this time on should never be allowed to 
suffer for water4 ,when the flower      
spikes are half developed1 a little     
liquid manure1 or nitrate of soda1 or   
one of the prepared plant foods1        
dissolved in water1 will be of great    
benefit applied about once a week4 ,the 
temperature for bulbs just brought in   
should be at first only #de to #ej      

degrees2 after a few days #aj degrees   
more4 ,in the ordinary living-room a    
little ventilation by opened windows    
will readily lower the temperature1 but 
care should be taken not to expose the  
growing plants to any draft4 ,forcing   
bulbs1 like almost all other plants1    
will be better and healthier with the   
maximum amount of fresh air compatible  
with a sufficiently high temperature4   
,the plants thus brought into water1    
light and warmth1 will grow with        
remarkable rapidity4 ,just as the first 
buds are opening out is the ideal time  
to use them as presents1 as they will   
continue subjects of daily attraction   
for a long time4 ,those that are kept   
can be saved1 either to plant out or use
 another year4 ,let the soil gradually  
dry out when they are through blooming1 
and when the tops are dead take the     
bulbs from the soil1 clean them and     
store in a perfectly dry place1 or in   
boxes1 in dry sand4  ,the colors and    
other qualities of the many varieties of

 hyacinths1 narcissi and tulips will be 
found described in the fall catalogues  
of all the best seedhouses4  ,as before 
stated1 hyacinths1 tulips1 narcissi and 
freesias are the most readily forced and
 the most satisfactory bulbs4 ,the      
beginner will do well1 for his first    
attempt1 to confine himself to these4   
,there are1 however1 several more that  
respond to practically the same         
treatment1 and whose various types of   
beauty will repay handsomely the trouble
 of forcing them4  ,ixias and sparaxias 
are two more of the ,cape group easily  
forced and well worth growing4 ,they    
like a cool temperature1 #ce to #dj     
degrees at night1 even after having been
 brought in4 ,they should not be put in 
the dark or covered with earth after    
potting1 but started in a cool          
temperature1 with light4  ,oxalis4      
,another very beautiful effect is had by
 getting a hanging basket1 or a         
pot-hanger with which to suspend a      
six-inch or eight-inch bulb-pan1 and in 

it start some oxalis bulbs4 ,they do not
 need to be rooted first1 but should be 
placed at once in the light and heat    
7about #ee degrees74 ,they will send out
 spray after spray of beautiful flowers1
 continuing in bloom for months4 ,dry   
off and rest about ,june1 if started in 
,october2 start again in the fall4      
,freesias and oxalis1 to be had in bloom
 by ,christmas1 should be started in    
,august4  ,easter ,lily 7,lillium       
,harrisii7 is universally popular4 ,it  
is usually bought from the florist in   
bud or bloom1 but may be grown in the   
house4 ,large firm bulbs should be      
procured1 and potted at once in five or 
six inch pots1 and given the same       
treatment as above until root growth has
 been made1 when they will still be     
several months from flowering4 ,when    
wanted for ,easter they should be       
brought into the house the first or     
second week in ,november4 ,keep rather  
cool for two or three weeks4 ,later they
 may be given a much higher temperature4

 ,when the pots are covered with roots1 
it is a good plan to carefully repot1   
setting rather deep1 so that the new    
roots starting above the soil1 may be of
 use4  ,lillium candidum and ,l4        
longiflorum may be given the same       
treatment but will require a longer time
 in which to mature4  ,calla 7,richardia
 ,aethiopica7 ,the soil for callas      
should1 where possible1 be about        
one-third rotted cow manure4 ,otherwise 
make very rich soil with bone and       
whatever may be had but get the cow     
manure if possible4 ,it also likes a    
great deal of water4 ,pot at once in    
large pots1 give a thorough watering and
 keep cool and shaded for four or five  
weeks1 until active growth begins4 ,then
 give more heat1 keeping it about #fj   
degrees if you can4 ,they will continue 
to bloom a long time4 ,in the spring1   
after flowering ceases1 dry off         
gradually and lay the pots on their     
sides in a shaded spot1 and rest until  
,august4 ,beside the large white calla  

most commonly seen1 there are several   
other forms which will be found         
described in good catalogues1 among them
 ,tom ,thumb or ,little ,gem1 a dwarf   
sort2 ,elliottiana1 the ,yellow calla2  
,godfrey1 a dwarf ever-blooming sort1   
especially desirable as a pot plant     
where1 as is often the case1 the        
ordinary large white sort is too big to 
be managed conveniently2 albomaculata1  
white with purple throat1 etc4 ,the red 
and black callas are arums4  ,cyclamen4 
,while these beautiful flowers may be   
grown from seed it is much easier for   
the amateur to get the bulbs or a       
growing plant4 ,if the former1 pot in   
four-or five-inch pots1 using a light   
compost and giving little water at      
first4 ,repot as needed4 ,shade during  
summer and syringe frequently1 give #ee 
to #fj degrees in winter1 with liquid   
manure while flowering4 ,when the leaves
 begin to look yellowish1 dry off1 and  
give a short rest but don't let them get
 dry enough to shrivel4  ,the ,gloxinia 

7,sinningia speciosa7 may receive much  
the same treatment but is a summer      
bloomer4 ,the bulbs or dried roots      
should be potted up in ,february or     
,march and kept growing on and repotted4
 ,one of their valuable characteristics 
is the great range of colors and        
combinations in the flowers1 which are  
freely produced4  ,the ,amaryllis-like  
,group4 ,amaryllis 7,hippeastrum7 is    
altogether too little known in its      
modern varieties4 ,everyone has seen one
 of the old forms1 red or red with a    
white stripe1 with the lily-like flowers
 borne well aloft above scant foliage4  
,but the new named sorts are tremendous 
improvements and should by all means be 
tried1 even if they seem expensive      
beside other bulbs1 of which you can get
 a dozen for the price of one good      
amaryllis4 ,remember1 however1 that the 
amaryllis is of the very easiest culture
 and will last for years4  ,pot the     
bulbs up as soon as received--they come 
in ,november--and let them stay dormant 

awhile4 ,in a month or two they will    
begin growth and flower 7unfortunately7 
long before the leaves have made much of
 a show4 ,do not dry off just because   
the flowers fade1--the plant has got to 
make its growth and store up food for   
next season4 ,continue to water and     
feed--outdoors in the summer--until the 
leaves begin to turn yellow2 then dry   
off and store in a cool place until the 
bulbs again show signs of growth4 ,the  
flowers are generally borne from        
,january until ,may and come in shades  
of crimson1 blood-red and white and     
attractive combinations of these colors4
  ,vallota purpurea is little known1 but
 a very useful plant for the window     
garden1 resembling the amaryllis1 but   
having evergreen foliage which1 of      
course1 gives it a distinct advantage4  
,the flowers are reddish scarlet4       
,imantophyllum miniatum is another very 
desirable evergreen foliaged bulb1      
having large amaryllis-like flowers1 red
 with a yellow throat4 ,there are       

several varieties4  ,the ,african blue  
lily 7,agapanthus umbellatus7 is quite  
like the above but the flowers are      
bright blue1 a large number forming each
 umbel1 so that it is one of the most   
striking of plants4 ,it naturally       
flowers in the summer 7being carried    
through the winter by storing in the    
cellar71 but by changing the resting    
season may be flowered in the spring4   
,unlike most of the other bulbs in this 
group1 they should be repotted in rich  
soil every year1 to do their best4      
,beside the above there are varieties   
with white and with double flowers and  
one with variegated leaves4 ,they form a
 most interesting group4  ,the ,blood   
,flower 7,haemanthus7 has very beautiful
 flowers but they are produced in       
advance of the foliage4 ,give the same  
treatment as amaryllis4  ,the above     
group will make a very unusual and      
desirable collection1 easily managed1   
and giving satisfaction for a good many 
years4  ,tuberous ,begonia4 ,while this 

is not a bulb1 strictly speaking1 it is 
treated in about the same way as the    
bulbs4 ,the tubers should be started in 
pots and not much larger than           
themselves1 in a light1 rich soil1 using
 old cow manure and leaf-mould1 if      
available1 to secure these              
characteristics4 ,repot as often as     
necessary until seven or eight-inch pots
 are filled4 ,then feed while blooming4 
,the tubers are dried off after growth1 
taken from the pots and stored in sand  
or sawdust to prevent shriveling4 ,they 
are among the most satisfactory of      
flowers1 but as their development has   
taken place largely within the last ten 
years or so1 they are not yet nearly so 
widely known as they deserve4 ,for      
flowering either in pots or outdoors    
they rank among the very best4 ,avoid   
direct sunlight4  ,gladiolus4 ,this     
magnificent flower has gained rapidly   
during recent years1 but few            
flower-lovers seem to realize as yet    
that it may be easily forced indoors4   

,pot up the bulbs in ,december1 using a 
rich soil and setting them just even    
with it and covering with half an inch  
of gritty sand4 ,america1 ,may and      
,shakespeare are three of the best      
varieties for forcing but new ones are  
being produced every year4 ,keep cool   
until a good root growth is made1 then  
shift to four-or five-inch pots and keep
 in a room of #de to #ej degrees at     
night4  ,caladiums4 ,while the          
fancy-leaved caladiums require a higher 
temperature than most house plants1 they
 will repay the extra care and heat     
demanded in cases where it can be given4
 ,start in ,february4 ,cover under and  
over with fine sphagnum moss1 kept      
moist1 and give #fj degrees until the   
roots start1 which they will do quickly4
 ,then pot in rather small pots1 using a
 rich1 light soil1 with plenty of       
leaf-mould and sand4 ,water sparingly at
 first2 shift on and give manure water  
as the leaves develop4 ,give all the    
light possible without letting the      

direct sunlight strike them during the  
heat of the day4 ,fifty-five degrees at 
night is the minimum temperature to     
allow4 ,when the leaves begin to die dry
 off and treat as for begonias4         
,lily-of-the-,valley 7,convallaria      
majalis7 may be forced in the house     
where sufficient bottom heat can be     
given and they are very desirable       
flowers1 possessing a grace1 beauty and 
fragrance seldom combined4 ,get cold    
storage pips and place in deep flats of 
pure sand4 ,they may be stored in the   
cold and brought in as desired4         
,increase the temperature gradually     
until by placing over a radiator or in  
some other exceptionally warm place1 #ge
 to #hj degrees is given at the bottom  
of the box4 ,keep covered from the light
 until the buds show when the shading   
should be gradually removed4  ,iris4    
,the ,spanish iris makes a very         
desirable plant for forcing and the     
plants are easily managed4 ,a list of   
colors1 etc41 will be found in most of  

the fall bulb catalogues4 ,they are     
quite distinct from the ,japanese and   
,german irises ordinarily seen outdoors4
 ,start same as caladium1 but they do   
not require so much heat4  ,spirea      
7,astilbe ,japonica74 ,several varieties
 of this beautiful flower are good for  
forcing4 ,when the roots are received   
pot up in light1 rich soil1 water       
thoroughly1 and set in a shaded place4  
,remove to the cellar or a deep         
coldframe as freezing weather comes on4 
,do not let the soil dry out4 ,after the
 first of ,january bring into heat      
gradually4 ,sprinkle frequently as      
growth develops4  ,ranunculus or        
buttercups1 listed in the catalogues as 
,turkish1 ,persian and ,french1 are very
 easily grown flowers4 ,they have fleshy
 roots which are given the same         
treatment as ,cape bulbs1 i4e41 started 
in light4  ,poppy-flowered ,anemones    
7,a4 fulgens and ,a4 coronaria7 are also
 easily grown in the same way4 ,they    
come in a variety of colors1 including  

reds1 whites1 and blues4 ,they are very 
cheery little flowers1 two inches or so 
across1 and well worth giving a few pots
 to4  ,several of the bulbs are easily  
grown in water1 or pebbles and water1   
with no soil at all4 ,the best known of 
these is the ,chinese ,sacred ,lily4    
,the ,golden ,chinese ,lily is not so   
well known but very desirable4          
,hyacinths are easily grown in pure     
water2 a special vase called the        
hyacinth glass being made for the       
purpose4     ,,chapter ,,xvi  ,,veranda 
,,boxes1 ,,window-,,boxes1 ,,vases ,,and
 ,,hanging ,,baskets   ,many of the     
plants ordinarily set outdoors in pots1 
or planted in the flower beds1 could be 
much more effectively used in veranda   
boxes1 window-boxes1 vases or hanging   
baskets4  ,the veranda boxes are        
generally about eight by six inches1    
made as described on page #i1 and of the
 right length to fit some window-sill1  
or the corner or top of a veranda       
railing4  ,arrangements for watering    

should be made as convenient as         
possible1 as this work is almost sure to
 be more or less neglected during the   
hot months when it needs frequent and   
thorough attention4 ,the soil used      
should be porous and very rich1 as many 
plants will have to get their           
nourishment from a very limited space4  
,illustration3 ,window-boxes are at     
their best when containing only one or  
two kinds of bloom1 part of it hanging  
down  ,illustration3 ,iceland poppies   
are not often seen in the window-box1 as
 it takes many blooms to make a good    
showing  ,illustration3 ,it is not      
necessary to have your window garden    
consist of tomato cans or old saucers--a
 little ingenuity will suggest such     
improvements as this movable plant table
  ,the majority of the plants described 
in the foregoing pages may be utilized  
successfully in box work2 which ones in 
any particular case should depend on    
circumstances1 such for instance as     
whether the boxes will be in partial    

shade1 or strong sunlight2 or whether in
 a sheltered or a windswept position4 ,a
 favorite combination is dracaenas1     
,nutt or ,beaute ,poitevine1 with the   
variegated vinca as a front border4 ,the
 lover of plants desirous of artistic   
effects will not be content1 however1 to
 go by fixed rules where so many        
opportunities for expression of         
individual taste are offered4  ,there   
are two warnings to be given in addition
 to the suggestions above4 ,do not      
attempt to crowd too many plants into   
the small space available2 remember that
 as a safe rule the most pleasing       
results will be obtained by the use of a
 very few kinds and colors4 ,a good way 
to be sure of not making mistakes is to 
fill the boxes to within three or four  
inches of the top1 arrange the plants1  
still in their pots1 until a            
satisfactory picture is designed1 and   
then fill up with soil and plant4       
,vases usually have three serious       
drawbacks2 they are very restricted in  

