SECT. XVIII. OF FLOWERS. £77 



of earth, (as fome do) but only juft fatten the Ioofe 

 mould that is put round it. If the foil is light, prefs 

 that a little which is firit put in at the bottom. If a 

 plant that is to be potted be -without mould about its 

 roots, raife a hillock [at a proper height) in the middle 

 of the pet, to lay the roots on and round : It mull 

 always be avoided planting in the pots too deep, becaufe 

 fo much of the pot is loll as is above, except the fort is 

 apt to flrike root above, as baifams. In all t ranf planta- 

 tions ^ it is proper to fhorten fome of the roots, and tho 

 moil draggling are to be c ho fen for the purpofe; fo that 

 when it is done with a ball of earth, fome of the ex- 

 ternal fibres muff be cut off, if it was not done by taking 

 up, which it generally is when the plants are any thing 

 large. 



Annuals in pots will require water every day, in very 

 hot weather, and in moderately fo, every other; but 

 thofe in the open ground will do twice as long (or 

 more) without water being given them. Some forts 

 will need more water than others, as egg plants and 

 baljams, than coxcombs and tricolors. This matter, and 

 a variety of others, will be learned by obfervation, 

 without a talent for which, no one can poiTibly become 

 a good gardener. The moil exa£l directions will not 

 t ike in every cafe, and rules will be of little avail, 

 wheie the mind is not in diligent exercife. 



In general, potted plants require water according to 

 the weather, their fituation as to the fun, the fize ol the 

 pots, the fulnefs of the roots, the quantity of leaves, 

 and the particular nature of their Jubilance, as fuc- 

 culent or not: The fmaller pots muil have it the more 

 frequently. The earth alfo in which plants grow makes 

 a great difference, as fome forts of foil retain moiilure 

 much longer than others. It may bz&qiicjlion whether 

 pots ol annual flowers Handing in pans, ihould have 

 water conflantiy kept in them, or only watered (in due 

 time) on the top, till it runs through: Both practices 

 re iollowed by .good gardeners; but the latter 1 think 



bed; 



