THIXNIXG FRUITS. 



ist, the other being reserved for a check. 

 The fruit set in great abundance and 

 at the time of thinning, the two trees 

 appeared equally productive. It should 

 be said that if the tree had been thinned 

 at least two weeks earlier, better results 

 might have followed. As the fruit ap- 

 proached maturity a decided diflference 

 was noticed in favor of the thinned tree, 



but unfortunately for the experiment, a 

 large per cent, of the fruit dropped pre- 

 maturely, as many Gravensteins did in 

 other sections of the State. The results 

 therefore were far from satisfactory ; 

 nevertheless they indicate what may be 

 expected when conditions are more fa- 

 vorable. 



Deducting from this 48 cents, the actual cost of thinning, we have a net gain 

 of $185. 



THE CARE OF WINDOW BOXES. 



riNDOW boxes are more often 

 failures than successes. Why ? 

 Because they are not properly 

 cared for. It must be borne 

 in mind that a window box, from the 

 exposed position in which it is placed, 

 loses moisture very rapidly by evapora- 

 tion The wind and air get at it from 

 below as well as on the side, ends and 

 top. Only that side next the building 

 is sheltered. It will, therefore, be read- 

 ily understood, if one stops to think 

 about it, that a great deal more moisture 

 must be taken from the soil in such a 

 box, in a given time, than it would be 

 possible to extract from the soil in a pot 

 or box whose exposure is less. The 

 secret of growing plants well in such 

 boxes consists in giving not only a great 

 amount of water, but in giving it often. 

 Enough should be applied every morn- 

 ing and evening to thoroughly saturate 

 the soil, and the way to make sure that 

 the soil is wet is to keep on applying 

 water till some runs off at the bottom of 

 the box. If it is given in small quanti- 

 ties, it will not be long before the leaves 



begin to turn yellow, and very soon you 

 will have a sickly-looking plant, and in 

 a short time it will be dead ; just be- 

 cause there was not enough water given 

 to moisten and keep moist the roots be- 

 low the surface. 



One of the most satisfactory plants I 

 have ever used in a window box is the 

 common single Petunia. It will bloom 

 profusely, is bright and fragrant, and 

 soon covers the entire surface of the box, 

 and droops over the sides until they are 

 wholly concealed. The Madeira vine 

 is pretty when planted about the edge 

 and allowed to droop in festoons. The 

 Heliotrope is a good flowering plant for 

 such use, if care is taken to give water 

 enough. It is fond of strong sunshine, 

 but soon suffers if i:s roots are allowed 

 to get dry. A scarlet Cleranium will 

 brighten up a window wonderfully, and 

 a good plant to use with one, about the 

 edges, is the Nasturtium, with its bril- 

 liant yellow and maroon flowers and 

 pretty, pale green foliage, with which the 

 box will soon be covered. — American 

 Agriatlturist for June. 



235 