size1 are exposed to the most drying    
action of winds and sun1 and are not    
conveniently watered4 ,the last two     
disadvantages can be to some extent     
overcome by placing them in situations  
at least partially sheltered and shaded1
 and by running a half-inch or          
three-quarter inch pipe 7which may be   
bought second hand for two to four cents
 a foot1 while good hose costs sixteen  
to eighteen71 a few inches under the sod
 and up to the top of the vase4 ,such a 
pipe should be detached and drained in  
the fall and will last many years2 the  
few feet running up to the vase will be 
sufficiently concealed by the vines and 
reasonably inconspicuous4  ,where such  
precautions are not taken1 restrict the 
plants used to those doing well in the  
heat1 and a dry soil2 one of the best is
 the ice plant 7,mesembryanthemum7 with 
flowers of pink or white1 very freely   
produced4  ,there is no prettier way of 
displaying plants than in the hanging   
basket1 either in the house or on the   

porch4 ,that one so seldom sees them is 
undoubtedly due to the fact that few    
people seem to know how to fill and take
 care of them4 ,in the first place1 the 
basket should be as large as possible--a
 size or so larger than you think you   
ought to have1 for what reason you will 
see in the following4  ,get a supply of 
sphagnum moss1 and line the entire inner
 surface1 sides as well as bottom1 an   
inch in thickness2 press down compactly1
 then fill nearly full of light1 rich   
prepared soil1 and put in the plants2   
something tall and graceful in the      
center1 compact and dwarf-growing around
 this1 and vines around the edges4      
,astonishingly beautiful results may be 
had with small baskets by using only one
 sort of plant in each1 such as oxalis1 
ivy geranium or some trailing flowering 
vines4 ,cover the surface of the soil   
between the plants with clean live      
sphagnum moss4 ,this will both add to   
the appearance and conserve the         
moisture4  ,the best way by far to water

 hanging baskets is to have them so     
arranged that they may be taken down    
easily and allowed to soak until        
thoroughly wet in a tub or pail of      
water--which will take some time1 as the
 moss will be like a dry sponge4 ,let   
them drain until dripping ceases and    
hang in place again4  ,if the above     
method is adhered to1 you are sure to   
meet with success that will prove most  
gratifying4     ,,chapter ,,xvii        
,,house-,,plant ,,insects ,,and         
,,diseases   ,if the suggestions for    
taking proper care of plants1 detailed  
in a former chapter1 are carefully      
followed1 and they are given plenty of  
fresh air and not crowded together1     
insects should not cause serious        
trouble4  ,no matter how careful one may
 be1 however1 they are almost certain to
 put in an appearance and steps to      
combat them must be taken immediately4  
,remember1 however1 that the best remedy
 is prevention1 and the best prevention 
is to have good strong healthy plants4  

,the two troubles perhaps the most      
common are neither insects nor disease4 
,they are gas and sour soil4  ,the      
faintest trace of furnace gas or of     
illuminating gas will cause trouble1    
indicated by the yellowing and falling  
of the leaves and unsatisfactory        
development of buds4 ,where there is no 
way of eliminating the presence of these
 gases the only way to success with the 
plants--unless they can be entirely shut
 off in an enclosed place as suggested  
in ,chapter ,,ii--is to take every      
possible care about leaks1 and to give  
all the fresh air possible4  ,sour soil 
is the result of improper drainage      
conditions1 too much water1 or both4 ,it
 causes the leaves to turn yellow and   
checks new growth4 ,making right the    
harmful conditions will usually renew   
the health of the plant1 but in bad     
cases it will be far better to remove   
the earth1 wash the soil from the roots1
 carefully clean the pot--if the same   
one is to be used--and repot in good    

porous fresh earth4 ,keep on the dry    
side until growth is resumed4  ,as a    
rule1 insects do much more damage to    
house plants than is caused by diseases4
 ,one characteristic of nearly all plant
 insects which will astonish the amateur
 is the marvelous rapidity with which   
they increase4 ,one to-day1 and         
to-morrow a million1 seems no           
exaggeration4 ,while it may be true     
that1 as one of our erstwhile           
best-selling heroes said1 a few fleas is
 a good thing for a dog2 they keep him  
from broodin' on bein' a dog1 a few bugs
 are certainly not good for a plant1    
because in a day or two there will be   
enough of them to endanger its life and 
surely1 quickly to ruin its appearance4 
,never let the bugs get a start4 ,if you
 take them in time they're easy3 if not 
you have a very difficult and           
disagreeable task on your hands4        
,,plant ,,enemies  ,aphis4 ,aphis or    
green plant louse is the most commonly  
encountered of all the insect pests4 ,it

 used to be dreaded1 but with modern    
methods it may be readily and           
effectively exterminated4 ,there are    
several forms and colors of these pests4
 ,if you have attempted plant-growing   
you are undoubtedly familiar with them4 
,in the house1 shaded places1 crowded   
plants1 poor ventilation1 dry plants1   
all furnish environment favorable to the
 development of aphids4 ,change these   
conditions at once4 ,the old method of  
fighting used to be by burning moistened
 tobacco stems1 or steeping them in     
water and making a very weak tea for    
spraying4 ,but either was a difficult1  
disagreeable and unsatisfactory method4 
,there are now on the market three forms
 of tobacco all of which are easy to use
 and efficient4 ,tobacco dust--but it   
must be strong and made especially for  
the purpose2 liquid nicotine1 to be     
diluted and sprayed on according to     
directions2 and prepared paper for      
fumigating4 ,the last is perhaps the    
most effective4 ,besides these1 and in  

my experience pleasanter and quicker1 is
 the comparatively new compound called  
,aphine1 which can be had from almost   
any seedsman in quart tins--enough to   
make five gallons of very effective     
spray1 which will not discolor flowers  
or foliage4  ,red ,spider4 ,this very   
serious pest is about the size and color
 of a grain of red pepper--although     
sometimes appearing brown or dull red4  
,to make himself inconspicuous1 he works
 on the under side of the leaves and    
behind a tiny web1 but his presence is  
soon made manifest by the leaves upon   
which he is at work1 which first turn   
light green1 then show minute yellow    
spots1 turn yellow and finally drop off4
  ,the red spider is very tenacious of  
life1 and hard to get rid of when he is 
allowed time to become well established4
 ,the best weapon to use against him1   
where it can be done1 is clear cold     
water with as much force as possible    
against the under side of the foliage4  
,damp atmosphere assists in the work2 so

 keep the air damp1 and be on a sharp   
lookout4 ,evaporated sulphur1 or flowers
 of sulphur dusted upon the leaves will 
also help4  ,where the collection of    
plants is not too large a one1 the      
quickest and most certain way to be rid 
of the spider is to dip the top of each 
plant quickly two or three times into   
hot water--#adj to #afe degrees4        
,although uncomfortable to the hand1    
water of this temperature will not      
injure the tenderest plant4 ,it is      
effective against aphis and mealy bug1  
as well as against the spider4  ,mealy  
,bug4 ,the mealy bug inhabits a white1  
cottony looking mass1 which is easily   
seen4 ,remove this covering and the real
 intruder is there4 ,it is most fond of 
the soft-wooded plants1 such as coleus  
and fuchsias1 thrives in a hot1 dry     
atmosphere1 and will keep out of sight1 
if not watched for1 in a mass of leaves 
or under some branch axis1 until there  
are a large number4  ,if they are       
discovered before multiplying to any    

great extent1 exterminate them with a   
fine brush or feather dipped in alcohol1
 coal-oil or kerosene1 any of which1 if 
applied directly to them1 will kill them
 on the spot4  ,scale4 ,the scales      
infesting house plants are of two kinds4
 ,the more common is the brown scale1   
which has a hard1 slightly convex1      
circular shell1 one-quarter of an inch  
or so in diameter4 ,the white scale is  
much smaller1 and soon forms quite dense
 colonies4 ,both attack the             
thick-leaved1 smooth-barked plants1 such
 as palms1 ferns1 lemons1 and abutilons4
 ,they do not appear to be doing any    
damage1 but invisibly suck the juices of
 the plant4 ,they should be destroyed at
 once4 ,this is accomplished by the use 
of fir-tree-oil soap1 whale-oil soap1 or
 kerosene emulsion and a stiff brush4   
,thrips4 ,these do not often appear in  
the house1 but may where plants are     
crowded in a shady place4 ,they eat the 
substance of the leaves1 leaving only   
the skeleton structure4 ,they are small1

 about a quarter of an inch long1 and   
brown or black4 ,aphine1 kerosene       
emulsion or ,paris green 7one           
teaspoonful to twelve quarts of water7  
will keep them quiet4  ,root ,aphis4    
,sometimes the leaves of a healthy plant
 will begin to look sickly with no      
apparent cause4 ,it may be found upon   
examination that the blue root aphis is 
at work1 clinging in clusters to the    
rootlets4 ,remove and wash away the     
soil1 and then wash the roots in        
whale-oil soap suds1 and repot in fresh 
soil4 ,if no fresh soil is available1   
tobacco tea or tobacco dust should be   
washed into the soil every other day for
 a week4  ,soil ,worms4 ,the common     
earthworms sometimes find their way into
 a pot1 and while they do not seem to   
bother the roots1 ,i should judge from  
observation that they render the soil   
next to useless1 especially in small    
pots4 ,another worm1 or rather larva1   
sometimes to be found1 is very small and
 hatches into a small white fly4 ,if    

numerous1 they do a good deal of damage4
 ,the treatment recommended for root    
aphis will get rid of them2 or lime     
water 7slake a piece of fresh lime the  
size of an apple in a pail of water1    
drawing off the water after settling71  
if used freely will kill them4          
,,diseases  ,there are but two plant    
diseases likely to attack plants in the 
house3 fungus and mildew4 ,the first    
seems to be a sort of decomposition of  
the leaf1 leaving a black1 powdery      
residue4 ,it is combated by spraying    
with bordeaux4 ,bordeaux can now be had 
in paste or powder form1 which for small
 quantities is much better than to try  
to mix it yourself4  ,mildew causes the 
tenderest leaves to curl up and some of 
them seem to be covered with a white    
powder4 ,flowers of sulphur1 dusted over
 the plants while the foliage is damp1  
is the standard remedy4  ,for the sake  
of ready reference1 the foregoing is    
condensed in the following simple table 
of plant insects and diseases4          

,,insect                 ,,conditions   
,,or                   ,,supporting     
,,remedies   ,,disease                  
,,growth                                
----------------------------------------
----------------------------- ,aphis1   
green and     ,shade2 poor              
,aphine2 tobacco-dust   black           
ventilation2           or tea2 kerosene 
thick foliage          emulsion2 hot    
water bath2 insect                      
powder4                                 
,aphis1 blue          ,stunted growth2  
,whale-oil soap                         
lack of water          solution2        
repotting2                              
tobacco tea applied to                  
roots4                                  
,thrips1 #a_/d inch1    ,shaded places2 
,kerosene emulsion2   long1 brown or    
crowded plants         ,paris green--#a 
black2 they eat4                        
teaspoon to #ab quarts ,mealy bugs      
water4 ,other scale         ,corners2   
close1          ,brush off2 coal-oil2   

insects             dry air             
kerosene emulsion2                      
hot water4                              
,red spider           ,hot1 dry         
,moisture1 sulphur1                     
atmosphere             hot water4       
,rose-beetle                            
,hand picking2 wood                     
ashes4                                  
,white flies          ,dry foliage      
,kerosene emulsion4   7,aleyrodes7      
,slugs                ,dark corners2    
,air-slaked lime4                       
dampness2              sweetened bran   
and                        decaying wood
          ,paris green4                 
,ants                                   
,insect powder2                         
molasses traps4                         
,angleworms           ,dampness2 heavy  
,lime2 lime-water2                      
soil                   tobacco tea1 and 
tobacco dust washed                     
into soil4                              
,white grub           ,manure not old   

enough4 ,destroy4                       
,fungous leaf spot    ,shocks2 checks   
,bordeaux2 ,fungine4                    
,mildew               ,checks           
,flowers of sulphur2                    
,fungine4   ,to make the kerosene       
emulsion1 use #b ounces of soap         
7whale-oil is much better than the      
common71 #a quart of boiling water 7over
 brisk fire71 #b quarts of kerosene oil4
 ,dissolve the soap in boiling water1   
remove from fire1 and add oil4 ,churn or
 beat until of the consistency of cream4
 ,if correctly mixed1 the emulsion1 on  
cooling1 will adhere without oiliness to
 glass4 ,use rain water1 if possible2 if
 not1 add a little baking soda to the   
water4  ,for scale insects1 dilute with 
#aj parts of water2 for aphis and soft  
insects1 with #ae or #bj parts water4   
,in using kerosene emulsion1 apply in   
fine spray4 ,remember it must come in   
contact with the insect to be effective4
     ,,chapter ,,xviii  ,,accessories   
,the following list of implements and   

materials is suggestive rather than     
imperative4 ,while all these things are 
useful many successful flower growers   
get along without many of them4 ,at the 
same time1 if one adds to the garden    
outfit from time to time1 the expense   
will hardly be noticed and in the course
 of two or three years a fairly complete
 set will be accumulated4 ,do not feel  
in the least that in the meantime you   
cannot grow flowers successfully4       
,,for ,,mixing ,,soil  ,spade4 ,a good  
long-bladed sharp instrument should be  
procured1 for use both in taking up     
plants and in cutting out sod1 etc41 for
 the compost heap and in cutting down   
the same for repiling4  ,hoe4 ,get a    
long blade with a straight edge4 ,see   
that the ferrule and shank are of one   
piece if you do not want to be bothered 
with a loose head4  ,sieve4 ,for small  
amounts of soil1 an ordinary round coal 
ash sieve is just the thing4 ,it is a   
good thing to have as it will insure    
getting soil for seeds and small pots to

