Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/85

Cat-tails are of graceful form and make a pretty background. At the nearest marsh dig up a bunch of good healthy ones and plant them in some of their native mud in a watertight box or pail. Set the box or pail in the earth. A cover of plank, with a round hole in the centre for the cat-tails to come through, should be put over the top and covered with the sod. Half an inch of water over the surface of the mud in box or pail is all that is necessary. (See illustration, Fig. 55.) Figure 56 shows how cat-tails may be disposed of in-doors, or where it is inconvenient to make room for them in the soil. A very unique and effective floral arrangement may be made by grouping pot-plants around them.