GROWING PLANTS lii r'OTS. 169 



nealth, damp off in a week ; but we have knowTi the same 

 pits, micler the same gardener, without a failure among them 

 all. There is no controverting the fact, that damj) is for the 

 most part caused by excessive numbers confined in a given 

 space, when haK the quantity would often escape free. 



All potted plants should receive as much air as the nature 

 of their constitution will acbnit. They must not be subjected 

 to a colder climate than they want, for there is always mis- 

 chief in that ; but we are more apt to be deceived with hardy 

 plants in pots than we are with those requiring shelter. 

 Hardy plants, so called, become only half-hardy when in pots, 

 unless the pots are plunged ; for though frost, even a hard 

 one, will have no effect on many border perennials in the 

 ground, simply on account of the plant above standing it well, 

 and the under points of its roots being out of its reach, yet 

 the same plant in a pot would have the points of its roots 

 within the full operation of the enemy — in fact, the most 

 tender points are close to the side of the pot, which is frozen 

 through in a very short time. On this account, therefore, 

 some of our most hardy perennials, wliich stand any kind of 

 weather in the open ground, must, when potted, be preserved 

 in frames, or be plunged to the rim in the ground. Hundreds 

 of plants that will bear any ordinary cold above ground, can- 

 not stand the freezing of their tender roots. Again, all potted 

 plants in summer time want a good deal of care when the 

 pots are exposed to the wind and sun and rain ; and, though 

 it is going away from the subject to offer a word on watering, 

 we ought to caution everybody against the neglect of a par- 

 ticular, though often overlooked, fact. In a long rainy season, 

 nobody thmks of watering plants standing out of doors ; and 

 yet there will be found many so bushy as to throw off any 

 quantity of rain, and thereby starve themselves ; so that we 

 cannot be too careful in frequent examinations, whenever we 

 have many plants in pots. ^Vherever we place them in 

 summer time, the bottom should be hard ; whether of tiles, 

 slates, stones, or bricks, concrete, or any other material, it 

 should be impervious to worms and roots, otherwise the one 

 will fill the pot, much to the detriment of the plant, and the 

 roots will penetrate so, that, when the plants have to be re- 

 moved, they will lose all the youngest and best portion of 

 their roots. Many form a hard foundation of ashes ; but this 

 is only a partial remedy, and for only a short time ; as soon 



