THE POTTING OP PLANTS. 47 



pcnse with your crocking in growing Azaleas, Heaths, 

 Epacris, Camellias, and you will soon see how it will 

 result." Now if my theory is correct that the plant drains 

 from the sides, and not from the bottom of the pot, the 

 variety of plant has nothing to do with the matter, and 

 for that reason it makes no difference what is the size 

 or what the kind of plant grown, be it 6 inches or 6 feet, 

 be it a Scarlet Geranium or an Orchid. But though I 

 do not grow them now, I have grown Heaths, Camellias, 

 and Azaleas, without crocking, just as creditably as we 

 grow anything else. Heaths particularly, at one time, 

 we grew largely, supplying them to the trade in large 

 quantities, for winter flowers. I am glad to know that 

 nearly all the larger florists' establishments thoughout the 

 country have abandoned this useless practice. I do not 

 know one in the vicinity of New York but where it is 

 ignored, unless, perhaps, when in growing large plants 

 of Roses or Camellias in boxes or tubs ; but, in such cases, 

 there is not much chance for admission of air or evapora- 

 tion from the sides, and, to compensate for this, the 

 box or tub is usually filled with potsherds or charcoal to 

 one-third its depth. And, again, perhaps when pots too 

 large for the size of the plant are used, drainage to one- 

 third the depth is employed to counteract the injury that 

 would be done by too great a mass of soil around the 

 roots. That plants are grown as well in our florists' 

 establishments here as they are in England, there is but 

 little question. If the specimens of plants that we import 

 annually are fair examples, we think far better, although 

 I do not mean to say that the use of crocks is the diffi- 

 culty ; but in these large European establishments the pro- 

 prietor is apt, in many cases, to get above his business, and 

 leave it to the care of his subordinates. One great bar 

 to changes is the easy maxim, that we are all apt to 

 hold, " Let well enough alone." This, perhaps, is what 

 makes thousands excuse themselves for what I think is an 



