•1900 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



27 



in very small pots, and shifting them very 

 gradually to the next size larger, and so on. 



Plants need air as well as water and fertile 

 soil. I have just got on to the fact that the 

 roots need air, and must have it. Too much 

 air dries them up, and kills them very quickly; 

 but just enough, with just enough moisture, 

 does wonderful things. In taking the straw- 

 berry-plants out of the pots to ship them by 

 mail in jadoo fiber, I have often noticed with 

 ■wonder the little white roots covered with mi- 



croscopic hairs. Well, these rootlets are the 

 chaps that want air ; and in pursuit of air they 

 push out very speedily until they touch the 

 outside of the little pot ; and then they really 

 seem to love to crawl around with great speed 

 between the pot and the soil. I have some- 

 times been surprised to see how quickly the 

 roots of a strawberry-plant would make a per- 

 fect network all around against the sides of 

 the pot ; and if we do not watch them they 

 will actually go around the pot not only once 



