GARDENING FOR YOUNG AND OLD. 



screw fastened to the casement of the window, as shown 

 in the illustration (fig. 1). These boxes are placed on the 

 sill of the window. The length of the box, of course, 

 being determined by the width of the window, it can be 

 made wide or narrow according as you have more or 

 less room in the house. There maybe windows where 

 you could have them two feet wide without inconven- 

 ience; if so the plants will do just as well, and the 

 boxes, of course, will hold twice the number of plants. 

 I have had better success in starting plants in these boxes 

 in the house, than in a hot-bed as ordinarily managed. 

 The plants are in sight all the time, and are less liable to 



Fig. 1. WINDOW-BOX. 



be neglected. The children, especially, soon learn to take 

 an interest in these plant-boxes in the house. They require 

 a little assistance in sifting the soil and moss, and putting 

 it in the boxes, and in fastening the boxes in the window- 

 sills. But they can sow the seed and cover it with a lit- 

 tle sifted moss themselves. It is very desirable, how- 

 ever, to write the names of the seeds to be sown, with the 

 date of sowing, on some wooden labels to mark the rows 

 where the different seeds and different varieties are sown. 

 If this is neglected much of the interest will be lost. 



