One of the chief causes of failure in the growth of plants in window gardens is the want of sufficient food supply in the soil used. If a rich garden soil is used with an addition of leaf mould, partially decomposed stable manure or half-rotted turf, we have a fairly good soil for some kinds of plants. A good formula for making up a soil for house plants is this: equal parts of rich garden soil, leaf mould from the woods, or half-rotted turf, and partially decayed stable manure. For some plants, like the begonias and gloxinias, a little sand should be added to make the compost more porous.

Yet, notwithstanding the fact that the soil contains so much of plant food, by improper watering, or by other conditions, it does not seem to be available for the growth of the plants, and they are weak and fall to grow or bloom.

Under these conditions chemical fertilizers are of great value. Such substances as fine ground bone, sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of potash, dissolved bone-black, liquid ammonia, and perhaps a little sulphate of potash, are useful. These may be incorporated in the soil when it is mixed together. Some of them, however, must be used with care.

Fine ground bone and dissolved bone-black may be used freely without injury to the plant, but the soluble salts, like sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of potash and sulphate of potash can only be used in small quantities, say a tablespoonful to two quarts of soil.

The above salts may be used in a liquid form or by stirring a small quantity into the surface of the soil in the pots or boxes. One of the salts alone will sometimes give good results, but generally the best growth is obtained by using potash, nitrates and phosphoric acid together The first two may be obtained from the nitrate of potash, often with good results ; or by combining the sulphate of ammonia and sulphate of potash. The latter will probably give the best results. The phosphoric acid is obtained from the bone or bone-black, and as it is not quickly soluble it must be incorporated with the soil when the latter is made up, or this fertilizer may be mixed in on the surface of the pots or boxes so that it will wash down to the roots.

The specially prepared plant or flower foods are very useful and easily applied ; but they are more expensive than the chemicals, and are to be recommended only to those not familiar with the latter.

For the production of flowers only the ground bone and dissolved bone-black should be used, and for a foliage growth potash and the nitrates ; but neither alone will give the best results. If flowers are desired let the root space be small and the soil contain an excess of phosphoric acid ; if foliage, give the roots more room and more of the nitrates than phosphoric acid.

If one has the proper varieties of plants and gives them plenty of food, water and sunshine, and especially a love which shall detect their every want, there need be no fear of not having an abundant supply of blossoms from November to June. - S. T. Maynard, Massachusetts Agricultural College.