« ™‘ \ 
STIRRING THE SOIL. 
flowers; which only need planting | the 
in the open border. 
Ste'via.—-Composite.-—Mexican 
“perennials with tufts of very pretty 
white or pinkish flowers, which 
should be grown in sandy peat, and 
which require a little protection 
during winter. S. Eupatorium is a 
very pretty plant for filling a bed in 
a geometric flower-garden, from its 
compact habit of growth, and the 
abundance of its flowers. 
Sri\pa.— Graminee.—Stipa pin- 
nata, the Feather-grass, is an ex- 
tremely elegant plant which grows 
freely in light rich soil, and is in- 
creased by seed, or division of the 
root. 
STIRRING THE, SOIL is an operation 
of considerable importance in the 
case of all plants in a high state 
of culture, and especially of young 
plants. When soil is loosened to 
the depth of even two or three 
inches, it admits the air and the rain 
beneath the surface; and both, in 
this manner, convey their tempera- 
ture to the soil, as well as their 
nutritive qualities to the roots. It 
is also remarkable, that though scil, 
when loosened, is advantageous in 
communicating a warmer tempera- 
ture and moisture to what is bclow, 
by admitting the air and the rain, 
yet that in the heat of summer, 
plants growing in a‘soil the surface 
of which is kept loose, suffer less 
either from excess in heat or the 
want of rain, than plants in a soil 
which is kept firm. This will also 
apply to a certain extent to plants in 
pots, though stirring the soil is of 
far less importance to them than to 
plai ts in the open ground; as the 
heat of the surrounding atmosphere, 
whether it be advantageous or inju- 
rious, penetrates readily through the 
sides of the pots, and the superfluous 
moisture is exhaled in the same 
manner. In stirring the soil among 
plants in the open ground ‘it must, 
however, be always remembered that 
i al 
STRAMONIUM. 
ed, the full of roots, and therefore 
he stirring must not be io 
fork rather than with a spade, in 
order that none of the roots may be 
cut. The soil should never be stirred, 
except when it is in a dry state, and 
when rain is not expected ; because 
should the seil be in a wet state 
when it is moved, or should rain 
occur immediately afterwards, it 
will defeat the end in view, viz. that 
of forming a porous-surface layer, 
readily permeable by air and water. 
STircuwort.—See STeLia‘ria. 
Srock.—See Marur‘ona. 
Srone-Crov.—-See Se‘pum. 
Sroot.—A tree or shrub which 
has its branches pressed down to 
make layers.—See fig. 54. 
| 
Fig. 54.—A Stool with several of the aoe 
layered. ; 
4 
Srorax.—See Sry‘rax. | 
Srramo'nrum.—Solanécee.—The 
Thorn Apple. Mag showy plants, 
conspicuous ali their leaves, — 
flowers, and fruit. They grow best — 
in chalk or a calcareous loam; and 
they are so completely hardy in 
Britain, and grow so freely from — 
seed, that the common kind has be- 
come naturalized, and is frequently 
found growing wild, When these 
plants are grown in gardens, they 
should be allowed plenty of room, 
as their principal beauty is the wide- 