 the proper degree of fineness4         
,trowel4 ,don't buy a cheap trowel4     
,they may be had for fifteen or twenty  
cents but a fifty-cent one will outlast 
a dozen of these and not break just when
 you need it most4   ,,soil             
,,ingredients  ,a sufficient quantity of
 soil constituents should be kept on    
hand in barrels or covered boxes4 ,store
 where they will not dry out4  ,rich    
,loam or ,rotted ,sod4 ,this is the     
basis of most plant soils4 ,keep a good 
supply ahead1 that it may be thoroughly 
decomposed4  ,sand4 ,what is known as   
,builders' ,sand1 medium1 coarse and    
gritty1 is the proper kind4 ,contrary to
 some horticultural superstitions1 it   
makes no difference what the color is1  
silver or gray1 red1 white or yellow4   
,leaf-mould4 ,easily procured by        
scraping aside the top layer near some  
stone wall or hollow in the woods where 
leaves collect and rot from year to     
year4  ,sphagnum moss is another very   
valuable accessory4 ,it can be gathered 

in most swampy places or bought cheaply 
at the florist's4  ,peat4 ,not          
obtainable in all localities1 but it can
 be bought cheap from florists4 ,found  
under mucky bog-swamps but must be      
thoroughly dried and pulverized before  
use4  ,bone meal4 ,this is invaluable   
for enriching plant soil4 7,see page    
#ai47 ,the fine sort1 sometimes called  
bone flour1 is the quickest acting4 ,for
 plants that stay potted for several    
years1 it is best to use about          
two-thirds of the coarse-ground4   ,,for
 ,,planting ,,and ,,transplanting       
,transplanting fork4 ,this can be had in
 malleable iron for fifteen cents and as
 it is not submitted to hard strains1   
like a trowel1 will do as well as the   
seventy-five-cent imported sorts4 ,it   
will save the life of innumerable       
seedlings1 in lifting them from the seed
 box4  ,dibber4 ,you can make two or    
three of various sizes in a few minutes 
from a piece of soft pine4 ,they are    
used for pricking off and repotting4 ,it

 will often be convenient to have one   
end bluntly pointed and the other rather
 flat4  ,sub-irrigation tray4 ,the use  
of this convenient method of watering is
 described on page #bd and illustrated  
facing page #bh4 ,the tinsmith will make
 you a tray for fifty or seventy-five   
cents4 ,it will certainly pay to have   
one if you attempt to grow many         
fine-seeded flowers4  ,watering can4 ,as
 this accessory is more used perhaps    
than any other1 and as the quality of   
the work it does is very important1 it  
is poor economy to buy a cheap one4 ,the
 ,wotherspoon type1 sold by most seed   
houses1 is the best4 ,it has brass      
fittings which will not rust1 tighten or
 rot out and a coarse and a fine brass  
nozzle with each pot4 ,they cost from   
two to three dollars1 according to size1
 but are well worth the money4  ,pots4  
,a good smooth red pot adds not a little
 to the looks of a plant4 ,for the      
ordinary collection of house plants     
three shapes1 quite distinct1 are       

desirable3 ,standard the sort ordinarily
 seen2 ,pans1 very shallow for their    
width and used for bulbs1 or ferns      
7facing p4 #aaf72 and ,rose pots1 or    
those exceptionally deep4 ,the latter   
are good for plants requiring large root
 room1 such as single bulbs1 or plants  
demanding exceptionally thorough        
drainage4  ,bulb glasses4 ,these are    
constructed especially to support the   
bulb1 while permitting the roots to grow
 down into the water4 ,they come in     
different shapes and colors and are not 
expensive4  ,hanging baskets4           
,attractive baskets can now be had      
cheaply4 ,they are made of wire1 rustic 
work or earthenware1 and no plant lover 
should be without one or two1 as they   
offer a most effective way of displaying
 plants4 ,use picture wire to support   
them1 as cord is apt to rot and break4  
,they should be hung so as to be easily 
taken down4  ,boxes4 ,while these may be
 homemade1 as described on page #i1 it  
is often desirable to purchase one of   

the ornamental sorts now on the market4 
,many of them are hideous1 but there are
 artistically designed ones4 ,the       
self-watering box is a great labor-saver
 and well worth getting where one can   
afford the investment1 as they will last
 for years4   ,,for ,,handling ,,plants 
,in addition to the above there are a   
number of other devices often convenient
 to use4  ,brackets1 frequently make    
possible the accommodation of a number  
of extra plants and show them off to the
 best advantage1 especially vines and   
drooping plants4 ,they are readily      
secured by screws to the window casing4 
,pot-hangers1 can be had for a few cents
 each and used to convert pots of any   
size into ,hanging baskets4 ,they very  
often solve the problem of what to do   
with a choice plant that is beginning to
 take up too much room4  ,pot-covers1   
made of water-proof material are now to 
be had in a great assortment of styles  
and colors and are very useful1         
especially in connection with potted    

plants used as gifts4  ,plant-stakes4   
,often any old stake is used for        
supporting drooping plants1 such as     
fuchsias4 ,a much better one can easily 
be made by taking a round stick1 say    
one-half or three-fourths of an inch in 
diameter and boring small holes through 
it with a gimlet4 ,stout pieces of wire1
 of a size that will fit snugly are     
inserted and twisted once around to     
reinforce the wood4 ,these may then be  
bent readily to any angle and thus made 
to conform with needs of the particular 
plant being supported4 ,if one has a    
soldering outfit1 the main stake may be 
made of heavy wire4  ,raffia4 ,this may 
be bought cheaply at the florist's and  
is much better than twine for tying up  
plants and similar purposes1 as it is   
soft and broad--a dried1 ribbon-like    
grass4 ,it may be had stained green and 
with green stakes makes the support of a
 plant practically invisible4  ,syringe4
 ,if only a few plants are kept1 a      
rubber bulb plant sprinkler may do for  

syringing them4 ,but if one wants to    
combat insects and keep plants healthy  
with the least trouble1 a small         
florist's brass syringe will prove a    
good investment4 ,with ordinary care    
they will last a lifetime4 ,it will also
 be useful for applying insecticides in 
liquid form4  ,fertilizers4 ,in addition
 to the chemicals1 etc41 described in   
,chapter ,,iii1 there are to be had     
concentrated plant foods in tablet form4
 ,these are very convenient to use1 and 
a box kept on hand will frequently prove
 useful4 ,if any number of plants are   
kept1 however1 an old metal pail and a  
small dipper1 for mixing and applying   
liquid manure1 should have a place in   
the tool outfit and be used frequently4 
,never apply liquid manure when the soil
 is dry4     ,part ,two--,home ,glass   
,,chapter ,,xix  ,,its ,,opportunities  
,it cannot be said that ,america has yet
 reached the gardening age4 ,there is no
 doubt1 however1 that the appreciation  
of flowers1 and the liking for things   

horticultural in general1 is growing    
rapidly4 ,the stimulus that compels     
hundreds to turn with delight to the joy
 in the creative work of growing things 
arises from a sound foundation4         
,comparatively few people1 however1     
realize that this pleasure can be had by
 them around the entire circle of the   
months4 ,they look forward to planting  
time in the spring and accept as        
inevitable the cessation of their       
gardening adventures with the first     
frost4  ,it is to such people that the  
message of home glass must come as good 
tidings indeed4 ,for them the gentle art
 of gardening under glass has seemed a  
distant and mysterious thing4 ,little   
indeed have they realized how easily it 
might be brought within reach2 that     
instead of being an expensive luxury it 
would be by no means impossible to make 
it a paying investment1 yielding not    
only pleasure but profit as well4  ,as a
 matter of fact1 when one's mind is once
 made up not to sacrifice the pleasures 

of gardening for six months every year1 
a little energy1 ingenuity and a very   
few dollars will go a long way in       
providing the necessary equipment4  ,nor
 is the care of the ordinary flowers1   
and the vegetables suited for winter    
use1 such a complicated profession that 
the beginner cannot achieve quite a     
considerable measure of success with his
 or her very first attempts1 provided   
that regular care is given the work in  
hand4 ,it is a much easier task than    
succeeding with plants in the house1    
notwithstanding the fact that general   
opinion is to the contrary4  ,it is not 
necessary to start in on a large scale4 
,a very few square feet of soil1 where  
all the conditions can be controlled as 
they are under glass1 will produce an   
amazing amount4 ,take for instance      
lettuce grown for the home table4 ,how  
good it is right fresh and crisp from   
the soil compared to the wilted or      
artificially revived bunches one can get
 at the grocer's6 ,outdoors you put it a

 foot apart in rows a foot and a half   
apart2 a patch #c x #aj feet would give 
you twenty heads4 ,in the home garden   
under glass you set out a batch of      
,grand ,rapids lettuce plants1 one of   
the very best in quality1 six inches    
each way1 so that a little piece of     
bench #c x #aj feet would give you one  
hundred heads 7which incidentally at the
 grocer's would cost you #aj4 or        
#ab4--;enough good money to buy glass   
for a quite roomy little lean-to74 7,see
 page #afd47  ,details of construction1 
etc41 are given in the following pages1 
but the most important thing of all is  
just to make up your mind that you will 
have a little greenhouse of your own4   
,if you once decide to have it the way  
can be found1 for the necessary cash    
outlay is very small indeed4  ,think of 
the variety of ways you could use such a
 winter garden6 ,not only may lettuce1  
radishes1 tomatoes1 cucumbers1 beets and
 other vegetables be had out of season1 
but you can get a better start with your

 garden than ever before--put it weeks  
and weeks ahead of the old              
sow-out-in-the-ground way4 ,and then    
consider the flowers6 ,a dozen carnation
 plants1 for instance1 would occupy     
about six square feet of room1 say #b x 
#c feet of bench1 and would supply you  
comfortably with blossoms all winter    
long--nice fresh ones outlasting twice  
over the cold storage blooms from the   
retail florist's--to say nothing of the 
added value of having them actually home
 grown4  ,illustration3 ,it is          
surprising how most people over-estimate
 the difficulties and expense of        
maintaining a small greenhouse4 ,in     
relation to the pleasure one brings1 the
 cost is exceedingly small              
,illustration3 ,a lean-to type of       
greenhouse1 such as has been built on   
the east wall of this house1 is within  
reach of almost any owner of a small    
country place     ,,chapter ,,xx  ,,the 
,,coldframe ,,and ,,the ,,hotbed   ,the 
simplest form of home glass is the      

coldframe4 ,the simplest hothouse is the
 manure heated coldframe or hotbed4     
,the following directions for making the
 frames and preparing the soil for them 
are taken from the author's ,home       
,vegetable ,gardening4  ,for the        
ordinary garden1 all the plants needed  
may be started successfully in hotbeds  
and coldframes4 ,the person who has had 
no experience with these has usually an 
exaggerated idea of their cost and of   
the skill required to manage them4 ,the 
skill is not as much a matter of expert 
knowledge as of careful regular care1   
daily4 ,only a few minutes a day1 but   
every day4 ,the cost need be but little1
 especially if one is a bit handy with  
tools4 ,the sash which serves for the   
cover1 and is removable1 is the         
important part of the structure4 ,sash  
may be had1 ready glazed and painted1 at
 from #b4ej to #c4ej each1 and with care
 they will last ten or even twenty      
years1 so you can see at once that not a
 very big increase in the yield of your 

garden will be required to pay interest 
on the investment4 ,or you can buy the  
sash unglazed1 at a proportionately     
lower price1 and put the glass in       
yourself1 if you prefer to spend a      
little more time and less money4        
,however1 if you are not familiar with  
the work1 and want only a few sash1 ,i  
would advise purchasing the finished    
article4 ,in size they are three feet by
 six4  ,frames upon which to put the    
sash covering may also be bought        
complete1 but here there is a chance to 
save money by constructing your own     
frames--the materials required being #b 
x #d inch lumber for posts1 and         
inch-boards2 or better1 if you can      
easily procure them1 plank #b x #ab     
inches4  ,so far as these materials go  
the hotbed and coldframe are alike4 ,the
 difference is that while the coldframe 
depends for its warmth upon catching and
 holding the heat of the sun's rays1 the
 hotbed is artificially heated by       
fermenting manure1 or in rare instances1

 by hot water or steam pipes4  ,in      
constructing the hotbed there are two   
methods used2 either placing the frames 
on top of the manure heap or by putting 
the manure within the frames4 ,the first
 method has the advantage of permitting 
the hotbed to be made upon frozen       
ground1 when required in the spring4    
,the latter1 which is the better1 must  
be built before the ground freezes1 but 
is more economical of manure4 ,the      
manure in either case should be that of 
grain-fed horses1 and if a small amount 
of straw bedding1 or leaves--not more1  
however1 than one-third of the          
latter--be mixed among it1 so much the  
better4 ,get this manure several days   
ahead of the time wanted for use and    
prepare by stacking in a compact1       
tramped down heap4 ,turn it over after  
three or four days1 and re-stack1 being 
careful to put the manure from the top  
and sides of the pile now on the inside4
  ,having now ready the heating         
apparatus and the superstructure of our 

miniature greenhouse1 the building of it
 is a very simple matter4 ,if the ground
 is frozen1 spread the manure in a low1 
flat heap nine or ten feet on each side1
 a foot and a half deep1 and as long as 
the number of sash to be used demands4  
,a cord of manure thus furnishes a bed  
for about three sash1 not counting for  
the ends of the string or row4 ,this    
heap should be well trodden down and    
upon it should be placed the box or     
frame upon which the sash are to rest4  
,in using this method it will be more   
convenient to have the frame made up    
beforehand and ready to place upon the  
manure1 as shown in one of the          
illustrations4 ,this should be at least 
twelve inches high at the front and some
 half a foot higher at the back4 ,fill  
in with at least four inches--better    
six--of good garden soil containing     
plenty of humus so that it may allow    
water to soak through readily4  ,the    
other method is to construct the frames 
on the ground before severe freezing1   

and in this case the front should be at 
least twenty-four inches high1 part of  
which--not more than half--may be below 
the ground level4 ,the #b x #ab inch    
planks1 when used1 are handled as       
follows3 stakes are driven in to support
 the back plank some two or three inches
 above the ground1--which should1 of    
course1 be level4 ,the front plank is   
sunk two or three inches into the ground
 and held upright by stakes on the      
outside1 nailed on4 ,remove enough dirt 
from inside the frame to bank up the    
planks about halfway on the outside4    
,when this banking has frozen to a depth
 of two or three inches1 cover with     
rough manure or litter to keep frost    
from striking through4 ,the manure for  
heating should be prepared as above and 
put in to the depth of a foot1 trodden  
down1 first removing four to six inches 
of soil to be put back on top of the    
manure1--a cord of the latter1 in this  
case1 serving seven sashes4 ,the        
vegetables to be grown1 and the season  

