PLANTING. 85 



without any great loss, and here we have one reason 

 why we prefer young plants to old ones. A con- 

 sideration of this fact will also lead us to follow out 

 each root to its termination and so secure all the 

 fibres possible. Where the plants have been started 

 in sandy, friable soil this is not a laborious task, but 

 where the soil is clayey and plastic, it is often a w^ork 

 of considerable difficulty. 



In any case, however, the purchaser should see 

 that the roots are taken up as completely and entirely 

 as possible, and it will also be well to prune all that 

 are bruised, broken, or diseased — taking such injured 

 parts off with a clean cut. As these injuries can 

 never be so well seen, or so well remedied as when 

 the plant is newly taken up, this is the best time to 

 attend to them; and this forms another reason why 

 the purchaser should, if possible, give this matter hi? 

 personal supervision. They should then be dipped 

 in puddle made of good garden soil, stirred up with 

 water ; clay is frequently used for this purpose, and so 

 is cow dung, but very injudiciously. The former is 

 too tough and hard and prevents the formation of 

 young roots, while the latter (as it is commonly used) 

 is caustic and destructive to the tender fibres. "We 

 have tried all three substances and are confident that 

 nothing will be found equal to good common soil. 



If the nursery in which the plants have been raised 



