“You said to have a half-inch space between top of soil and top of pot.  I should like to know why, because all the plants at my aunt’s house are done the other way,” eagerly inquired Helena.

“The purpose of the half-inch space is for watering the plant.  I should be willing to wager that when your aunt waters her plants she has a bad time with water spilling over and soil washing out.  The space allows for this and prevents its happening.”

“I shall tell her about that when I go to see her.  I am to go next week.  Don’t you think I might carry her a plant nicely potted?”

“Indeed I do.  I think we can spare a begonia for her.  Just let me water this plant a little.  Notice that I do not flood it.  Now, set it outside, Elizabeth, right by my back door where it will be sheltered.”

“Why put it outside?” asked the child, as she took the pot; “I’d have left it here under shelter.”

“It goes out because good fresh air is as important for newly potted plants as good soil, careful handling, and watering.  Now for a slipping geranium lesson!

“Old, stocky geraniums in the fall garden are exactly right to slip.  These properly slipped and started, if well cared for, will blossom by January or February.  If closely crowded into the window box, you may be certain of bloom provided you have good, strong sunlight on them.

Florists slip geraniums and put them into sand; many people put the slips into water to form roots; but it is far easier for you children and for schools to place the slips immediately into the earth of the window box.

“The slipping process itself is easy.  Suppose we have a big, old geranium from which to take our slips.  It is full of branches.  These branches or stems have around them at intervals rings called nodes.  The space between two nodes is called an internode.  On the nodes are what seem to be small leaves.  Press one aside, notice between it and the stem what appears to be a very small bud.  Here a new shoot can start.

“So choose a branch, pick off all the large leaves except two at the extreme end.  If there are more than two, choose the two smallest leaves.  Now it is ready to cut.  About four inches down the stem cut it off between two nodes.  Do not cut straight across the stem but cut slantwise.

“You have now as I have in my hand, a geranium slip which is four inches long.  At one end of the stalk are two leaves; the other end is cut obliquely across.  Before you plant this slip look between the two leaves and see if there is a small bud.  If so, and it is all green, leave it.  For this green means that as the bud develops only leaves will unfold.  If you see any other colour in the bud, pinch it out with your fingers.  The colour tells us that the bud is a flower bud.  If this be left on the slip, all the strength of the little plant will be taken up in forming the blossom.  A new plant is not strong enough to stand this.  It needs all its power for plant growth.