and climate1 will determine the depth of
 manure required--it will be from one to
 two feet1--the latter depth seldom     
being necessary4  ,it must not be       
overlooked that this manure1 when spent 
for heating purposes1 is still as good  
as ever to enrich the garden1 so that   
the expense of putting it in and        
removing it from the frames is all that 
you can fairly charge up against your   
experiment with hotbeds1 if you are     
interested to know whether they really  
pay4  ,the exposure for the hotbeds     
should be where the sun will strike most
 directly and where they will be        
sheltered from the north4 ,put up a     
fence of rough boards1 five or six feet 
high1 or place the frames south of some 
building4  ,the coldframe is constructed
 practically as in the hotbed1 except   
that if manure is used at all it is for 
the purpose of enriching the soil where 
lettuce1 radishes1 cucumbers or other   
crops are to be grown to maturity in it4
  ,all this may seem like a lot of      

trouble to go for such a small thing as 
a packet of seed4 ,in reality it is not 
nearly so much trouble as it sounds1 and
 then1 too1 this is for the first season
 only4 ,you will have a well built frame
 lasting for years--forever1 if you want
 to take a little more time and make it 
of concrete instead of boards4  ,but now
 that the frame is made1 how to use it  
is the next question4  ,the first       
consideration must be the soil4 ,it     
should be rich1 light1 friable4 ,there  
are some garden loams that will do well 
just as taken up1 but as a rule better  
results will be obtained where the soil 
is made up specially1 as follows3 rotted
 sods two parts1 old rotted manure one  
part1 and enough coarse sand added to   
make the mixture fine and crumbly1 so   
that1 even when moist1 it will fall     
apart when pressed into a ball in the   
hand4 ,such soil is best prepared by    
cutting out sod1 in the summer1 where   
the grass is green and thick1 indicating
 a rich soil4 ,along old fences or the  

roadside where the wash has settled will
 be good places to get limited          
quantities4 ,these should be cut with   
considerable soil and stacked1 grassy   
sides together1 in layers in a compost  
pile4 ,if the season proves very dry1   
occasionally soak the heap through4 ,in 
late fall put in the cellar1 or wherever
 solid freezing will not take place1    
enough to serve for spring work under   
glass4 ,the amount can readily be       
calculated2 soil for three sash1 four   
inches deep1 for instance1 would take   
eighteen feet or a pile three feet      
square and two feet high4 ,the fine     
manure 7and sand1 if necessary7 may be  
added in the fall or when using in the  
spring4 ,here again it may seem to the  
amateur that unnecessary pains are being
 taken4 ,i can but repeat what has been 
suggested all through these pages1 that 
it will require but little more work to 
do the thing the best way as long as one
 is doing it at all1 and the results    
will be not only better1 but practically

 certain--and that is a tremendously    
important point about all gardening     
operations4  ,while the cold frame and  
hotbed offer great                      
advantages--especially in the way of    
room--over growing plants and starting  
seed in the house1 they are nevertheless
 incomparably less useful than the      
simplest small greenhouse4 ,plants may  
be wintered over in them1 violets may be
 grown in them1 lettuce may be grown    
late in the fall and early in the       
spring1 and followed by cucumbers4 ,but 
they are not convenient to work in4 ,one
 is dependent on the weather4 ,they are 
not satisfactorily under control4 ,take1
 for instance1 one of those dark fall   
days1 with a cold nasty drizzle cutting 
down on a slant1 or one of those bright 
sunny and cloudy chill-winded spring    
days1 when no pleasure is to be had     
out-of-doors4 ,under the shelter of your
 little glass roof1 where you can make  
your own weather1 what fun it is to be  
potting up a batch of cuttings1 or      

putting in a few packets of choice seed 
for the extra early garden6 ,there is   
nothing like it4     ,,chapter ,,xxi    
,,the ,,construction ,,of               
,,conservatories ,,and ,,small          
,,greenhouses   ,have you ever stepped  
from the chill and dreariness of a windy
 day1 when it seems as if the very life 
of all things growing were shrunk to    
absolute desolation1 into the welcome   
warmth and light and fragrance1 the     
beauty and joy of a glass house full of 
green and blossoming plants8 ,no matter 
how small it was1 even though you had to
 stoop to enter the door1 and mind your 
elbows as you went along1 what a good1  
glad comfortable feeling flooded in to  
you with the captive sunlight6 ,what a  
world of difference was made by that    
sheet of glass between you and the outer
 bitterness and blankness4 ,doubtless   
such an experience has been yours4      
,doubtless1 too1 you wished vaguely that
 you could have some such little corner 
to escape to1 a stronghold to fly to    

when old winter lays waste the          
countryside4 ,but ,april came with      
birds1 and ,may with flowers1 and months
 before the first dark1 shivery days of 
the following autumn1 you had forgotten 
that another winter would come on1 with 
weeks of cheerless1 uncomfortable       
weather4 ,or possibly you did not       
forget1 until you had investigated the  
matter of greenhouse building and found 
that even a very small house1 built to  
order1 was far beyond your means4  ,do  
not misunderstand me as disparaging the 
construction companies3 they do         
excellent work--and get excellent       
prices4 ,you may not be able to afford  
an ,italian garden1 with hundreds of    
dollars' worth of rare plants1 but that 
does not prevent your having a more     
modest garden spot1 in which you have   
planned and worked yourself4 ,just so1  
though one of these beautiful glass     
structures may be beyond your purse1 you
 may yet have one that will serve your  
purpose just as practically4 ,the fact  

of the matter is1 you can have a small  
house at a very small outlay1 which will
 pay a good1 very good interest on your 
investment4 ,with it you will be able to
 have flowers all the year round1 set   
both your flower and vegetable garden   
weeks ahead in the spring1 save many    
cherished plants from the garden1 and   
have fresh green vegetables1 such as    
lettuce1 radishes1 tomatoes and         
cucumbers that can readily be grown     
under glass4 ,and you will be surprised1
 if you can give the work some personal 
attention1 or1 better still1 have the   
fun of doing a little of the actual     
building yourself1 at how small an      
outlay you can put up a substantial     
structure of practical size1 say #bj    
feet by #aj--of the lean-to form4  ,by  
way of illustration let us see what the 
material for such a house would cost1   
and how to erect it4 ,almost every      
dwelling house has some sheltered corner
 or wall where some glass lean-to could 
easily be added1 and the shape and      

dimensions can be made to suit the      
special advantages offered4 ,we will    
consider a simple house of the lean-to  
type1 requiring a wall1 to begin with1  
#bj feet long and #g feet high1 down to 
the ground1 or a foot or so below it1 if
 you can dig out4 ,below is listed the  
material such a house would require4    
,with modern patented framing methods   
such a house has been estimated by      
greenhouse building companies to cost1  
for the material only1 from #cbe to     
#djj4 ,yet you can have a wooden house  
that will serve your purpose at a cost  
for materials of #fa and1 if you do not 
care to put it together yourself1 a     
labor cost of1 say1 one-third more4     
,illustration3 ,fig4 #b--;,floor plan of
 the lean-to type of greenhouse shown in
 section on the opposite page4  ,as our 
north wall is already in place1 we have 
only four surfaces to consider1 as the  
accompanying diagram shows--namely1     
south wall1 gable ends1 roof and        
openings4 ,for the roof we will require 

a ridge against the wall of the dwelling
 house1 sash-bars running at right      
angles to this1 a purlin1 or support1   
midway of these1 and a sill for the     
lower ends4 ,for the south wall we will 
need posts1 one row of glass1 and boards
 and sheathing4 ,for the gable ends1 a  
board and sheathing wall to the same    
height1 and for the balance1 sash-bars  
and glass4 ,the required openings will  
be a door or doors1 and three           
ventilators1 to give a sufficient supply
 of fresh air4  ,illustration3 ,fig4    
#c--;,a sectional view of a two-bench1  
#aj ,x #bj ft4 house built against the  
dwelling wall4 ,if possible it would be 
well to gain a steeper slope for the    
glass and better headroom4 ,the detail  
in the upper right hand corner shows1 at
 larger scale1 the plate and front      
lights1 indicated just below in the main
 section4  ,for these the material      
required will be3  #aj ft4 of #b-;in4 x 
#d-;in4 ridge                     #j4hj 
#ac #aj-;ft4 drip bars                  

#c4be #b #aj-;ft4 end bars              
#a4jj #e #f-;ft4 x #a-a_/d-;in4         
second-hand pipe posts          4#ej #bj
 ft4 #a-;in1 second-hand iron pipe      
#a4jj #d #a-a_/d-;in4 x #a-;in4 clamps  
4#ej #bj ft4 #b-;in4 x #d-;in4 eaves    
plate                   #a4fj #bj ft4   
#b-;in4 x #f-;in4 sill                  
#b4bj #ae #a-;in4 pipe straps           
4#ej #ah ft4 #b-;in4 x #d-;in4 sill1 for
 gables              #a4ej #dj ft4 side 
bars1 random lengths1 for gables        
#a4jj #c ventilating sash for #c        
#bd-;in4 x #af-;in4 lights    #c4jj #i  
#af-;in4 headers for ventilators        
4#dj #f hinges with screws for          
ventilators                4#ge #a roll 
tar paper1 single-ply                   
#b4jj #f boxes #bd-;in4 x #af-;in4      
glass1 ,b double thick     #bd4jj #ge   
lbs4 good greenhouse putty              
#b4ej                                   
------ ,total of items listed above     
#df4ej  ,all of the above will have to  
come from a greenhouse material supply  

company1 and prices given do not include
 freight charges4 ,the following items  
may probably be bought more economically
 in your immediate vicinity1 and the    
prices will vary in different sections  
of the country3--  ,total of items      
listed above                            
#df4ej #bdj ft4 rough #a-;in4 boards    
#g4ej #f posts1 #d in4 thick1 #f ft4    
long1 planed on one side    #c4jj #b    
posts4 #d in4 thick1 #h ft4 long1 planed
 on one side #ajjj shingles             
#d4jj                                   
------ ,total cost of materials         
#fa4jj ,estimate of labor               
#bj4jj                                  
------ ,total cost of greenhouse        
#ha4jj  ,level off a place about #bb x  
#ab feet1 and set in the posts as       
indicated in the plan on page #aeh1     
taking care to get the lines for the    
ends of the house perfectly square with 
the wall1 and exact in length4 ,this is 
best done by laying out your lines first
 with stout string1 and making your     

measurements accurately on these4 ,then 
put in the posts for sides and ends1    
setting these about three feet into the 
ground1 or1 better still1 in concrete4  
,put in the two corner posts1 which     
should be square first4 ,next saw off   
all posts level at the proper height1   
and put in place the #b x #d in4 eaves  
plate on top of these and the #b x #f   
in4 sill just far enough below to take a
 #af x #bd in4 light of glass1 with its 
upper edge snug in the groove in lower  
side of plate1 as shown in detail of    
section on page #aei4 ,fit the #b x #f  
in4 sill about the posts so that the    
mortice on same will just clear the     
outside of posts4 ,then put on the      
siding on sides and ends--first a layer 
of rough inch-boards1 running           
vertically1 a layer1 single or double1  
of tar paper1 and a second layer of     
boards1 laid horizontally1 covering on  
the outside with shingles1 clapboards or
 roofing paper4 ,the five #g ft4 x      
#a-a_/d in4 pipe posts may now be placed

 loose in their holes1 and a walk dug   
out of sufficient depth to allow passage
 through the middle of the house4 ,rough
 boards nailed to stakes driven into the
 ground1 will hold the earth sides of   
this in place4  ,next1 after having it  
sawed in two vertically 7thus making #bj
 ft71 screw the ridge securely to side  
of house at proper height1 giving a     
thick coat of white lead at top to      
insure a tight joint with house4 ,now   
put one of the end bars in place1 taking
 care to get it exactly at right angles 
with ridge1 and then lay down the       
sash-bars1 enough more than #af in4     
apart to allow the glass to slip into   
place readily4 ,take a light of glass   
and try it between every fourth or fifth
 bar put into position1 at both ridge   
and eave1 as this is much easier than   
trying to remedy an error when half the 
glass is laid4 ,use finishing nails for 
securing the sash-bars1 as they are     
easily split4 ,next1 with chalk line    
mark the middle of the roof sash-bars1  

and secure to them the one-inch pipe    
purlin1 which will then be ready to     
fasten to the uprights already in place4
 ,next1 make concrete by mixing two     
parts ,portland cement1 two of sand and 
four of gravel or crushed stone with    
sufficient water to make a mixture that 
will pour like thick mud1 and put the   
iron pipe posts in their permanent      
positions1 seeing that the purlin is    
level and the posts upright4 7,if       
necessary1 the purlin can be weighted   
down until the concrete sets47 ,then put
 into place the ventilators1 glazed1 and
 the headers for the same--short pieces 
of wood1 cut to go in between the       
sash-bars1--and fit these up snugly     
against the lower edge of the ventilator
 sash4  ,when laying the glass in the   
roof1 which will now be ready1 use      
plenty of putty1 worked sufficiently    
soft for the glass to be thoroughly     
bedded in it1 and leaving no air-spaces 
or crevices for the rain to leak through
 later4 ,if this work is carefully done1

 it will not be necessary to putty again
 on the outside of the glass1 but it    
should be gone over with white lead and 
linseed oil4 ,be sure to place the      
convex surface of every light up4 ,the  
panes should be lapped from #a_/f to    
#a_/d of an inch1 and held securely in  
place with greenhouse glazing points1   
the double-pointed bent ones being      
generally used4 ,the lights for the ends
 of the house may be butted1 that is1   
placed edge to edge1 if you happen to   
strike good edges1 but as a general     
thing1 it will be more satisfactory to  
lap them a little4 ,the woodwork1 before
 being put together1 should all receive 
a good priming coat of linseed oil in   
which a little ochre has been mixed1 and
 a second coat after erection4 ,i have  
suggested putting the glass in roof and 
sides before touching the benches1      
because this work can then be done under
 shelter in case bad weather is         
encountered4 ,the benches can be        
arranged in any way that will be        

