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MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 95 
often suffer from being kept too dry, either from not being watered often 
enough, or not getting sufficient water to reach all the roots. When such 
cases occur, the only plan to save the plants is to immerse the pots ina 
pail of water, and keep them there till the bubbling ceases. This will 
insure that the water reaches all the roots. They should then be taken 
out, and afterwards watered in the usual way, as required. The soilin 
the pots of plants exposed to the full blaze of the sun often get thorough- 
ly dry and hot, and when this occurs, the plants should be plunged in 
water till the soil is thoroughly saturated. It is useless to water them in 
the usual way, as the water only runs down the sides of the pots, without 
getting to the roots, and the soil in a short time becomes as dry as before. 
Again I say, be careful with the watering. 
Soils and Potting. 
The health of plants also depends a good deal on the quality of the soil, 
on the drainage, and on the size’of the pots used. If the pot be too large 
the soil is liable to sour before the roots reach the pot sides, and the plant 
suffers in consequence. In shifting plants they should be put in pots one 
size larger. Soft-wooded plants require re-potting oftener than hard- 
wooded plants, as their root-growth is more rapid. For drainage of such 
plants a piece of a broken pot over the hole in the pot bottom will be suffi- 
cient. Fora larger plant more drainage is required. In potting plants 
the pots should not be filled within half an incb of the top for small pots, 
or an inch for large ones, so as to have plenty of room for water. Some 
peopie fill up to the rim, but when this is done the water runs over the 
sides of the pot instead of getting to the roots. All newly-potted plants 
should be kept from the wind and sun till the roots get hold of the soil. 
About the best compost for soft-wooded plants consists of three parts of 
good loam, a little well rotted manure and some leaf mould, with a little 
sand, well mixed together. For hard-wooded plants a mixture of good 
loam and peat. Plants should be shaded from the sun on hot days, and 
frequently syringed to clean their leaves from dust, but this must not be 
done when the sun shines on them. I will now give a list of plants most 
suitable for pot culture. For summer I would recommend geraniums, 
Zonale, Bicolor, Tricolor, Bronze; and the various sorts of scented gerani- 
ums, such as Rose, Nutmeg, Lemon, Cinnamon, Apple, &c. Fuchsias— 
Light, single, Madame Correllison, White Lady Schiller (the best,) Diadem ; 
Dark Single, Elm City; Pure White Double Arabella. 
These I consider the best. There are many newer ones, but they have 
not been sufficiently long before the public to warrant me in recommend- 
ing them: Lilies, Alba, Lancifolium, Rubrum; lobelias; miguonette, 
planted in boxes and thinned out; Tradescantia; myrtles, English ivy, Ger- 
man ivy, smilax; Lycopodiums. For winter and spring the same except 
fuchsias. 
Bulbs. 
For winter and spring the various kinds of bulbs, as hyacinths, tulips, 
crocuses, &c., may be grown to advantage and make a fine show. Hya- 
