“Why didn’t you give some one a rubber plant?” was the next question from Miriam.

“I guess because of its bad habit of growing so tall and losing its lower leaves.  They look like giraffes at the circus.  But one may top these plants.”

“What is topping?” and “How do you do it?” burst from Dee and Helena at the same time.

“I suppose you see that if one could get that nice-looking top off and start again the old rubber plant would be all right.  So about a foot below the last leaf on the stalk—­I mean the last leaf numbering from the top—–­ you should start the operation.  Cut a slit in the bark at this place.  Pack soil about the stem.  Then encase this with sacking.  So you have a nice ball of earth packed about the stem.  Let the ball be about six inches in diameter.  Keep it moist.  You can sprinkle the water on.  After a time roots will appear coming through the sacking.  The roots have started to develop at this incision of the stem.  Now the stalk may be cut below these new roots and the new rubber plant potted.”

“That is very interesting,” began Katharine.

“I should so like to try it,” broke in Dee.

“Now, girls, I believe you’d better pick up your new plants and scamper.  We certainly have done a good afternoon’s work.  The chief things to try for in indoor plant culture are cleanliness of the plant, proper drainage, and freedom from abrupt changes in temperature and draughts.  Good-by, girls.  We meet again soon at our exhibits.”

“Good-by, and thank you so much,” cried the girls in chorus.

XVIII

THE GRAND WIND-UP—­GIRLS VS.  BOYS

One day in late September the Boys’ Garden Club received an invitation to Katharine’s house for four o’clock the following Saturday.

Never were boys more astonished than these as they were ushered into the girls’ garden.

“Well,” Albert said quite frankly, “you have beaten us as far as beauty goes.  You try vegetables next summer, and we fellows will race you.”

“Thank you!” answered Dee, “You are very kind to us, very!  You may possibly have noticed those beautiful window boxes at the Inn.  Eloise made those herself, stocked the boxes, and has cared for them, too.  Elizabeth’s borders have grown as well, I should say, as Jack’s flowers.  Peter will tell you of our sundial.  Helena has a beautiful garden.  To be sure Leston has helped her but only because he wanted to so badly.  Girls are not such bad gardeners, are they?”

“Not bad?” shouted the boys, “you are wonders!”

“Every fellow here give three cheers for the girls,” commanded Jay.  This was done with a hearty good will.

A week later the girls received an invitation to attend the boys’ fall exhibit, held at The Chief’s house.  Early that morning the boys had gone to the woods to gather autumn boughs.  The walls were a blaze of bright-coloured leaves.  About the room were placed tables upon which the boys’ products were exhibited.  Fathers and mothers had come to the exhibit; in fact, the whole village had turned out.