How To Produce Beautiful Flowers

Many persons who admire beautiful flowers appear to think that when the seed is put into the hoü, or whon a plant is placed in a pot of mellow dirt, their task is ended. No delusion is more vain than this. If one dosires to cultívate luxuriant flowors ho must first learn to love them, as they cannot be expected to flourish by neglect. Flowers require much more water than most persons suppo6e. When they are oxposed to a dry andldusty apartment the dust that will sottlo on tho leaves daily ahould be washed off at least twice every weok. When tho sterns and leaves of plants cannot be sprinkled in the apartment where they aro kept, each flowerpot can be placed in a large sink or on a broad, extended oil-cloth on tho kitohen floor, which will collect all the drippings. The leaves should have agenerous drenching of topid water. Never allow your flowers to bo watered or sprinklod with cold watei-, especially in cold weather. Tepid water is ahvaj-s bottor, even in summer. In many instances, flower-pots are only two-thirds filled, wnoreas they should always be filled. to the brim with the best and richest soil that can be obtained. This is mort; important when pots are small than with largo ones. Even small plants require nll the space that a pot holding several quarts will afford. Growing flowers like to send out their roots far and wide. It is an excellent practice to save the soapsuds of washing days, and warm a supply every day tor watering the flowers. But after th soapsuds havo been appiied every leaf should be washed with clean water to remove tho alkali of the suds. A spoonful of aqua ammonia, mingled with a quart of water, will greatly improve the water for house plants. Growing plants require heat. Cold air is exceedingly detrimental even to hardy plants. If one would have his plants thiïve satisfactorily at all times, ho must avoid all transitiou from a high to a low temperature. The injury done to tender plants during one cold night, whon placed near a window cannot be repairod durinar ten