Vinca for Outdoors and In 



By L. J. Doogue, Mass. 



YOU are undoubtedly planning now 

 for this season's veranda and window- 

 boxes. Remember that the prettier boxes 

 — ones in which the flowering plants 

 appear to the best advantage — are those 

 having plenty of trailing vines hanging 

 gracefully over the sides. For this purpose 

 there is nothing better than the vinca, 

 but it is usually so poorly grown that 

 it detracts rather than adds to the beauty 

 of the whole. When planted in the box 

 each root should have quantities of long 

 streamers, each streamer being thickly 

 leaved. 



Vinca is very easy to grow and the best 

 way to get a stock is to start with some old 

 plants, and grow them indoors through the 

 winter. These can be divided so that 

 each one will easily make from six to ten 

 small plants. To do the dividing just 

 break the plant apart, leaving some roots 

 on each piece. Put each one into a small 

 pot and when the weather is warm enough 

 plunge them into the ground to be left 

 all summer. By fall these will have made 

 surprising growth and, if you want to have 

 them as house plants during the winter, 

 just take them up and pot them. Other- 

 wise they should be packed away in boxes 

 and stored until the spring. 



Before storing, cut off most of the long 



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streamers, pack the plants in boxes of 

 earth, and store them in some damp- 

 proof place where it will not be too cold. 

 Early in the spring take these out and 

 start them into growth by potting and plac- 

 ing in the sunlight. They like warmth 

 and moisture; the length of the streamers 

 that they make will of course depend 

 on the place where they are kept. Even 

 if they do not make very much growth 

 while in the house they will be fitting them- 

 selves for a mighty effort when put out 

 of doors. After the boxes have served 



When putting vinca in veranda boxes use only plants 

 having a number of streamers, each thickly leaved 



An old plant is "divided" by being simply broken 

 apart, each piece being well supplied with roots 



their purpose this summer, take some of the 

 old plants and pot them after cutting off 

 the long growth within a foot of the pot. 

 Put them in the sunlight and new growth 

 will soon start. The shortening of the ends 

 will force a branching growth, while from the 

 centre of the plant new stems will push up. 

 There is one thing to be remembered 

 when using vinca in this way. After it 

 is repotted the soil must not be allowed 

 to dry out until the plant has thoroughly 

 established itself. It wants moisture, un- 

 like most house plants, and warmth to 

 do its best. A careful watch must also 

 be kept for green fly, which if neglected 

 multiplies surprisingly. Spraying every 

 two weeks with tobacco water will hold 

 this pest in check. 



243 



A Handy Repairer 



'"TO REPAIR old handles, broken 

 *• umbrella handles, canes, dishes that 

 are not to be placed too often in water, 

 and broken rubber shoes or rubber 

 boots, there is nothing that works to 



Adhesive plaster is a pretty good household repairer 



greater advantage than the inch-wide 

 surgeon's or adhesive plaster. It comes 

 on a metal roll, costs but little, and 

 lasts months without deteriorating. A 

 rubber shoe that leaks can be easily patched 

 with this plaster. 



Do not mistake this plaster for the or- 

 dinary electric tape. This is uncleanly 

 and soon loses its usefulness and should 

 never be used where the surgeon's plaster 

 can be had. 



Massachusetts. Percival Moore. 



Housekeeping Discoveries 



THE next time you have potato salad 

 add some sliced cucumbers. I 

 recently used them as a substitute for 

 celery when the latter was not to be had, 

 and the salad was greatly improved. 

 Crisp, young radishes are also an addition. 

 — C. M. A. 



If the ice cream freezer springs a leak 

 in seam and there is no time to send it away 

 to be mended, put some lard over the hole 

 on the outside. If you put your cream 

 in when it has cooled off, you can freeze 

 it with safety and have no fear that the 

 cream will leak out or that the salt will 

 leak in. — G. P. 



Always wash brushes in cold water 

 to keep the bristles stiff. If you use 

 warm water for your hands, rinse your 

 nailbrush in cold water and it will last 

 much longer. — M. C. 



