THE LADY'S BOOK OF FLOWERS AND POETRY; TO WHICH ARE ADDED, A BOTANICAL INTRODUCTION, A COMPLETE FLORAL DICTIONARY; A,N D, A CHAPTER ON PLANTS IN ROOMS. EDITED BY LUCY HOOPER. No longer the property of NEW YORK: J. C. RIKER, 15 ANN STREET. てっ Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1841, BY J. C. RIKER, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York PERHAPS a few hints on the management of plants in rooms, may not be unacceptable to our readers. We, therefore, extract from Paxton's Magazine of Botany, the following observations : "Hints on the general management of plants are attended with considerable difficulty; every genus requiring some little variation, both in soil, water, and general treatment. If the room where the plants are intended to be placed, is dark and close, but few will ever thrive in it; if, cn the contrary, it is light and airy, with the windows in suitable aspect to receive the sun, plants will do nearly as well as in a greenhouse. If observed to suffer, the effects may be traced to these causes, either want of proper light and air-injudicious watering-filthiness collected on the leavesbeing potted in unsuitable soil. or "1. Want of proper light and air, is perhaps the most essential point of any to be considered; for, however well all other requisites are attended to, a deficiency of these will always cause the plant to grow weak and sickly. Let them always be placed as near the light as they can conveniently stand and receive as much air No longer the property of 284106 as can be admitted when the weather will allow. Those persons who have no other place than the house to keep them in, will find that they derive immense advantage from being, during fine weather in spring or autumn, turned out of doors in the evening, and taken in again in the morning, the night-dews contributing greatly to their health and vigor. "2. Injudicious watering does more injury to plants in rooms than we imagine. To prevent the soil ever having an appearance of dryness is an object of impor tance in the estimation of very many; they, therefore water to such an excess that the mould becomes sodden, and the roots perish. Ohers, to avoid this evil, give scarcely water enough to sustain life. This, however, is by no means so common a practice; for, in general, if anything appears to be the matter with the plant large doses of water are: immediately resorted to, for an infallible restorative. This overplus of water will show its bad effects by the very dark color, and flabby disposition of the leaves; but if the plant receives too little water, its leaves will turn yellow and eventually die. "The best plan is, to always allow the soil in the pot to have the appearance of dryness (but never sufficient to make the plant flag), before a supply of water is given, which should then be pretty copious; but always empty it out of the pan or feeder, in which the pot stands, as soon as the soil is properly drained. The water used for the purpose ought always to be |