convenient1 but should be about         
waist-high1 and not over four or four   
and a half feet across1 to insure easy  
handling of plants1 watering1 etc4      
,rough boards will do for their         
construction1 and they should not be    
made so tight as to prevent the ready   
drainage of water4 ,the doors may be    
bought1 or made of boards covered with  
tar paper and shingles or roofing paper4
  ,the house suggested above is used    
only by way of illustration4 ,it may be 
either too large or too small for the   
purposes of some of the readers of this 
book1 and ,i shall therefore give very  
briefly descriptions of several other   
types of small houses1 some of which may
 be put up even more cheaply than the   
above4 ,the plainest is the sash lean-to
 somewhat like ,fig4 #c1 which is made  
by simply securing to a suitable wall a 
ridge-piece to hold one end of the      
sashes for the roof1 and erecting a     
wall1 similar to the one described      
above1 but without glass1 and with a    

plain1 #b x #d in4 piece for a sill1 to 
support the other ends4 ,either a single
 or double row of sashes may be used1 of
 the ordinary #c x #f foot size4 ,in the
 latter case1 of course1 a purlin and   
supporting posts1 as shown in diagram1  
must be supplied4 ,every second or third
 top sash should be hinged1 to open for 
ventilation1 and by tacking strips over 
the edges of the sash where they come   
together1 a very tight and roomy little 
house can be put up quickly1 easily and 
very cheaply4 ,new sash1 glazed and     
painted one coat1 can be bought for #c  
to #c4ej each4 ,ten of these would make 
a very practical little house1 fifteen  
feet long1 and over ten feet wide4      
,illustration3 ,sash and frames for a   
coldframe or hotbed cost only about     
#c4jj per frame1 #c x #f ft41 and will  
serve to raise thousands of young plants
 for setting out in the spring          
,illustration3 ,a simple and ingenious  
type of window greenhouse made from a   
single coldframe sash with side glazing 

and a shelf  ,illustration3 ,an inside  
view of the same4 ,three shelves are    
available for plants in addition to the 
main shelf at the bottom  ,another form 
of lean-to where there are windows is   
shown in another diagram4 ,the even-span
 house1 of which type there are more    
erected than of any other1 is also      
shown4 ,the cost of such a house1 say   
#ba feet wide1 can be easily computed   
from the figures given in the first part
 of this chapter1 the north wall1 and   
purlin braces from the ridge posts1     
being the only details of construction  
not included there4  ,illustration3     
,fig4 #d--;,a simple form of lean-to    
greenhouse where there is an available  
sheltering wall but with first-story    
windows4 ,the inner slope or valley     
should be drained   ,illustration3 ,fig4
 #e--,the simplest of all greenhouses1  
which is in reality little more than a  
deep coldframe with an opening into the 
cellar  ,a simple way of greatly        
increasing the capacity of the ordinary 

hotbed or coldframe1 is to build it next
 to a cellar window1 so that it will    
receive some artificial heat1 and can be
 got at1 from the inside1 in any        
weather4 ,several sashes can be used1   
and the window extend to include as many
 of them as desired4  ,by all means get 
a little glass to use in connection with
 your garden this coming year4 ,put up  
one of these small greenhouses1 if you  
can3 if not1 get a few sash1 at least4  
,don't put it off till next year2 do it 
now6  ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f--,the     
regular even-span type4 ,a indicates a  
row of pipe standards2 ,,bb1 braces from
 these to the purlins4 ,there is a      
fitting made for the junction ,c4  ,in  
the next chapter we will take up the    
handling of vegetables and flowers in   
the small greenhouse4 ,but don't be     
content to read about it4 ,it's the     
pleasantest kind of work--try it        
yourself6     ,,chapter ,,xxii          
,,methods ,,of ,,heating   ,in the      
foregoing chapter on homemade           

greenhouses very brief reference was    
made to the various methods of heating4 
,it will be well to understand a little 
more in detail how to heat glass        
structures1 as temperature is1 next to  
moisture1 the most important factor of  
success4 ,if steam or hot water is used 
in the dwelling house and a greenhouse  
of the lean-to type is used1 the problem
 becomes a very simple one1 as          
additional pipes can be run through the 
greenhouse4 ,but as this advantage is   
not always ready to hand1 we will       
consider the heating of an isolated     
house1 and the principles involved may  
be adapted to individual needs4 ,there  
are three systems of heating3 flues 7hot
 air71 hot water1 and steam--the latter 
we need not take up as it is economical 
only for larger structures than the     
amateur is likely to have4              
,illustration3 ,fig4 #g--,the best      
arrangement for heating a greenhouse by 
hot air1 is to run a brick or cement    
flue from the furnace around under the  

benches and into the chimney over the   
fire4 ,,aa--storages space2 ,b--furnace2
 ,c--chimney2 ,,ddd--benches2           
,e--furnace door4  ,heating by hot air  
carried through brick or tile flues is  
the simplest and cheapest method for    
very small houses4 ,the best way of     
constructing such a system is           
illustrated in the diagram adjoining1   
which shows the flue returning into the 
chimney 7after traveling the length of  
the house and back74 ,this method does  
away with the greatest trouble with flue
 heating--a poor draft2 for immediately 
the fire is started1 the air in the     
chimney becomes heated1 and rising1     
draws the hot air from the furnace      
around through the flue with a forced   
draft4 ,this forced draft accomplishes  
three other good things3 it does away   
with the escape of noxious gases into   
the greenhouses1 lessens the            
accumulation of moisture and dust from  
wood smoke1 and distributes the heat    
much more evenly throughout the house4  

,the furnace may be built of solid      
brick1 with doors and grates and an     
arched dome1 and the flue should be of  
brick for at least one-third the length 
from the furnace into the house2 for the
 rest of the way cement or vitrified    
drain pipe will be cheaper and better4  
,the flue should have a gradual upward  
slope for its whole length and will vary
 in size with the house to be heated1   
from five to eight or nine inches in    
diameter1 the latter being sufficient   
for a house #fj by #ba feet4 ,the flue  
should be raised a little from the      
ground1 and at no point should any      
woodwork be nearer than six inches to   
it4 ,very small houses1 especially if   
not started up until ,january1 may be   
heated by an ordinary wood stove with   
the stove pipe run the length of the    
house1 but such an arrangement will give
 off a very drying and uneven heat1 and 
require a lot of attention1 to say      
nothing of its danger4  ,illustration3  
,fig4 #h--;,hot water is undoubtedly the

 most satisfactory method of heating the
 small greenhouse4 ,the diagram shows a 
#a-a_/b-;inch supply pipe leading out   
from the boiler1 with #a-;inch returns  
under the benches1 making a satisfactory
 system for the lean-to type described  
in detail in the previous chapter4      
,illustration3 ,fig4 #i--;,for the      
larger greenhouse of the isolated       
double-slope type1 #ba x #ej feet in    
size1 a #b-;inch supply pipe1 with five 
#a-a_/b-;inch returns under the outer   
benches1 will secure a temperature of   
#ee degrees4  ,by far the most          
satisfactory way will be to use hot     
water4 ,if the size of the house will   
not justify the purchase of a small     
heater--a second-hand one may often be  
had at a very reasonable figure--a      
substitute may be had by inserting a    
hot-water coil in a stove or in the     
house furnace4 ,in one of the diagrams  
is shown an arrangement of pipes for    
heating a house #ba x #ej feet1 and in  
another piping for lean-to described in 

the preceding chapter4 ,with the small  
pipe sufficient for such a house as that
 illustrated in the latter diagram1 the 
work can be done by anyone at all       
acquainted with the use of pipe tools2  
if possible1 the pipes should be given a
 slight downward slope1 say one inch in 
ten feet1 from as near the heater as    
practical4 ,for all this work           
second-hand piping1 newly threaded1 will
 answer very well1 and it may be bought 
for about four cents per foot for       
one-inch pipe2 six cents for one and    
one-half inch1 and eight cents for      
two-inch4 ,in putting the stove or      
heater in place1 it should be sunk below
 the level upon which the pipes will    
run1 and attention should also be given 
to the matter of caring for the fire1   
removing ashes1 etc41 making the        
management of these things as convenient
 as possible4     ,,chapter ,,xxiii     
,,management   ,experience only can     
teach the beginner just how to manage   
his vegetables and plants in this new   

winter garden4 ,but at the outset he    
must remember one thing3 ,if it is true 
that he has control of his miniature    
world of growing things it is also true 
that he can leave nothing1 as he does   
with his outside garden1 to the         
treatment of nature4 ,the control is in 
his hands--the warmth1 the moisture1 the
 fresh air1 the soil--none can be left  
to chance2 he must think of them all4   
,and before going into details1 which   
might at first be confusing1 let us take
 up the elements of this little world   
over which we are to reign1 and try to  
elucidate first a few general rules to  
guide us4 ,the house1 after countless   
little delays and unforeseen problems   
conquered by personal interest and      
ingenuity1 is at last ready1 and the    
bare board benches look ugly enough in  
the bright1 hot sunlight4 ,how are they 
to be converted into a small ,garden of 
,eden1 when all outdoors is chained in  
the silent desolation of drifted snow8  
,here is a new task4 ,no longer         

,nature's assistant1 the gardener has   
been given entire management of this new
 sort of garden4 ,it is almost a        
factory1 where he must take his raw     
materials--earth1 water1 heat1 light1   
and the wonderful thread of life1 and   
mold these all into a hundred marvelous 
forms of beauty and utility4 ,something 
of art1 something of science1 something 
of business1 must all be brought to his 
interesting work4  ,let us begin then at
 the bottom4 ,what is the best kind of  
dirt to use8 ,it should be friable1 so  
that it will not bake and cake in the   
pots2 rich1 that the little plants may  
readily find ample nourishment2 porous1 
that water may be soaked up readily1 and
 any surplus drained off freely4 ,a soil
 answering all these requirements is    
made as follows3 cut from an old ditch  
or fence-side1 thick sods1 and stack    
them with the grass sides together to   
rot4 ,this heap should be forked over   
several times1 when it has begun to     
decompose4 ,in dry weather1 if within   

reach of the hose1 a good soaking       
occasionally will help the process      
along4 ,the sods should be cut during   
spring or summer4 ,to this pile of sod1 
when well rotted 7or at time of using71 
add one-third in bulk of thoroughly     
rotted manure--cow and horse mixed1 and 
a year old1 if it can be obtained--and  
mix thoroughly4 ,if the soil is clayey  
or heavy1 add enough coarse sand and    
make it fine and friable1 or use a      
larger proportion of the manure4        
,leaf-mould1 from the woods1 will also  
be good to lighten it with4 ,this one   
mixture will do for all your potting4   
,keep enough of it under cover1 or where
 it will not freeze1 to last you during 
the winter and early spring4 ,store some
 of it in old barrels1 or in boxes under
 the greenhouse bench1 if there is not a
 more convenient place4 ,for very small 
pots1 run it through a half-inch sieve4 
,for the larger sizes1 three inches and 
up1 this will not be necessary--just be 
sure the ingredients are well mixed4    

,proper temperature is more likely to be
 the beginner's stumbling block than any
 other one thing4 ,different plants1 of 
course1 require different treatment in  
this respect2 and just as your corn and 
beans will not come up if planted too   
early in the spring1 or carrot or pansy 
seed in the heat of ,july1 so the       
temperature in which a coleus will      
thrive would be fatal to the success of 
verbenas or lettuce under glass4 ,it    
will often pay1 where a variety of      
things are to be grown in the small     
greenhouse1 to have a glass partition   
separating it into two sections1 one of 
which may be kept1 either by additional 
piping or less ventilation1 several     
degrees warmer than the other4 ,so1     
while a general collection of many      
plants can be grown successfully in the 
same temperature1 it is foolish to try  
everything4 ,only actual experiment can 
show the operator just what he can and  
cannot do with his small house4 ,even   
where no glass partition is used1 there 

will probably be some variation in      
temperature in different parts of the   
house1 and this condition may be turned 
to advantage4 ,the beginner1 however1 is
 more likely to keep his house too hot  
than too cool4 ,he may seem at first to 
be getting a fine quick growth1 and then
 wonders why things begin to be lanky1  
and yellow1 forgetting that his plants  
can get no air to breathe1 except what  
he is careful enough to give to them4   
,for the majority of those plants which 
the beginner is likely to               
try--geraniums1 petunias1 begonias1     
fuchsias1 abutilon1 heliotrope1 ferns1  
etc41 a night temperature of #de to #ee 
degrees1 with #aj to #bj degrees higher 
during the day1 will keep them in good  
growing condition during the winter1    
providing they are neglected in no other
 respect4 ,so long as they are not      
chilled1 they cannot have too much fresh
 air during sunny days4 ,make it your   
aim to keep the temperature as steady as
 possible--the damage done to plants is 

as often the result of sudden changes in
 temperature as of too high or too low a
 temperature4  ,if it is easy to overdo 
in the matter of temperature1 it is even
 more so in watering4 ,a soil such as   
described above1 when watered1 will     
absorb the water rapidly1 and leave none
 of it standing upon the surface of the 
pots after a few moments4 ,practice1 and
 practice only1 can teach just when the 
soil has been sufficiently saturated4   
,it should be watered until wet clear   
through1 but never until it becomes     
muddy4 ,and when watered it should not  
be watered again until dry--not baked   
and hard1 but a condition indicated by a
 whitening of the surface1 and the      
rapidity with which it will again soak  
up water1 a condition hard to describe  
exactly1 but at once recognizable after 
a little practice4 ,during the dull     
winter months1 it will be sufficient for
 most plants in the greenhouse to       
receive water twice a week1 or even less
 often1 but on the coming of warm spring

 days1 more frequently1 until care is   
needed daily4 ,there are some old fogy  
ideas about soft and tepid water1 which 
may help confuse the beginner3 they     
accomplish nothing more4 ,recent        
experiments1 made by one of the ,state  
experiment stations1 have confirmed the 
experience of practical florists1 that  
the temperature of water used1 even to  
ice water1 has almost absolutely no     
effect--the reason being that the water 
applied changes to the temperature of   
the soil almost before it can reach the 
roots of the plant at all4 ,and hard and
 soft1 spring and cistern water1 have   
likewise been used without difference in
 results4 ,the main thing is to attend  
to your watering regularly1 never       
letting the plants get dried out or     
baked4  ,not the least important of the 
arts which the worker under glass has to
 acquire is that of potting4 ,from the  
time the cuttings in the sand bench are 
rooted1 until the plants are ready to go
 outdoors in the spring1 they have to be

