Frozen plants may be restored in this way : As soon as discovered,
pour cold water over the plant, wetting every leaf thoroughly. In a
few moments it will be crystallized with a thick coating of ice. In this
state place it in the dark, carefully covered with a newspaper. The ice
will slowly melt, leaving the plant in its original state of health, but it
must be left in a moderately cool place for several days.
Plants at rest are usually stored away under the benches, in the
greenhouse, or by amateurs under a flower stand or in the cellar. It is
unnecessary to remove them from their pots. A period of six or eight
weeks' rest is generally allowed to fuchsias, crape myrtles, lemon ver-
benas and such shrubby plants.
To destroy the vitality of weed seeds in soil by baking will in a great
measure destroy the fertility of the soil. A better way is to spread the
soil out thinly in a warm place and keep it moist. In a few days most
PRACTICAL HINTS. 123
of the seeds will germinate, after which the soil should be stirred and
allowed to become dry.
If the old flower beds need renovating, or their soil, remove the top
and replace it with new earth mixed with a proportion of leaf mold and
manure, equal parts of each. Chippings off hedges, refuse wood, straw,
etc., built over a hole and packed around with old turf, and then burned,
make a capital dressing to dig into the old soil. Bedding plants do not
require a rich soil as much as a new soil.
Fuchsias, to stipe well, must be cut off with a heel, and not straight
across. Short cuttings are' more likely to live than longer ones, and
they should be cut off just under a bud. Lemon verbenas are best
propagated by layers, making a slit in the layer on the upper side, not
on the under, which renders it more likely to snap asunder.
Pots are just as good for shading young plants as some arrangement
which admits more light and air, and at the same time turns off the
sun's direct rays.
Repot plants into the next size in which they have been growing, but
most plants bloom more quickly by having their roots cramped in small
pots. If you have any sickly plants, wash all the dirt off the roots, and
give new soil and clean pots.
A very good way to send plants by mail is, after having selected the
plants, choosing the smaller but well rooted ones, wash the soil from the
roots of each plant. A layer of dry moss or cotton is then spread on
two or three thicknesses of thick brown paper ; the plants are then laid
on the moss ; a similar layer of moss is laid on the roots, and then the
paper, moss and plants are tightly rolled up. Either additional paper
sufficient to keep in the moisture, or oiled silk, should be used for the
outer covering. The moss should be half an inch thick. When received
the plants should be sprinkled with tepid water to refresh them, then,
after standing about an hour, pot them off. Be sure to remove the
moss from the roots.
Page 109
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Frozen plants may be restored in this way : As soon as discovered, pour cold water over the plant, wetting every leaf thoroughly. In a few moments it will be crystallized with a thick coating of ice. In this state place it in the dark, carefully covered with a newspaper. The ice will slowly melt, leaving the plant in its original state of health, but it must be left in a moderately cool place for several days.
Plants at rest are usually stored away under the benches, in the greenhouse, or by amateurs under a flower stand or in the cellar. It is unnecessary to remove them from their pots. A period of six or eight weeks' rest is generally allowed to fuchsias, crape myrtles, lemon verbenas and such shrubby plants.
To destroy the vitality of weed seeds in soil by baking will in a great measure destroy the fertility of the soil. A better way is to spread the soil out thinly in a warm place and keep it moist. In a few days most
PRACTICAL HINTS. 123
of the seeds will germinate, after which the soil should be stirred and allowed to become dry.
If the old flower beds need renovating, or their soil, remove the top and replace it with new earth mixed with a proportion of leaf mold and manure, equal parts of each. Chippings off hedges, refuse wood, straw, etc., built over a hole and packed around with old turf, and then burned, make a capital dressing to dig into the old soil. Bedding plants do not require a rich soil as much as a new soil.
Fuchsias, to stipe well, must be cut off with a heel, and not straight across. Short cuttings are more likely to live than longer ones, and they should be cut off just under a bud. Lemon verbenas are best propagated by layers, making a slit in the layer on the upper side, not on the under, which renders it more likely to snap asunder.
Pots are just as good for shading young plants as some arrangement which admits more light and air, and at the same time turns off the sun's direct rays.
Repot plants into the next size in which they have been growing, but most plants bloom more quickly by having their roots cramped in small pots. If you have any sickly plants, wash all the dirt off the roots, and give new soil and clean pots.
A very good way to send plants by mail is, after having selected the plants, choosing the smaller but well rooted ones, wash the soil from the roots of each plant. A layer of dry moss or cotton is then spread on two or three thicknesses of thick brown paper ; the plants are then laid on the moss ; a similar layer of moss is laid on the roots, and then the paper, moss and plants are tightly rolled up. Either additional paper sufficient to keep in the moisture, or oiled silk, should be used for the outer covering. The moss should be half an inch thick. When received the plants should be sprinkled with tepid water to refresh them, then, after standing about an hour, pot them off. Be sure to remove the moss from the roots.