331 
POTTING. 
Pondweed. British weeds, one or! plants may be considered in two 
two species of which are ornamen- | 
tal; as, for example, P. Ruféscens, | 
P. lucens. and P. natans. 
Porenti'LLa.— Rosdcee.—A ge- 
nus of herbaceous plants, and one 
or two shrubs, the greater part of 
which are ornamental, and some 
eminently so. They all thrive in 
any common soil, and are readily 
increased by division of the plants, 
or by seeds, which most of them 
produce in abundance. They also 
hybridize freely, from which new 
kinds are frequently raised by flor- 
ists. 
is Potentilia fruticésa, which forms 
a hardy bush, commonly between | 
two feet and three feet high, and 
produces abundance of yellow flow- 
ers in July. 
herbaceous species are, P. Gunthéri, 
P. Sieversidna, and P. Thomasi 
with yellow flowers; P. crdcea, P. 
atrosanguinea peddata, with copper- 
coloured flowers; P. formésa Ges- 
neridna, with yellow and red flow- 
ers; P. formésa Maydna, and P. | 
Hopwoodidna, with pink and white 
flowers; P. diba, P. glabra and P. 
rupéstris, with white flowers; P. 
atrosanguinea fulgens and P. a. 
The principal shrabby species | 
The most ornamental | 
ignéscens, with crimson flowers; | 
P. atrosanguinea and P. formosa, | 
_the second is to cover the sides of 
with deep red or purple flowers, 
which are produced from May to 
August ; 
and P. Russellidna and | 
P. astrosanguinea coccinea, with | 
dark scarlet flowers. All these spe- 
cies are low, few of them exceeding | 
one foot in height, and the greater 
part not being above six inches. 
They are delightful plants for pots | 
or for rockwork, and the whole are 
so hardy and of such easy culture | 
that they will bear neglect better 
than most other inhabitants of the 
border or the flower-garden. 
the kinds, P. Russellidna, with rich 
Of all | 
POTTING, 
- 
ways: first, with reference to the 
advantages of that mode of growing 
| plants as compared with growing 
them in the free soil ; and secondly, 
with reference to the performance 
of the operation of potting. Plants 
growing in pots are placed in very 
unnatural circumstances, from the 
limit given to the extension of their 
roots by the small quantity of soil 
and the confined space of the pot ; 
and by the circumstance of the out- 
side of the pot being constantly ex- 
posed to the action of the air on 
every side. In consequence of these 
conditions, the roots of plants in pots 
are alternately scorched, and cooled, 
and dried by the action of the 
atmosphere ; and as, to keep the 
plants alive, they require to be fre- 
quently watered, the soil soon be- 
comes soddened, or soured, as it is 
called by gardeners, and the plant 
is either checked in its growth, or 
becomes diseased. Nevertheless, by 
well-considered treatment plants 
may be grown in pots to a high de- 
gree of perfection, and some kinds 
better than in the free soil. For 
| this purpose two things are more 
especially requisite; the first is to 
provide sufficient drainage for the 
escape of superfluous matter; and 
the pot by some medium which 
shall prevent the action of the sur- 
rounding air in heating or drying 
the outside of the pot, and conse- 
quently the soil and roots within. 
Every pot, tub, or vessel, in which 
_a plant is grown, contains a hole or 
holes in the bottom or lower sides ; 
and these are to be prevented from 
being closed by the soil by a cover- 
ing of potsherds, shells, or small 
stones, covered with turfy matter, 
over which the soil in which the 
plant is grown is to be placed. To 
4 ‘dark Heh rick flowers, is by far the 
3 handsome Z 
Portine.—The subject of potting 
|prevent the sides of the pot or 
vessel in which the plant is grown 
from heing scorched or dried by the 