 potted and repotted4 ,the operation is 
a very simple one when once acquired4   
,to begin with the cutting3 ,take a     
two-inch pot 7a few of the geranium     
cuttings may require a #b-a_/b inch     
pot71 fill it level with the sifted soil
 and with the forefinger make a hole    
large enough to receive the roots of the
 cutting and half its length1 without   
bending the roots up4 ,with the thumbs  
press down the dirt firmly on either    
side of the cutting1 and give the pot a 
clean1 short rap1 either with the hand  
or by striking its bottom against the   
bench 7which should be about waist-high7
 to firm and level the earth in it4     
,with a little practice this operation  
becomes a very easy and quick one4      
,place the pots side by side and give a 
thorough watering4 ,keep in a shaded    
place1 or shade with newspapers1 for    
four or six days1 and as soon as growth 
begins1 move the pots apart1 to allow   
the free circulation of air before the  
plants crowd4 ,the time for repotting in

 a larger size pot is shown by the      
condition of the roots2 they should have
 formed a network about the side of the 
pot1 but not have remained there long   
enough to become tough or hard4 ,they   
should still be white working roots4 ,to
 repot1 remove the ball of earth from   
the old pot1 by inverting1 striking the 
rim of the pot against the edge of the  
bench 7a light tap should be            
sufficient71 taking care to have the    
index and middle finger on either side  
of the plant stem1 to hold it readily4  
,put in the bottom of the new pot       
sufficient earth to bring the top of the
 ball of roots1 when placed upon it1 a  
little below the rim of the pot4 ,hold  
this ball firmly in the center of the   
new pot1 and fill in the space about it 
with fresh earth1 packing it in firmly1 
using either the fingers or a bit of    
wood of convenient size4 ,as a usual    
thing it is best when shifting to use a 
pot only one size larger4 ,for pots     
above four inches in diameter1 provide  

drainage by crocking4 ,this is          
accomplished by putting irregular shaped
 bits of stone1 charcoal1 cinders or    
pieces of broken pots in the bottom1    
being careful not to cover or plug up   
the hole4  ,if the pots are placed      
directly on the bottom of the           
bench--board1 slate1 tile or whatever it
 is--they will dry out so quickly that  
it is next to impossible to keep them   
properly watered4 ,to overcome this     
difficulty1 an inch or two of sand1 or  
two or three inches of earth1 is placed 
on the benches4 ,when placing the pots  
upon this covering1 work them down into 
it1 just a little1 instead of setting   
them loosely on top of it4  ,there are  
several insect pests which are likely to
 prove quite troublesome if given a     
start and the proper conditions in which
 to develop--crowded plants1 too much   
heat1 lack of ventilation1 too little   
moisture4 ,prevention is the best cure4 
,burn tobacco stems or tobacco dust1    
used according to directions1 every week

 7or oftener if required71 and see that 
no bugs appear4 ,one or two of the      
strongest brands of tobacco dust for    
sprinkling are also used successfully   
applied directly to the insects on the  
plants1 but my experience with most of  
these has proved them next to worthless4
 7,see also ,chapter ,,xvii47  ,it is   
not nearly so interesting to read about 
the various greenhouse operations as it 
is to do them4 ,it is work of an        
entrancing nature1 and no one who had   
never taken a little slip of some new or
 rare plant and nursed it through the   
cutting stage and watched its growth    
till the first bud opened1 can have an  
idea of the pleasure to be had4 ,in the 
next chapter ,i shall attempt to explain
 just how to handle some of the most    
satisfactory flowers and vegetables1 but
 the inexperienced owner of a small     
greenhouse who wishes to make rapid     
progress should practice with every     
plant and seed that comes his1 or her1  
way1 until all the ordinary operations  

have become as easy as falling off a    
street car with him4 ,mistakes will be  
made1 and disappointments occur1 of     
course1 but only through these can skill
 and efficiency be obtained4            
,,chapter ,,xxiv  ,,flowers   ,there are
 a number of greenhouse crops which are 
easily within the reach of the amateur  
who has at his disposal a small glass   
structure4 ,one is apt to feel that     
something much more elaborate than the  
simple means at his hands are required  
to produce the handsome flowers or      
beautiful ferns which may be seen in the
 florist's window4 ,it is true that many
 things are beyond his achievement4 ,he 
cannot grow gigantic ,american ,beauties
 on stems several feet long1 nor present
 his friends at ,christmas with the most
 delicate orchids2 but he can very      
easily have carnations more beautiful1  
because they will be fresher if not     
quite so large1 than any which can be   
had at the glass-fronted shops2 and     
cyclamen as beautiful1 and much more    

serviceable1 than any orchid that ever  
hung from a precarious basket4 ,to      
accomplish such results requires not so 
much elaborate equipment as unremitting 
care--and not eternal fussing but       
regular thought and attention4  ,there  
is1 for instance1 no more well beloved  
flower than the carnation1 which        
entirely deserves the place it has won  
in flower-lovers' hearts beside1 if not 
actually ahead of1 the rose4 ,as a plant
 it will stand all kinds of abuse1 and  
yet1 under the care which any amateur   
can give it1 will produce an abundance  
of most beautiful bloom4 ,within a      
comparatively few years the carnation1  
as indeed a number of other flowers1 has
 been developed to nearly twice its     
former size1 and the number of beautiful
 shades obtainable has also increased   
many times4  ,to be grown at its best   
the carnation should have a rather cool 
temperature and plenty of ventilation1  
and these two requirements help to place
 it within reach of the small greenhouse

 operator4 ,if only a few plants are to 
be grown1 they may be purchased from a  
local florist1 or obtained by mail from 
a seed house4 ,if as few as two or three
 dozen plants are to be kept--and a     
surprising number of blooms may be had  
from a single dozen--they may be kept in
 pots4 ,use five-or six-inch pots and   
rich earth1 with frequent applications  
of liquid manure1 as described later4   
,if1 however1 part of a bench can be    
given to them1 the results will be more 
satisfactory4 ,the bench should be well 
drained and contain four or five inches 
of rich soil1 such as already described4
 ,if it is too late to compose a soil of
 this kind1 use any rich garden loam and
 well rotted manure1 in the proportions 
of five or six to one4 ,for plants to   
begin blooming in the early winter1 they
 should be put in during ,august1 but   
for one's own use a later planting will 
do4 ,for this year1 if you are too late1
 get a few plants and keep them in pots4
 ,next year buy before ,march a hundred 

or so rooted cuttings1 or in ,april     
small plants1 and set them out before   
the middle of ,may4 ,cultivate well     
during the summer1 being sure to keep   
all flower buds pinched off1 and have a 
nice supply of your own plants ready for
 next fall4  ,in putting the plants into
 the bench 7or pots7 select a cloudy    
day1 and then keep them shaded for a few
 days1 with frequent syringing of the   
foliage1 until they become established4 
,keep the night temperature very little 
above fifty degrees1 and not above      
seventy-five in the daytime1 while sixty
 will do in cloudy weather4 ,as to the  
watering1 they should be well soaked    
when put in1 and thereafter only as the 
ground becomes dry1 when it should again
 be wet1 care being taken to wet the    
foliage as little as possible4 ,in the  
mornings1 and on bright days1 syringing 
the foliage will be beneficial1 but     
never in dull weather1 as the leaves    
should never be wet over night4  ,as the
 flower stems begin to shoot up they    

will need support4 ,if you can get one  
of the many forms of wire supports used 
by commercial florists1 so much the     
better2 but if these are not obtainable 
the old method of stakes and strings 7or
 preferably raffia7 will do very well4  
,to obtain large flowers the flower     
stems must be disbudded--that is all but
 the end bud on each stalk should be    
pinched off1 thus throwing all the      
strength into one large flower4 ,if1 on 
the other hand1 the terminal bud is     
taken off1 and several of the side buds 
left1 the result will be a beautiful    
cluster of blooms1 more pleasing1 to my 
mind1 than the single large flowers1    
though not so valuable commercially4    
,there are any number of wonderful new  
varieties1 but the white1 pink and light
 pink ,enchantress1 and one of the      
standard reds will give satisfaction4   
,,violets  ,requiring even less heat    
than the carnation is the old-time and  
all-time favorite1 the violet4 ,with no 
greenhouse at all1 these can be grown   

beautifully1 simply with the aid of a   
coldframe4 ,but where a house is to be  
had1 the season of blooming is1 of      
course1 much longer4 ,the essential     
thing is to get strong1 healthy plants4 
,as with the carnations1 if only a few  
are wanted1 they may be grown in pots1  
using the six-inch size4 ,the soil1     
whether for pots or benches1 should be  
somewhat heavier than that prepared for 
carnations1 using one-fourth to         
one-fifth cow manure added to the loam  
or rotted sod4 ,if a bench is used1     
select one as near the glass as you can4
 ,take in the plants with as little     
disturbance as possible1 and keep them  
shaded for a few days1 as with          
carnations4 ,the plants will require to 
be about eight inches apart4 ,as for    
care1 apply water only when the bed has 
begun to dry1 and then until the bench  
is soaked through4 ,pots will1 of       
course1 require more frequent attention 
in this matter than a bench4 ,keep all  
old leaves picked off and the soil      

stirred about the plants1 with syringing
 and fumigating as suggested on page    
#acd4 ,the temperature will be best as  
low as forty-five degrees at night1 and 
as little above fifteen more in the     
daytime as possible4 ,where no          
artificial heat can be had1 a fine crop 
through the spring months may be had by 
making a smaller frame inside the       
regular coldframe1 and packing this     
space with fine dry manure1 as well as  
banking the outer frame4 ,this          
arrangement1 with two sash and mats in  
the coldest weather1 will keep the      
plants growing most of the winter1 and  
certainly the abundance of fragrant     
blooms at a season when flowers are most
 scarce will amply repay you for the    
trouble4 ,some prefer the single to the 
double blossoms4 ,marie ,louise and     
,lady ,hume ,campbell 7double blue72    
,swanley ,white1 and ,california and    
,princesse de ,galles 7single blue7 are 
the best varieties4 ,plants may be      
purchased of most large florists or from

 seedsmen4   ,,ferns  ,many of the      
decorative ferns may also be grown to   
perfection in the small house1 at a     
moderate temperature1 fifty to sixty    
degrees1 the nearer sixty the better4   
,the ,boston fern 7,nephrolepis exaltata
 ,bostoniensis7 and its improved form1  
,scottii1 are two of the best for house 
use1 and if grown in the greenhouse     
until of good size and form1 they will  
make unusual and very acceptable holiday
 or birthday gifts4 ,a few small plants 
obtained from the florist and kept where
 they do not get a direct glare of      
light1 watered frequently enough so that
 the soil is always moist 7but never    
sopping71 and plenty of fresh air in    
bright weather1 will rapidly make fine  
plants4 ,if you happen to have a few old
 plants on hand1 they may be increased  
readily by division4 ,separate the old  
crowns into a few small plants4 ,don't  
make them very small or they will not   
renew as readily4 ,keep them1 if        
possible1 a little above sixty degrees1 

with plenty of moisture4 ,loam and sand1
 to which is added about the same amount
 of leaf-mould1 will make a proper soil4
  ,asparagus ferns will also respond to 
about the same care1 though thriving in 
an even lower temperature4 ,asparagus   
plumosus nanus1 the ,lace fern1 is      
especially delicate and graceful and    
makes an ideal small table plant to use 
with flowers4   ,,chrysanthemums  ,these
 are propagated by cuttings1 which root 
very easily4 ,i would suggest1 however1 
dipping them first in a wash of one part
 ,aphine to thirty-five parts water1 and
 then rinsing in clear cold water1 in   
order to rid them entirely of any black 
aphis there may be present4 ,give them a
 clean start1 and it will be much easier
 to keep them clean1 as they must be    
kept to make good healthy plants4  ,if  
you have not already a stock on hand1 ,i
 would suggest going to some florist's  
in the chrysanthemum season and making a
 list of the varieties which            
particularly please you4 ,later1 say in 

,february or ,march1 you can get        
cuttings of these1 already rooted if you
 like1 but it's more fun to root them   
yourself4  ,pot off in                  
two-and-one-half-inch pots1 and shift on
 as rapidly as the roots develop4 ,use1 
after the first potting1 a very rich    
soil1 and give plenty of water4         
,chrysanthemums are very gross feeders  
and the secret of success with them lies
 in keeping them growing on from the    
beginning as rapidly as possible1       
without a check4 ,keep at about         
fifty-five degrees and repot as         
frequently as required4  ,if they are to
 be grown in a bed or bench1 have the   
soil ready by the first part of ,june4  
,the distance apart will be determined  
by the method by which they are to be   
grown--six or eight inches if to single 
stems with the great big flowers one    
sees at the florist's2 about eight1 ten 
or twelve if three blooms are to be had 
from each plant4 ,of course that will be
 determined by individual taste2 but    

personally ,i prefer the spray form1    
growing a dozen or more to each plant4  
,they should be syringed frequently and 
given partial shade4 ,a good way is to  
spray onto the roof a mixture of        
lime-water1 about as thick as milk1 or  
white lead and naphtha in solution4  ,as
 soon as they are well established and  
growing1 decision must be made as to how
 they are to be grown4 ,if more than one
 flower to a plant is wanted1 pinch out 
the big top bud and as the side buds    
develop1 take them all off to the number
 of flowers required1 two1 three or more
 as the case may be4 ,if sprays are     
wanted1 pinch out the end buds of these 
side shoots also when they get about    
three inches long1 and all but a few of 
the side buds on the shoots4  ,if at any
 time during growth the plants seem to  
be checked1 or lose their healthy dark  
green color1 it is probable that they   
are not getting enough food and should  
be given top dressings or liquid manure 
accordingly4  ,or if one does not want  

