The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.Shaw, Ellen Eddy
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The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.
Shaw, Ellen Eddy
Gardening -- Juvenile literature
"The last thing of all is the placing of the box. Shall it go on the
sill? Not if you wish to keep the sill in good condition. Shall it be
screwed to the casement? It may be, but it is hard to place each year,
and often the strain is too great on the screws. The best arrangement is
that of iron brackets screwed to the casement beneath the window sill.
These brackets when not in use may be folded in against the wall and so
are quite out of the way and do not have to be removed from schoolrooms
each spring when the box goes outdoors. The weight of the box is
sufficient to hold the brackets out, and so steadies them that it is not
necessary to even screw the box on. Two boys holding the brackets
straight, two others placing the box on, is all the labour needed to
make that box permanently secure. It remains here now until its journey
outdoors next spring.
"I would like to add the English ivy to the list of trailing plants for
the window box.
"Some people have candytuft and others marguerites in the indoor box.
They do not look as well through an entire indoor season as geraniums,
fuchsias and begonias. I think I'll ask Miriam, Elizabeth, and Helena
to work on the shady window box. We will use dracena, vincas, pandanus,
begonia and Wandering Jew. Ethel, Katharine, and Josephine fix up the
sunny window box--the fuchsia, heliotrope, marguerite, geraniums,
Wandering Jew, and English ivy. This will be a charming box. Dee, you
and I will plant the rest of these geranium slips for the girls."
They all worked away busily for some time. Then The Chief asked the
girls to come into the house for a time. As they entered the living room
they noticed an array of plants on the big table.
"Sit down, girls, I have a little gift for each of you. I wish you to
study and nurse these plants throughout the winter.
"This first tall, rather stiff-looking plant is called an aspidistra. It
is the best all-around plant for the house or schoolroom. It does not
need much or special care. Be sure to keep the leaves clean. See that
you do it, Miriam.
"This little Norfolk Island pine is the only one of the cone-bearing
trees that you can bank on. Notice that the method of branching is by
whorls. You are to have this plant, Elizabeth.
"I imagined that Eloise would love this little lemon tree called
Ponderosa. You can raise lemon trees from seed, but like the apple
tree, they need special attention before they grow good fruit.
"The Jersualem cherry tree is for Josephine. It does not absolutely need
sun. It, too, stands a great deal of neglect. Remember I am not
recommending neglect to you. I am giving you the house plants that are
of easiest culture. You will be glad to make note of this entire list.
Of course, the berries are the charm of this Jerusalem cherry tree.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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