seven] Cransplatitutg 57 



be removed with the shears. When a plant has out- 

 grown its pot and it is inexpedient to give it a larger 

 one especially if it is not making a very vigorous 

 top growth, part of the roots may be removed by run- 

 ning a knife down on two sides of the plant, which 

 should not be disturbed afterward until the roots 

 begin to grow anew, say, in three or four weeks, when 

 it may be repotted with good rich soil. 



In shifting plants turn them out of the pot with- 

 out disturbing the ball of earth. This may be done 

 by placing the hand over the pot, reversing it and giv- 

 ing it a sharp tap on the edge of the table, which will 

 loosen it. Sometimes, when a plant has become pot 

 bound, it will stick to the sides of the pot, when a 

 stick inserted in the drainage hole against the stone 

 in the bottom will usually loosen it. Having removed 

 the plant from the pot, take out the old drainage 

 material carefully, place in a pot a size or two larger 

 an inch or two of broken charcoal covered with a little 

 sphagnum moss to prevent the earth working into the 

 drainage and clogging it. Fill in as much earth as 

 the difference in the size of pot seems to require, work- 

 ing it well up around the sides with the trowel ; press 

 the old pot into this to make a hole the proper size 

 and shape ; place the plant, press the earth around it, 

 and add more if needed. Water well and return to 

 its place on the shelf or in the sand-box. 



In potting some plants will require to have the soil 

 pressed much more firmly around the roots than 



