MAR.] AND CONSERVATORY. 503 



require frcsli potting twice or thrice a-year, and 

 others perhaps only once ; but by turning any plant 

 carefully out of its pot, and examining the roots, 

 the matter may readily be determined. If the 

 roots be much clustered, or matted about the sides 

 and bottom of the ball, the plant evidently requires 

 to be repotted ; for it could not flourish long in 

 such a state. The potting of individual plants, 

 however, is seldom so urgent a matter in the winter 

 months, but that it may be delayed till about this 

 time ; and hence tlie reason why I have not noti- 

 ced this subject in the two preceding months. 



It is not always necessary to piit plants into lar- 

 ger pots than such as they may happen to be in, 

 though it is frequently so. But if this were inva- 

 riably to be done, when their roots have filled the 

 pots, they would ultimately require pots or tubs 

 out of all ordinary bounds. A healthy, young 

 plant, in a small or middle-sized pot, may certainly 

 be shifted into one considerably larger, according 

 to its nature, or the size to which it is to be allow- 

 ed to grow. A plant come to full size, and in a 

 large pot or tub, that requires fresh potting on ac- 

 count of its roots being matted, or on account of 

 sickliness, may be replaced into the same or a si- 

 milar pot •, and if on account of sickliness, it may, 

 perhaps with propriety, be put into one consider- 

 ably smaller. 



In either of these cases, the ball must be reduced 

 to a moderate size, perhaps to a half, or one-third 

 of its former bulk ; singling out the matted roots, 

 and trimming away all that are mouldy or decayed, 



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