76 FLORA HISTORICA. 



wards, placed over the hole in the centre of the 

 bottom ; this compost is to be higher at the sides 

 than in the centre of the pot, and the plants in- 

 tended for it, which are supposed to have been 

 wintered in small pots, containing four plants 

 each, are to be carefully turned out of their pots, 

 with all the earth adhering to them, in a ball ; 

 and after rubbing off about half an inch of the 

 surface of the old mould, round about the plants, 

 above their fibres, cleaning them and cutting off 

 the decayed points of their leaves ; the ball is to 

 be carefully placed in the centre of the pot, and 

 the space between it and the sides filled up with 

 the prepared compost." 



^' It is very necessary to be attentive in placing 



the plants, that they be neither planted deeper 



nor shallower than they were before; the compost 



should therefore be high enough to replace the 



old earth that was rubbed off on potting, exactly 



to the same height as before, i. e., half an inch 



higher than the ball of old earth and fibres, and 



the whole surface of the earth in the pot, when 



the operation is finished, should be nearly level 



or flat ; but by no means higher in the centre than 



the sides, because the plants would thereby be 



kept too dry ; nor should the compost come nearer 



than within an inch of the top or rim of the pot, 



after it has been gently shaken, or struck against 