to devote space in the greenhouse to    
them for so long a time 7although they  
occupy it when there is little other use
 for it7 the plants may be grown in     
pots1 the final shift being into six-or 
seven-inch4 ,they are kept in a cool    
house1 or in a shaded place             
out-of-doors1 plunged in coal ashes4    
,one advantage of this method is1 of    
course1 that they can be brought into   
the dwelling house while in bloom4  ,in 
either case1 the plants must be watched 
carefully for black fly1 which can be   
kept off with ,aphine4 ,the plants will 
also need supports of twine or wire1 or 
stakes1 whether in the beds or in pots4 
,the usual method is to cut back the    
plants after blooming1 store in a cold  
place and start later into new growth   
for cuttings4 ,a better way is to set a 
few plants out early in the spring--one 
of each variety will give an abundance  
of plants for home use4 ,cuttings can be
 taken from these that will be just     
right for late flowers4 ,these stock    

plants are cut back in the fall1 taken  
up and stored in a deep box1 keeping as 
cold as possible without freezing4      
,varieties are so numerous1 so          
constantly changing1 of so many types1  
that it would be unsatisfactory to give 
a list4 ,the best way1 as mentioned     
before1 is to get a list of the sort you
 like1 while they are in bloom at the   
florists4   ,,roses  ,it is much more   
difficult to grow good roses than to    
grow either chrysanthemums or           
carnations4 ,they are more particular as
 to soil and as to temperature1 and more
 quickly affected by insects and        
disease4  ,nevertheless there is no     
reason why the amateur who is willing to
 be painstaking should not succeed with 
the hardier varieties4 ,some roses are  
much more easily grown than others4     
,plants may be grown from cuttings of   
the ripened wood1 which should have     
become too hard to comply with the      
snapping test 7see page #cj7 used for   
most other plants4 ,by far the best way 

for the beginner1 however1 is to buy    
from the nurserymen or florist4 ,this is
 especially true of the many sorts which
 do better when grafted on a strong     
growing stock4  ,there are two ways of  
buying the plants3 either in the dormant
 state1 or growing1 out of pots4 ,in the
 first way you get the dry roots and    
canes 7#b-year olds7 from the nursery as
 early as possible in the spring and set
 them in nine-inch pots to plunge       
outdoors1 or boxes1 allowing #f x #f to 
#ab inches for room if you want them for
 use in the house in the winter4 ,cut   
back one-half at time of planting1 and  
after watering to bring the soil to the 
right degree of moisture1 go very light 
with it until the plants begin active   
growth1 when it is gradually increased4 
,as with chrysanthemums1 as the plants  
get large1 fertilizers and liquid manure
 must be given to maintain the supply of
 plant food4 ,let the plants stay out   
when cold weather comes1 until the      
leaves have dropped and then store until

 ,december or ,january in a cold dry    
place where they will not be frozen too 
hard or exposed to repeated thawings--a 
trial that few plants can survive4      
,bring into warmth as required4  ,the   
above treatment is for plants for the   
house4 ,for the greenhouse bench get    
plants that are growing4 ,they should be
 clean and healthy1 in four-or five-inch
 pots4 ,they are set #ab x #ab to #ab x 
#af inches apart1 depending upon whether
 the variety is a very robust grower4   
,the best time for setting is ,april to 
,july first1 according to season in     
which it is desired to get most bloom4  
,as a rule early planting is the more   
satisfactory4  ,one of the most         
important points in success with roses  
is to provide thorough drainage4 ,even  
when raised beds are used1 as will      
generally be the case in small houses1  
wide cracks should be left every six    
inches or so4 ,if the house is low1 room
 may be saved by making a solid bed     
directly upon the ground1 putting in    

seven or eight inches of prepared soil  
on top of two or three inches of        
clinkers1 small stone or gravel4  ,the  
preparation of the soil is also a matter
 of great importance4 ,it should be     
rather heavy1 that is1 with considerably
 more clay than average plant soil4     
,five parts rotted loam sod1 to one to  
two parts rotted cow manure1 is a good  
mixture4 ,it should be thoroughly       
composted and rotted up4 ,when filling  
the bench press well down and if        
possible give time to settle before     
putting in the plants4  ,the plants     
should be set in firmly4 ,keep shaded   
and syringe daily in the morning until  
well established4 ,great care must be   
taken to guard against any sudden       
changes1 so that it is best to give     
ventilation gradually and keep a close  
watch of temperature1 which should be   
kept from fifty-five to fifty-eight at  
night in cold weather4  ,care should be 
taken to water early in the morning1    
that the leaves may dry off by night4   

,at the same time it is well to keep the
 atmosphere as moist as possible to     
prevent trouble from the red spider 7see
 page #acd7 which is perhaps the        
greatest enemy of the rose under glass4 
,as large growth is reached1 liquid     
manure or extra food in the form of dry 
fertilizer must be given1 a good mixture
 for the latter being #a lb4 of nitrate 
of soda1 one of sulphate of potash and  
ten of fine bone4 ,wood ashes sprinkled 
quite thick upon the soil and worked in 
are also good4  ,as the plants grow     
tall1 they will have to be given support
 by tying either to stakes or wires4 ,it
 is well to pick off the first buds     
also1 so that mature growth may be made 
before they begin to flower heavily4    
,the plants should at all times be kept 
scrupulously clean4  ,the roses suited  
for growing in pots or boxes1 to be     
dried off and brought into heat in      
,january or ,february1 are the hybrid   
perpetuals1 and the newer ramblers1     
,crimson1 ,baby ,white and ,baby ,pink4 

,for growing in benches1 as described1  
the teas are used4 ,among the best of   
the standard sorts of these are ,bride1 
,perle1 ,kaiserin ,augusta ,victoria1   
,bridesmaid1 ,pres4 ,carnot1 ,meteor1   
,killarney4 ,new sorts are constantly   
being tried1 and some of these are      
improvements over old sorts4 ,the       
catalogues give full description4  ,for 
growing at a low temperature1 fifty-five
 degrees or so1 the following are good3 
,wootton1 ,papa ,gontier1 red2 ,perle1  
yellow2 ,bridesmaid1 large pink2 ,mad4  
,cousin1 small pink2 ,bride1 white4 ,the
 above will make a good collection for  
the beginner to try his or her hand     
with4     ,,chapter ,,xxv  ,,vegetables 
,while tomatoes and cucumbers require a 
high temperature1 lettuce may be grown  
easily all the year round4 ,a good      
method is to grow three crops of lettuce
 during the fall and winter1 and follow 
with tomatoes and cucumbers in the      
spring1 when the high temperature       
required can be more easily maintained4 

,lettuce is a low-temperature plant1 and
 there is no reason why the small       
greenhouse owner should not be able with
 ease to supply his table constantly    
with this delicious salad4 ,as with the 
carnations1 and violets1 if there is no 
part of a bench that can be devoted to  
the lettuce1 a few plants can be grown  
in pots4 ,if this method is used1 the   
seedlings should be pricked off into    
small pots4 ,when these begin to crowd  
they will have to be given six to eight 
inches of room1 and the pots plunged in 
soil to their full depth4 ,but it will  
be more satisfactory to devote a part of
 a bench1 a solid one if possible and in
 the coldest part of the house1 to the  
lettuce plants4 ,well rotted manure1    
either horse or mixed1 and a sandy loam1
 will make the right soil4 ,the first   
sowing of seed should be made about     
,august first1 in a shaded bed          
out-of-doors2 the seedlings             
transplanted1 as with spring lettuce1 to
 flats or another bed4 ,by the last week

 in ,september these will be ready to go
 into the beds prepared for them1       
setting them about six inches apart for 
the loose and eight for the heading     
varieties4 ,the bed should be well      
drained1 so that the soil will never    
stay soggy after watering4 ,the soil    
should be kept fairly dry1 as too much  
moisture is apt to cause rot1 especially
 with the heading sorts4 ,syringe       
occasionally on the brightest days1 in  
the morning4 ,keep the surface of the   
bed stirred until the leaves cover it4  
,keep the temperature below fifty at    
night1 especially just after planting1  
and while maturing4 ,and watch sharply  
for the green aphis1 which is the most  
dangerous insect pest4 ,if tobacco      
fumigation is used as a preventive1 as  
suggested1 they will not put in an      
appearance4 ,the first heads will be    
ready by ,thanksgiving1 and a succession
 of plants should be had by making small
 sowings of seed every two or three     
weeks4 ,if the same bed is used for the 

new crops1 liquid manure1 with a little 
dissolved soda nitrate1 will be helpful4
  ,if a night temperature of sixty      
degrees can be assured in part of the   
house1 tomatoes and cucumbers may also  
be had all winter4 ,if the house is only
 a general purpose one1 held at a lower 
temperature than that1 they may still be
 had months before the crop outside by  
starting them so as to follow the last  
crop of lettuce1 which should be out of 
the way by the first of ,april4 ,the    
seeds of either need a high temperature 
to germinate well1 and may be started on
 the return heating pipes1 care being   
taken to remove them before they are    
injured by too much shade or by drying  
out4 ,in sowing the cucumber seed1 pots 
or small boxes1 filled about half-full  
of a light sandy compost1 may be used1  
these to be filled in1 leaving only two 
plants in each1 as the plants get large 
enough1 with a rich compost4 ,if there  
is a solid bed available1 a trench      
filled with horse manure1 well packed   

in1 will act as a hotbed and help out   
the temperature required for rapid      
growth4 ,if fruits are wanted for the   
winter1 the tomatoes should be started  
in ,july and the cucumbers early in     
,august4 ,they should be given a very   
rich and sandy soil1 and the day        
temperature may run up to eighty        
degrees4 ,until the latter part of      
spring1 when the ventilators are opened 
and bees have ready access1 it is       
necessary to use artificial             
fertilization in order to get the fruit 
to set4 ,with a small soft brush1 dust  
the pollen over the pistils4 ,with the  
,english forcing cucumbers1 this will   
not be necessary4 ,while fruit is       
setting1 the houses should be kept      
especially dry and warm4  ,the vines of 
both tomatoes and cucumbers will have to
 be tied up to stakes or wires with     
raffia4 ,they should be pinched off at  
about six feet1 and1 for the best fruit1
 all suckers kept off the tomatoes4     
,the best varieties of tomatoes for     

forcing are ,lorillard1 ,stirling       
,castle and ,comet2 of the cucumbers1   
,arlington ,white ,spine1 ,davis        
,perfected and the ,english forcing     
varieties4  ,if you do not like to stop 
having lettuce in time to give up space 
to cucumbers or tomatoes1 start some    
plants about ,january first1 and have a 
hotbed ready to receive them from the   
flats before ,march first4 ,with a      
little care as to ventilation and       
watering1 they will come along just     
after the last of the greenhouse crops4 
,a point not to be overlooked in        
connection with all the above           
suggestions is that any surplus of these
 fresh out-of-season things may be      
disposed of among your vegetable-hungry 
friends at the same step-ladder prices  
they are paying the butcher or          
green-grocer for wilted1 shipped-about  
products4  ,and don't get discouraged if
 some of your experiments do not succeed
 the first time4 ,keep on planning1     
studying and practicing until you are   

getting the maximum returns and pleasure
 from your glass house4  ,illustration3 
,tomato plants1 started in pots1 ready  
for transplanting into the bench        
,illustration3 ,the tomato plants in    
full bearing4 ,the vines are severely   
pruned and tied up to sticks or twine   
,illustration3 ,lettuce and cucumbers in
 the greenhouse4 ,the cucumber vines are
 induced to climb the heavy strings so  
as to economize bench space             
,,chapter ,,xxvi  ,,vegetable ,,and     
,,bedding ,,plants ,,for ,,spring       
,while it is true that there are many   
ways in which one may save money with a 
small greenhouse all through the year1  
the best chance for making money is by  
growing vegetable and bedding plants in 
the spring4 ,bedding stock is what the  
florists term geraniums1 coleus1        
begonias and other plants used for      
setting out flower beds in the spring4  
,in every community a large number of   
such plants are used and the case will  
be rare indeed in which one will meet   

with any difficulty in disposing of     
quite a number of such plants among     
immediate neighbors and friends4  ,the  
number of plants which can be grown in  
the spring with even a very small house 
and a few sash is quite surprising4 ,the
 secret of the mystery lies1 of course1 
in the fact that in their early stages1 
seedlings and cuttings1 the plants      
occupy very little room2 while as soon  
or soon after they are transplanted or  
shifted to large pots they are shoved   
outdoors into coldframes4 ,as the tender
 vegetables1 such as tomatoes1 peppers1 
egg-plant1 etc41 are not started until  
after the hardier ones1 cabbage1        
lettuce1 cauliflower1 etc41 the frames  
can be filled up again usually as fast  
as emptied4 ,in the same way heliotrope1
 salvia1 coleus and other tender plants 
follow pansies1 daisies1 carnations1    
etc4  ,it will thus be seen that to grow
 these plants to the best advantage1 a  
coldframe1 or better still1 both a      
coldframe and hotbed1 will be used in   

conjunction with the small home         
greenhouse4  ,directions have already   
been given 7see ,chapter ,,iv7 in these 
pages for sowing1 starting and          
transplanting seed4   ,,vegetables  ,the
 dates for sowing are about as follows  
in the vicinity of ,new ,york4 ,allow   
about a week's difference for every     
hundred miles of latitude--earlier in   
the south1 later in the north4          
,february #ast--,cabbage1 cauliflower4  
,february #aeth--,cabbage1 cauliflower1 
,brussels sprouts1 beets1 lettuce1      
onions for plants4  ,march              
#ast--,lettuce1 celery 7early71 tomato  
7early71 beets4  ,march #aeth--,lettuce1
 tomato 7main71 egg-plant1 pepper4 ,for 
one's own use or special orders1        
cucumbers1 squash1 lima beans1 potatoes 
sprouted in flats of sand1 may also be  
started1 but there is no market demand  
for them4  ,april #ast--,celery 7late71 
cauliflower2 7in sods or paper pots71   
muskmelon1 watermelon1 corn1 for special
 use4  ,after being started and pricked 

off into flats1 cabbage1 cauliflower1   
,brussels sprouts1 beets1 lettuce1 and  
celery are kept inside just long enough 
to get well established1 and then put   
outside in a tight frame4 ,harden off as
 well as possible before putting out1 as
 a freeze the first night might injure  
them4 ,after that slight frost on the   
leaves will not injure them1 but if they
 freeze stiff1 apply cold water in the  
morning--ice-cold is just as good--and  
shade until they are thawed out4 ,if    
very cold it will be necessary to       
protect the frames with shutters4 ,beets
 and lettuce will not stand quite so low
 a temperature as the cabbage group4 ,by
 the time the plants are pretty well    
grown1 cloth-covered frames may be      
substituted for the glass ones1 and     
these may be used elsewhere to cover the
 tenderer plants such as tomato and     
egg-plant4 ,after the first of ,april   
they will not need any protection4 ,last
 spring ,i had several thousand cabbages
 covered twice with several inches of   

