The Midland Journal

Window Plant Culture.

Plants that have been in the ground all summer, and are taken up, say in October or just before sharp frosts come, are much set back by the removal, and are a good while recuperating and preparing to flower again. Then again, if the plants have done well in the open ground. they will be too large for the window and require severe cutting back. They are thus not ready for flowering until half the winter is over.

Now when a person keeps window plants at all, he likes to see flowers on them, or at least a portion of them. With geraniums, fuchsias, heliotropes, and similar plants, there are two ways of accomplishing this.

First keep a few plants in the pots all the summer, holding back their growth somewhat. Secondly, root new plants now from cuttings, and grow them along in pots until it is time to place them in the window. In the fall these plants will be just about ready for a shift into four-inch pots, which are perhaps the best size for window plants.

Kinds of Plants.--There are several kinds of plants raised from seed mostly annuals which are pretty for the window. We will enumerate a few of this class, which if sown in July or even August, will come nicely into flower by early winter. Sweet Alyssum is a famous plant, and its white flowers are always acceptable. Candytuft is also white, easy of growth, and charming when in flower. Lobelia, blue, drooping from the pot. Mignonette is loved by everybody, and a pot or two is always acceptable. Stock gilly, the "ten week" flower readily in the window; the scarlet and white is the best. The double varieties are the only ones however, really worth growing, they will blossom early. and the singles can then be thrown away.

How To Raise Them --The better way is to sow this class of plants in the open ground. and then when large enough to handle nicely, transplant into small pots. three or four in a pot. Afterwards shift them singly into 4 or 5 inch pots. The only exception to this rule is, perhaps, the mignonette, which does not transplant quite so well. It should be sown in the pot itself, 'thinning out the plants when large enough. to not over five plants per pot. It continues flowering much longer, if only a few are left in the pot. Plants, of the kinds mentioned, are much benefited by repotting when they are placed in the window. in the autumn.