278 THE A'ATURE-STUDY REVIEW [4:9— dkc, 1908 



free circulation of air prevented. When potting, the soil should 

 be moist, not wet, and never dry. If dry add a little water and 

 mix well until in the proper condition. Avoid over potting (us- 

 ing too large a pot and too much soil) else the danger of over 

 watering is increased. A good plan is to plant all plants in pots 

 about one inch larger than the size of the root system. To secure 

 perfect drainage cover the hole at the bottom of the pot with a 

 piece of broken pot, brick, a few small stones, or a little moss. 

 If potting geraniums, rubber plants, palms or plants of a similar 

 nature, firm the soil about the roots with the fingers, or with large 

 plants use a stick. For small plants the soil should be sifted 

 through a fine meshed sieve to remove all lumps. Soil for large 

 plants need not be sifted, but all large lumps should be crushed or 

 thrown out. The operation of potting plants that are easily 

 handled is quite simple. Place the pot on the table or bench in 

 front and cover the hole in the bottom for drainage. Then with 

 the left hand place the plant in the center of the pot, and with the 

 right hand fill partially with soil and firm. The left hand may 

 assist the right in filling and firming as soon as sufficient soil has 

 been added to steady the plant. Do not fill the pot completely 

 as space must be left for water and do not plant too deep. Plants 

 taken up in the fall should be potted, watered and set in a cool, 

 shady place until the roots have begun to grow, after which they 

 may be placed in their permanent positions. Practically all 

 newly lifted plants exhibit a tendency to wilt and it is easy to 

 over water when in that condition. 



Interesting experiments may be conducted with newly potted 

 plants. For instance, take a geranium, cut back the top to with- 

 in four to six inches of the ground, cut the roots back corres- 

 pondingly, pot in a pot of suitable size and water slightly at first, 

 thenkeepdry. Watch the result. Again, take a geranium, do not 

 prune at all, pot in a large pot and water thoroughly every day. 

 What happens and why? The same principle would hold in 

 practically all cases. 



Watering is the most important detail in plant culture. No 

 definite rule can be given, but a safe method is to water only when 

 needed and then thoroughly. When to water may be readily 

 ascertained by simply thumping the side of the pot. If the 

 sound produced is hollow, it is time to water. Each plant must 

 be considered as an individual and should be examined every day 



