POTTING 31 
place the left hand carefully over the top of the soil, two fin- 
gers on each side of the plant, reverse it, and with a sharp 
knock by the rim of the pot on some hard object remove 
the clump from the pot. If it is well rooted and in good 
condition, and it is desirable to give more pot-room, remove 
only the loose soil from the top-edge and the crocks from the 
bottom; loosen the roots gently and then plant in a well- 
drained pot. Hard-wooded plants must be potted quite firm- 
ly, while soft-wooded ones do best in moderately loose soil. 
For potting large plants a pointed stick is required to push the 
soil down to the roots. In this case place a small quantity of 
soil in the bottom, put the clump down, throw some soil loosely 
about it and knock the pot slightly, first with one side of the 
bottom, then with the other to shake down the soil among the 
roots, holding the plant in the right place at the same time. 
Then fill in the remainder and finish off more or less firmly ac- 
cording to the nature of the plant. The pots should, when 
finished, never be quite full, allowing a liberal space for water- 
ing. After potting, a good soaking is always given with a 
rose. Potting in a house can be done in a cellar, and no 
special bench is required. 
Drainage is necessary for most plants. Some require more, 
others less. For some Orchids, Ferns, and plants of the Pine- 
apple family the pots are more than half filled with broken 
crocks. In draining, place a large flat-potsherd over the hole 
in the bottom and then place a few others round it for ordinary 
potting. If the plant is known to suffer easily from too damp 
soil, throw a number of small ones in on the top and cover up 
with coarse siftings, fibres, or a very little moss. 
The pots must always be clean inside and out when used, 
and should be examined so as to ascertain that the outlet for 
