G8 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Take the pot gently off with the right hand, taking care not to 

 disturb the drainage, and you will see at once by the appearance of 

 the ball if a worm is there, as if so the runs or channels will be 

 traceable all round, and most likely you will find the rascal lying 

 lengthways in one of them. It is sometimes difficult to get the 

 worm out, for it disappears from view if not taken firm hold of 

 quickly. In replacing the pot on the ball do not disturb the drainage. 

 A smart bump or two on the table will settle the plant into its old 

 position. 



To water with soap-suds is another way of catching them, and 

 also water that a few pieces of lime have been slaked in. This 

 makes them rise to the surface, and then they are easily caught. 



Worms are a great nuisance in a flower-pot, for they not only 

 feed on the strength of the soil, but they also break numbers of 

 small fibrous roots, and make the ball loose and broken ; all which 

 evils very soon tell on the health of the poor plant. In order to 

 prevent this, worms should be carefully looked for before the soil is 

 used ; but even after that they may appear, for very small ones and 

 eggs will escape notice. 



In giving drainage to window-boxes you must proceed much in 

 the same way as for pots, covering each hole with a large crock, and 

 an inch or more of broken tile or crocks over it, the whole being 

 covered with a little sphagnum moss to keep the drainage clean. 



There are many different kinds of manures and fertilizers used 

 for pot plants. The most easily come at sometimes are a few sheep 

 droppings or dry cow-dung ; but the best for mixing with the st»il is 

 bone-meal, or bones ground down, mixed with a very small quantity 

 of lime. For top-dressing or mixing in the water a thimbleful of 

 guano is very good. But I think you will find " Standen's 

 Gardener and Amateur's Friend " preferable to any other fertilizer. 

 It is sold by all seedsmen and nurserymen in canisters, with full 

 directions how to apply it. Liquid ammonia is an excellent fertilizer, 

 ten drops to a quart of water being sufficient. It is very easily 

 applied and no dirt attending it. A very safe liquid manure is made 

 with sheep-droppings dissolved in water, not too strong, just sufficient 

 to give the water a dark brown appearance. Tobacco-water is also 

 a good manure, and so is very weak glue-water. Manures applied 

 to the soil should be well incorporated with the mass by frequent 

 turning. Liquid manure should be applied as often as twice a week, 

 or once a week at any rate. 



We will now proceed to consider the very important operations 

 of potting and watering. Watering, especially, is the very life and 

 mainstay of a plant. To know when and how to water is one, if not 

 the greatest, secret of good plant cultivation. I hope to make you 

 understand this before I have done. One important consideration 

 in potting is to have your soil in a proper state, neither too wet nor 

 j et too dry — just a medium state between. If too wet, the soil bakes 

 hard together and the roots have no free action ; if nearly dust dry, 

 you cannot have the ball of the proper firmness all through, and 

 watering at first is very difficult. 



You should have the pots clean, inside and out, before you begin 



