142 VINES 
produce excellent effects when properly planted. 
They should be made square as regards depth 
and width, for a box narrower at the bottom than 
at the top, has but litle root space and involves 
a lot of unnecessary work; similarly, they should 
not be narrower at the top than at the bottom. 
A box six inches square is of very convenient 
size, but of course, the dimensions of the saddle 
of the balustrade or the pedestal wherever it is 
to stand must govern this feature to a certain 
extent. 
In making the boxes, always bore some holes 
in the bottom to carry off drainage water, and, 
if the support is perfectly flat, plan to raise the 
box on a few strips of wood about one quarter 
inch thick. No plants will grow well in boxes 
with standing water about the roots. To lengthen 
the life of such a box, or even a wooden hanging 
baskct, char the inside as follows: before boring 
holes in the bottom, spray the inside of the 
receptacle with kerosene and set it afire; after 
the sides have burned about a quarter of an inch 
into the wood, turn the box upside down, and the 
flames will soon smother out. The best material 
for making porch boxes is one by six-inch planed 
yellow pine or cypress. Cypress is somewhat 
expensive, but will prove economical in the long 
