310 



The HorticullwiHt and Journal 



specimens of speedy growth are grown for 

 exhibition, and for this purpose are trans- 

 planted several times in the course of the 

 summer. Transplanting in autumn is es- 

 pecially to be avoided in the case of room 

 plants, as the new soil does not become filled 

 with roots during the winter, and consequently, 

 becomes sour and spoiled ; and, if not watered 

 with great care the plants will become sickly, 

 or perish completely. There are a few ex- 

 ceptions to this ; as, for instance, bulbous 

 plants, which are kept dry late in summer, 

 and are intended for winter blooming, and 

 some other plants which are to be forced in 

 winter. We would especially remark that 

 the result of forcing will be so much the more 

 certain, the earlier this transplanting takes 

 place, in autumn or late summer. 



In the common practice of a transplanting, 

 fine, healthy specimes are sought to be raised 

 in pots which are proportionately not too large. 

 Plants which have their ball only so far filled 

 with roots that a few small ones reach the 

 side of the pot, should not be transplanted so 

 long as these roots are healthy, and the soil 

 of the ball is fresh and does not give out a sour 

 smell; which, as we have seen before, is the 

 result of an unhealthy and injurious condition. 



Where the soil is spoiled, or the young 

 roots are unhealthy, or, as is frequently the 

 case in good culture, the entire ball becomes 

 so full of roots that it seems to be thickly 

 covered with threads, the plants should be 

 transplanted. Therefore, before proceeding 

 to transplant, the condition of the ball should 

 be examined. This should be done very 

 carefully, so that in case no change is 

 necessary, the ball may be replaced in the 

 pot without injury. With small plants this 

 examination is best effected in the following 

 manner : The left hand is spread over the top 

 of the pot, allowing the stem of the plant to 

 come between the fingers. The pot is then 

 taken in the right hand and reversed. The 

 edge is then carefully struck against the 

 corner of a table or board, so as to loosen the 

 pot from the ball ; the pot is then lifted off" 

 and the ball examined. In the case of larger 

 plants, the soil is first of all allowed to be- 



come somewhat dry, then the plant is seized 

 by the lower part of the stem and lifted along 

 with the pot. The pot is gently struck on 

 the rim with the hand or a piece of wood, and 

 so carefully separated from plant. When a 

 ball filled with roots will not readily separate 

 from the pot, a knife should be passed round 

 the edge as deep as it will go ; this will 

 greatly facilitate the operation. 



Lastly, plants in large wooden tubs or 

 boxes should only be transplanted when an 

 examination of the ball from above shows that 

 transplanting is absolutely necessary. The 

 vessels are removed either by taking off the 

 hoops of the tubs, or by taking the boxes to 

 pieces, or else by first passing a long knife 

 round the ball to loosen it, and then turning 

 the vessel on its side and carefully drawing 

 out the plant. After the ball has been care- 

 fully removed it should be reduced in size, by 

 removing the spoiled and exhausted soil, in 

 order to give the plant as much fresh, good 

 soil as possible, without having to place it in 

 too large a pot or other vessel, which, 

 especially in room-culture, would be very 

 inconvenient. For this purpose the earth 

 round the ball is loosened by means of a 

 sharp-pointed stick, and is shaken out from 

 the roots, so that the ball may be rounded 

 above and below, and its diameter reduced to 

 three-fourths or two-thirds of its former size. 

 If there is an underlayer of potsherds, etc., it 

 must be entirely removed. The boards 

 should then be trimmed round with a sharp 

 knife. In sickly plants the roots will be 

 more or less decayed in parts. These parts 

 must be cut back until sound wood is reached. 

 The roots of healthy plants should not be cut 

 when the plant is in a state of active growth ; 

 in which condition, or when it is known that 

 the plant will be injured by a severe root- 

 pruning, it will be sufficient to take away 

 some of the upper soil to remove the layer 

 potsherds, to loosen the surface of the ball, 

 and to trim a few of the longest roots a little. 



In planting, a pot should be selected so 

 large that, according to the strong or feeble 

 root-forming powers of the plant, there may 

 be round the ball a layer of fresh earth from 



