CHAP, xi.] PLANTS IN POTS. 291 



thoroughly chilled, and the plant, if of a deli- 

 cate nature, is destroyed. The reverse of all 

 this should be the case. The plant should never 

 be suffered to become so dry as to have the 

 mould in a crumbling state ; but, if such a cir- 

 cumstance has occurred, it should be well wa- 

 tered with water at least as warm as the tempe- 

 rature of the room, and better if rather warmer. 

 Enough of this water should be given to fill the 

 saucer ; in order that every part of the mould 

 and of the roots may imbibe some benefit from 

 the moisture; but, as soon as this has been 

 done, the pot should be lifted out of the saucer, 

 and the water thrown away, as nothing can be 

 more injurious to the roots of most plants, than 

 to have the pot they grow in kept standing in 

 water. There are, however, some exceptions to 

 this rule, such as all the kinds of Mimulus, the 

 Hydrangea, Calla (or Richardia) sethiopica, and 

 some kinds of Calceolaria. All these, and all 

 marsh plants, require abundance of water, and 

 will not flower well unless the saucer be kept 

 half full ; but even with them the water should 

 be changed every day. 



It is also a common fault to put plants kept 

 in rooms into too large pots; or, as the gar- 

 deners express it, to over-pot them. This has 

 always a bad effect. If the soil be good, and 

 not over-watered, the plants will, indeed, grow 

 rapidly; but it will be to produce leaves and 

 branches instead of flowers : and if the soil be 

 over-watered, the mass of soddened earth round 

 the roots has the same effect upon them as 

 stagnant water in the saucer. The soil should 

 always be in such a state as to admit air with 



u2 



