364 Catalogue of Plants and Shrubs 



the earth is to be obtained immediately when wanted, take a 

 sharp spade, and pare off about an inch of the green sivard, and 

 take the under soil to the depth proposed, observing to break it 

 pretty fine with the spade or trowel, but by no means to pass it 

 through a riddle, for, by so doing, the most nutritive part of it is 

 thrown away. When this is done, add about one half old hot- 

 bed manure, or, if this is not at hand, use any other kind of stable 

 manure that*is well decomposed, with a portion of sand, and mix 

 the whole well together; this thoroughly done, the compost is 

 ready for use. 



Supposing the plant to be repotted is to be removed into a 

 pot a size or two larger: in order to take the plant out of the pot 

 with the ball entire, turn it upside down, and by giving the 

 rim of it two or three gentle taps on the potting bench, the plant, 

 "with the ball of earth and roots, will, generally, immediately leave 

 it; then trim off all the dry, matted, and mouldy fibres of the 

 roots, which spread about the side and bottom of the ball, and, 

 with a small sharp-pointed stick, scrape away very carefully a part 

 of the old soil all round; this done, put in a few potsherds at 

 the bottom of the new pot for drainage, and having first put a 

 little of the coarsest of the compost on this, place the plant in, 

 filling up all round the ball to within about half an inch of the top, 

 observing to cover over the surface of the old ball about an inch 

 with the new compost. A thin piece of stick may be used with 

 good effect, to work down the soil at the sides of the pot; then, 

 by giving the bottom of the pot two or three thumps on the pot- 

 ting bench, and a gentle watering afterwards, the operation is 

 completely finished. 



A similar compost is equally good for geraniums, only making 

 use of half the quantity of manure specified for the roses. The 

 repotting and trimming of the roots, &c. is the same. It is also 

 as good a compost as any that I have ever yet tried for orange 

 and lemon trees. Yours, 



J. W. Russell. 



Mount Jluburn, Cambridge, Sept. 13, 1836. 



Art. III. Calendar of Plants and Shrubs in bloom from the 

 month of May to October, inclusive. By the Conductors. 



In the month of August the flower border is not so prolific of 

 beautiful flovi^ers (excepting the dahlia) as July. And unless 



