44 GENERAL ADVICE 



thrust, the handle may be placed at one side of 

 the middle. For plunging pots, a dibber like 

 that shown in Fig. 49 is useful, particularly when 

 the soil is so hard that a long -pointed tool is 

 necessary. The bottom of the hole may be filled 

 with earth before the pot is inserted; but it is 

 often advisable to leave the vacant space below 

 (as in &) to provide drainage, to keep the plant 

 from rooting, and to prevent earth-worms from 

 entering the hole in the bottom of the pot. 

 For smaller pots, the tool may be inserted a 

 less depth (as at c). 



TRANSPLANTING ESTABLISHED PLANTS AND 

 TREES. In setting potted plants out of doors, 

 it is nearly always advisable to plunge them, 

 that is, to set the pots into the earth, unless 

 the place is very wet. The pots are then watered 

 by the rainfall, and demand little care. If the 

 plants are to be returned to the house in the 

 fall, they should not be allowed to root through 

 the hole in the pot, and the rooting may be 

 prevented by turning the pot around every few 

 days. Large decorative plants may be made to 

 look as if growing naturally in the lawn by 

 sinking the pot or box just below the surface 

 level and rolling the sod over it, as suggested 

 in Fig. 50. A space around and below the tub 

 may be provided to insure drainage. 



For the shifting of very large tub -plants, a 

 box or tub with moveable sides, as in Fig. 51, 