snow1 and hardly a one was lost4        
,tomatoes1 peppers and egg-plants       
require different treatment4 ,they are  
heat-loving plants1 and not only succumb
 to even a slight freeze1 but will be so
 checked by a low temperature1 even if  
not touched by frost1 that they will    
amount to little4 ,they should be kept  
growing as rapidly as possible4 ,they   
will also require a second              
transplanting4 ,those wanted for the    
retail trade are put a dozen in a box1  
three or four inches deep and #g x #i   
inches4 ,care must be taken not to let  
these plants run up tall4 ,always give  
all the air possible while keeping up   
the temperature1 which should be from   
fifty to fifty-five at night4 ,get them 
outdoors as soon as the weather becomes 
settled1 where they could be protected  
in case of a sudden late frost4         
,,bedding ,,plants  ,most of the plants 
used for flower gardens and lawn beds   
come under the three following classes3 
7#a7 ,those grown from seed2 7#b7 those 

grown from cuttings2 7#c7 those of a    
bulbous nature4  ,almost all of the     
first group are sown in the spring in   
flats in the greenhouse4 ,two important 
exceptions1 however1 are pansies and    
,english daisies 7,bellis perennis74    
,they are sown early in the fall1 as    
already described1 and the plants       
wintered over in a frame or protected   
outdoors4 ,for the retail trade they are
 put up in small boxes or pansy baskets 
made for the purpose4 ,while small      
plants1 just beginning to bloom1 are the
 best1 it seems very hard to convince a 
customer of it and they will often      
choose a basket with four or five old   
plants loaded with bloom in preference  
to a dozen small ones4  ,asters1        
alyssum1 balsams1 candytuft1 celosia1   
coleus1 dianthus 7pink71 lobelia1       
mignonette1 petunias1 phlox1 portulaca1 
ricinus1 salvia1 verbenas1 vinca1 roses1
 zinnias1 may all be started from seed4 
,the greatest secret of success is to   
keep the plants from crowding1 and keep 

pinched back to make bushy plants4      
,salvias and coleus are the tenderest of
 these plants4 ,the others can go out to
 the frames1 if room is scarce1 as soon 
as the weather becomes settled4         
,,plants ,,from ,,cuttings  ,the method 
of choosing and rooting cuttings has    
been outlined in a previous chapter 7see
 page #bi74 ,in greenhouse work the main
 difference is that they are taken in   
much larger quantities4 ,for this reason
 it is usually convenient to have a     
cutting bench instead of the flats or   
saucers used in rooting house plants4   
,the bench should be three or four      
inches deep1 filled with medium coarse1 
gritty sand1 or a substratum of drainage
 material4 ,if possible1 have it so     
arranged that bottom heat may be        
given--this being most conveniently     
furnished with pipes under the bench    
boxed in4 7,the temperature required for
 most cuttings will be fifty to         
fifty-five in the house with five to ten
 degrees more under the bench47 ,the    

cutting bench should also be so situated
 that it readily may be shaded1 as one  
of the most important factors of success
 is to prevent the cuttings from wilting
 at any time--especially just after     
placing in the sand4 ,after rooting1 the
 cuttings are put into small pots or    
flats as already explained4  ,spring    
stock of some plants1 such as geraniums1
 are rooted in the fall--,september to  
,november4 ,others1 which make a quick  
growth1 such as petunias1 not until     
early in the spring1--last of ,january  
to ,april1 but for the most part in     
,february4 ,in the former case1 cuttings
 are taken just before frost from       
outside plants1 or later from stock     
plants lifted and taken indoors2 in the 
latter case1 stock plants are taken in  
and carried through the winter in a more
 or less dormant or resting condition2  
being kept rather dry and started into  
active growth in ,january4 ,the new     
growth furnishes material for cuttings1 
which are grown on as rapidly as        

possible4  ,the following plants are    
treated in one of the above ways2       
further details in any case may be found
 in the first part of the book3         
,alternantheres             ,heliotrope 
,begonias1 fibrous rooted   ,ice ,plant 
,coleus                     ,paris      
,daisy ,cuphia                          
,petunias ,geraniums                    
,salvias ,ivy ,geraniums                
,vincas ,german ,ivy   ,,bulbous        
,,bedding ,,plants  ,the bulbous plants 
are started directly in pots1 or in     
flats and transferred to pots1 as       
described in individual cases in the    
preceding pages4  ,cannas1 tall ,cannas1
 dwarf flowering ,dahlias ,caladiums    
,tuberous rooted ,begonias  are the     
sorts for which there is most demand4   
,,conclusion  ,condensed as the latter  
part of this book has had to be1 ,i     
trust it may give the reader a glimpse  
of the pleasure1 and even of the        
possibility for profit1 that is offered 
by the small home glass house4  ,do not 

feel that because you cannot have a     
large greenhouse1 with all the modern   
equipment1 that it is not worth while to
 have any4 ,many of the large           
establishments in the country have grown
 from just such small beginnings as have
 been described or suggested here4      
,possibly you would never be interested 
in the commercial side of your          
under-glass gardening1 even though      
success crowned your efforts4 ,there is 
not1 however1 any question about the fun
 and healthy pleasure to be had1 and ,i 
can wish you no more gardening joy than 
that the coming year will find you with 
at least a modest amount of home glass4 
,,the ,,end     ,,index      ,a         
,abutilon1 #gb4    ,acalypha1 #gc4      
,accessories1 #adj4    ,achyranthes1    
#ha4    ,african ,blue ,lily1 #abc4     
,ageratum1 #ff4    ,alternanthera1 #hb4 
,alyssum1 #ff4    ,amaryllis1 #abb4     
,anemone1 #abf4    ,anthericum1 #hb4    
,aphis1 #acc4    ,araucaria1 #hb4       
,aralia1 #gc4    ,ardisia1 #gc4         

,aspidistra1 #hc4    ,aucuba1 #gc4      
,azalea1 #gd4     ,b    ,bay-window1 #c1
 #i4    ,balsam1 #ff4    ,bedding       
plants--grown for spring1 #bjj4         
,begonia ,rex1 #ec4    ,begonias1       
flowering1 #ea4    ,blood ,flower1 #abd4
    ,bone meal1 #ada4    ,bouvardia1    
#gd4    ,browallia1 #ge4    ,bulbs1     
,dutch or ,cape1 #aag4    ,bulbs1 for   
winter bloom1 #aaf4     ,c    ,cacti1   
#aaj4    ,caladium1 #hc1 #abe4          
,calla1 #aba4    ,candytuft1 #ff4       
,carnations1 #ff1 #ahj4    ,cannas1 #ff4
    ,chinese ,sacred ,lily1 #abg4       
,chrysanthemum1 #fg1 #ahe4    ,cissus1  
#ij4    ,clematis1 #ij4    ,coboea      
,scandens1 #ia4    ,coldframe1 #adi4    
,coleus1 #hd4    ,crocking pots1 #agh4  
,cuttings1 preparation of1 #bi4         
,cuttings1 propagation of1 #cj4         
,cucumbers1 #aid4     ,d    ,daphne1    
#ge4    ,disbudding1 #ahb4    ,diseases1
 #acg4    ,dracaena1 #hd4     ,e        
,easter lily1 #abj4    ,english ivy1    
#ib4     ,f    ,farfugium1 #hd4         

,ferns1 #ig1 #ahd4    ,fertilizers1 #ai1
 #ade4    ,flowering maple1 #gb4        
,foliage plants1 #ha4     ,achyranthes1 
#ha4     ,alternanthera1 #hb4           
,anthericum1 #hb4     ,araucaria1 #hb4  
,aspidistra1 #hc4     ,caladium1 #hc4   
,cissus1 #ij4     ,clematis1 #ij4       
,cobaea scandens1 #ia4     ,coleus1 #hd4
     ,dracaena1 #hd4     ,english ivy1  
#ib4     ,farfugium1 #hd4     ,german   
ivy1 #ib4     ,hoya ,carnosa1 #ia4      
,ivy1 #ib4     ,leopard plant1 #hd4     
,little ,pickles1 #id1 #aae4            
,manettia1 #ic4     ,moneywort1 #ic4    
,morning-glory1 #ic4     ,musk plant1   
#ic4     ,nasturtium1 #id4     ,othonna1
 #id4     ,pandanus1 #he4     ,pepper1  
#he4     ,rubber plant1 #hf4            
,saxifraga1 #hg4     ,sensitive plant1  
#hh4     ,smilax1 #id4     ,sweet peas1 
#ie4     ,thunbergia1 #ie4              
,tradescantia1 #hh4     ,vines1 #ij4    
,zebra plant1 #hh4    ,frozen plants1   
treatment of1 #aii4     ,g    ,genista1 
#ge4    ,geranium1 #ef4    ,german ivy1 

#ib4    ,gladiolus1 #abd4               
,greenhouse1 construction of1 #aef4     
,greenhouse1 management of1 #agb4       
,grevillea1 #ge4     ,h    ,hanging     
baskets1 #acj1 #adc4    ,heating        
apparatus1 #c4    ,heating of           
greenhouses1 #afg4    ,heliotrope1 #fa4 
,hibiscus1 #ge4    ,hotbed1 #adi4       
,house plants1 #dd4    ,hoya ,carnosa1  
#ia4    ,hydrangea1 #gf4    ,hyacinths1 
#aah4     ,i    ,insects1 #acb4         
,insect diseases1 remedies for1 #ach4   
,iris1 #abf4    ,ivy1 #ib4     ,k       
,kerosene emulsion1 #aci4     ,l        
,lantana1 #gg4    ,leaf-mould1 #ada4    
,lemon1 #gg4    ,lemon verbena1 #gg4    
,leopard plant1 #hd4    ,lettuce1 #aic4 
,lily-of-the-valley1 #abe4    ,light1   
proper amount of1 #f4    ,little        
,pickles1 #id1 #aae4    ,lobelia1 #fh4  
,m    ,mahernia 7honey-bell71 #fh4      
,manettia1 #ic4    ,manures1 #ag1 #ade4 
,manure1 liquid1 #dh1 #ade4             
,marguerite carnation1 #ff4    ,mealy   
bug1 #ace4    ,mignonette1 #fh4         

,moisture1 amount of1 for plants        
indoors1 #ab4    ,moneywort1 #ic4       
,morning-glory1 #ic4    ,musk plant1    
#ic4     ,n    ,narcissi1 #aah4         
,nasturtium1 #id4    ,nitrate of soda1  
#bj4    ,nitrogen1 forms of1 #ah4     ,o
    ,oleander1 #gg4    ,orange1 #gh4    
,othonna1 #id4    ,oxalis1 #abj4     ,p 
,palms1 #ajc4    ,pandanus1 #he4        
,pansy1 #fh1 #bjj4    ,patience plant   
7impatiens71 #fg4    ,peat1 #ada4       
,pepper1 #he4    ,petunia1 #fb4         
,phosphoric acid1 forms of1 #ah4        
,pots1 #adc4    ,potting1 #ch1 #agf4    
,potash1 forms of1 #ah4    ,plunging    
pots in summer1 #di4    ,primroses      
7,primula71 #fc4    ,propagation1 from  
cuttings1 #cj4    ,propagation1 from    
seed1 #bb-bg4    ,propagation1 saucer   
system1 #cb4     ,r    ,ranunculus1     
#abf4    ,red spider1 #acd4             
,reinwardtia1 #gh4    ,repotting1 #dj4  
,resting periods of plants1 #dg4        
,rex1 ,begonia1 #ec4    ,root aphis1    
#acf4    ,roses1 #gh1 #ahh4    ,rubber  

plant1 #hf4     ,s    ,salvia1 #fh4     
,sash1 lean-to1 #afd4    ,saxifraga1    
#hg4    ,scale1 #acf4    ,sensitive     
plant1 #hh4    ,shelf1 for plants1 #h4  
,shrubs4     ,abutilon1 #gb4            
,acalypha1 #gc4     ,aralia1 #gc4       
,ardisia1 #gc4     ,aucuba1 #gc4        
,azalea1 #gd4     ,bouvardia1 #gd4      
,browallia1 #ge4     ,daphne1 #ge4      
,flowering maple1 #gb4     ,genista1    
#ge4     ,grevilla1 #ge4     ,hibiscus1 
#ge4     ,hydrangea1 #gf4     ,lantana1 
#gg4     ,lemon1 #gg4     ,lemon        
verbena1 #gg4     ,oleander1 #gg4       
,orange1 #gh4     ,reinwardtia1 #gh4    
,roses1 #gh-ahh4     ,swainsona1 #gi4   
,sweet olive1 #gi4    ,slips1           
preparation of1 #bi4    ,smilax1 #id4   
,snapdragon1 #fd4    ,soil1 ingredients1
 #ada4    ,soil1 for greenhouses1 #agc4 
,soil1 for pots and boxes1 #ad4         
,sphagnum moss1 #ada4    ,spirea1 #abf4 
,steria1 #fh4    ,stocks1 #fi4          
,sub-watering1 #bd1 #adb4    ,swainsona1
 #gi4    ,sweet olive1 #gi4    ,sweet   

peas1 #ie4     ,t    ,temperature1 for  
plants1 indoors1 ,,ii1 #de4             
,temperature1 for greenhouses1 #agd4    
,thrips1 #acf4    ,thunbergia1 #ie4     
,tomatoes1 #aid4    ,tradescantia1 #hh4 
,transplanting1 #ce4    ,tuberous       
begonia1 #abd4    ,tulips1 #aah4     ,v 
,vallota1 #abc4    ,vases1 #abi4        
,vegetable plants1 started under glass1 
#aig4    ,veranda boxes1 #abh4          
,verbena1 #fi4    ,verbena1 ,lemon1 #gg4
    ,vines1 #ij4    ,violets1 #ahc4     
,w    ,watering1 #de4    ,watering1 for 
greenhouse1 #age4    ,window-boxes1     
#abh4    ,window-box1 construction of1  
#i-aj4    ,worms1 #acg4     ,z    ,zebra
 plant1 #hh4