164 THE GARDENER. [April 



give the fine roots of the Gardenia a chance of recovering from the 

 damage received in potting. However carefully this operation is 

 performed, it is next to impossible to do it without the roots receiv- 

 ing injury more or less ; and if watered, which is too frequently 

 done, the roots have not a fair chance of starting quickly into the 

 new soil. 



Avoid the too common practice of using a sharp- pointed stick 

 to liberate the roots from the ball of the plants. In potting ever- 

 green stove - plants — especially such fine -rooted subjects as the 

 Gardenia — the crocks only should be carefully removed, and any 

 little loose soil from the top of the ball. The new soil should 

 be pressed firmly round the sides of the ball, so that water cannot 

 pass through it and leave the old ball dry ; the roots will enter 

 the new soil freely enough, provided this is carefully done. The 

 slaughtering system of using a sharp-pointed stick to set the roots 

 at liberty cannot be too strongly condemned, as we believe more 

 plants have to be conveyed to the rubbish-heap through this than any 

 other cause, especially fine-rooted plants such as Heaths, and this 

 caution applies with equal force to the Gardenia. 



If the young plants are required to bloom the first season, they 

 should not be stopped after August, but allowed to extend their 

 shoots, and be grown from that time with a little more air. Under 

 these circumstances the young plants will soon complete their 

 growth, and form flower-buds, averaging from eight to ten blooms 

 to each plant, which will come out during March, or earlier if brought 

 on rapidly in a brisk heat after the buds are set. If the object 

 be to grow the plants into a good size as quickly as possible, they 

 should not be allowed to bloom, but be stopped later than the time 

 named to prevent cutting the young growths back, and again get 

 an early start the following year. If allowed to bloom, and two or 

 three months are lost at the commencement of the year, a much longer 

 time will be required to get the plants into a good size. It is best 

 to sacrifice the bloom the first season; and after the commencement 

 of the year, and root-growth has fairly commenced, they should be 

 transferred into 8 - inch pots, using the compost already recom- 

 mended, and be grown on rapidly under the same conditions as de- 

 scribed above. The plants will this season make rapid strides, and 

 be ready by the end of June or beginning of July to be transferred 

 into 10-inch pots, provided every attention recommended has been 

 carried out. They should be again kept close until they have taken 

 to the new soil. As soon as the roots are working freely into the new 

 compost, any shoots that require stopping should be attended to, 

 and then grown on rapidly under the influence of plenty of light and 



