14 HOME FLORICULTURE 



required, and then generally in smaller quantities than 

 is needed. The first thing you know, your plants are 

 turning yellow, and dropping their leaves, and soon 

 they are in such a condition that you throw them away 

 in disgust, and conclude that you haven't "the knack" 

 of growing good basket plants. All the trouble comes 

 from an insufficient water supply. 



There are two methods by which you may make 

 it easier to attend to the needs of these plants. One 

 is, to have the baskets suspended by long cords run- 

 ning over pulleys, by which you can lower them into 

 a tub of water, where they can be left until they 

 are thoroughly soaked through. The other is this : 

 Take a tin can and punch a hole through the bottom 

 of it. Let this hole be large enough to allow water 

 to escape, drop by drop. Set this on top of your 

 basket and arrange the foliage to cover it. 



■ If the hole is not as large as it ought to be, the 

 soil will not be kept moist all through. In this case, 

 make it larger. A little observation will enable you 

 to regulate matters in such a manner as to secure just 

 the flow of water needed. By the "tin-can method" of 

 watering basket plants, the trouble of watering in the 

 ordinary way will be done away with, and the results 

 will be extremely satisfactory. 



Plants can be grown nearly as well in the window 

 box as in the open ground if enough water is given 

 to keep the soil moist, all through, at all times. The 

 "little-and-often" plan, spoken of in this chapter, will 

 lead to dismal failure in the care of window boxes. 

 Apply at least a pailful of water every day, in warm 

 weather. If this is done there need be no failure. If 

 those who have failed, heretofore, will bear this in 

 mind, and follow the advice given, they may have 

 window boxes that will make their windows beautiful 

 during the entire summer, with very little trouble. 



