To make ferns grow better, place some thin pieces of raw beef close to the inside of the pot, between the pot and the soil.

Old-fashioned portulaca makes a pretty low-growing green for a fern dish.

To prevent plants from dropping their buds, give extra good drainage and systematic but moderate watering.

An infallible wash for destroying the scaly insects that infest house plants is made as follows: Place half a bar of Swift's Pride Laundry Soap in a deep saucer and pour kerosene around it. Let this stand for about a week until the soap has absorbed the oil. Then make a strong lather of this soap and with it wash the plants. After which spray them with clear water until clean.

To destroy aphis, shower foliage of infested plant on both sides with strong tobacco tea, or, if the plant be small enough, immerse it in this tea.

Insects in the earth of a potted plant may be destroyed by pouring over the soil a glass of water in which a pinch of mustard has been stirred.

If an asparagus fern turns yellow, repot it, giving it a strong loam enriched with one-fifth very old and finely crumbed manure and add a little coarse sand. Give the fern only an hour or two of sunlight each day. Water when it looks dry, but do not let it stand in any water that may have run through into the saucer.

Before putting plants in a wooden window box whitewash the inside of the box. This not only keeps the box from rotting, but prevents insects.

If sprays of growing nasturtiums are broken off in the late summer and placed in a bowl of water they will root and grow all winter.