416 THE GARDENER. [Sept. 



cleanly-waslied or new pots ; the very best turfy peat, broken up 

 with the hand, but not separating any of the fibre from it, and mixing 

 about a fourth of pure pit-sand ^vith it. If it is entirely destitute of 

 sand this will not be too large a proportion of sand to add ; but if the 

 peat is naturally sandy, a fifth, or even a sixth portion of sand may be 

 sufficient. The whole should be thoroughly well mixed, so that there 

 may not be a lump of peat introduced into the pot here and a handful 

 of sand there. The pots should have an inch of clean small crocks in 

 them, and be blinded with the fibry part of the peat, or a very thin 

 layer of sphagnum moss. In potting the plants they should be damp 

 but not wet, and any inert soil on the surface of the balls and the 

 crocks at the bottom should be removed. In fixing them in their new 

 pots they should be three-quarters of an inch below the top of the pot, 

 so that there may be plenty of room for efficient watering. In potting, 

 see that the rough and finer portions of the compost are introduced 

 regularly round the ball — that is, see that a handful of fibre is not put 

 in one place and a handful of the fine in another. Pot firmly, and return 

 the plants into heat again, always keeping them near the glass. Shade 

 them during bright sunshine, and keep them rather close for a time. 

 If the soil was moderately moist — as it should be — they will not re- 

 quire water until the young roots begin to bite the new soil, but must 

 be syringed every morning, and especially in the afternoon, when the 

 house is shut up with sun-heat. 



To grow on Azaleas speedily at this stage, they may be treated, as 

 to heat and moisture in the air, very much like a stove-plant all the 

 summer. As soon as they take with their shift give them a thorough 

 soaking of water, and afterwards water them with great care, just 

 keeping the soil moist but not wet, but being sure that they never once 

 get mealy dry, which may kill them altogether, and is certain to 

 check them severely. As the season advances shut them up early in 

 the afternoon, giving them a good syringing, and keeping all parts of 

 the house moist. Any growths that show a tendency to shoot ahead 

 of the rest pinch back, and they will break into growth with several 

 shoots, and so the symmetry of the plant is maintained. While re- 

 commending a warm moist stove-heat, air should be regularly given, 

 and the plants should be allowed to become dry in the foliage for 

 a time every day. Syringing with air on the house is one of the 

 very worst practices in all plant or fruit culture, causing as it does the 

 most rapid evaporation and abstraction of heat. 



By midsummer the 7-inch pots will be well filled with roots. If all 

 has gone on well they will have clustered themselves in a network at 

 the sides of the pot, and wiU be seeking their way out at the bottom ; 

 and in this condition they are ready for another shift. 



