1426 
down and steadying it; this settles the soil considerably 
in the pot. Next take the stick described above and 
run it around the inside edge of the pot twice or so to 
pack the soil, add more 
evenly and firmly the entire surface with the thumbs, 
allowing half an inch of 
space between the surface 
of the soil and the upper 
edge of the pots to hold 
water. What has been 
said about new and clean 
pots applies with even 
greater force to large pots. 
The potting of orchids is 
a radically different opera- 
tion from the potting of 
purely terrestrial plants, 
about which the preceding 
has been written. Take 
cattleyas as an example. 
Being epiphytes, they do 
not require soil in which 
to grow. Put them in 
as small pots as possible. 
The material for potting 
best suited to these and 
most orchids is fibrous 
peat and live sphagnum 
adding- :> a small portion of 
broken charcoal if fresh- 
ly imported 
imported pieces are to 
and leaves. if potted, 
potted, cut away all 
away all the 
the old. dead roots, pseudobulbs 
and leaves. if the formation of the piece is uneven it 
should be cut in two, so as to combine the parts thus 
separated into a more symmetrical whole, with the 
growths pointing to the center. have the pot thoroughly 
clean, fill it about half with clean "crocks" and small 
pieces of charcoal, adjust the piece in the center of the 
pot, distributing evenly any roots which remain; but 
first spread a layer of moss over the "crocks," then press 
the preparation of peat and moss evenly and moderately 
firm around the piece and in the interstices between the 
roots, finishing up high around the center; insert some 
small-sized stakes at the proper places to support the 
piece, tie the growth to them, and the job is finished. 
fig. 1941 will show better than words can describe how 
the plant should look after it is potted. 
Repotting, when necessary, is almost identical in its 
details with potting itself. The spring is the best 
time to do it, even with species which flower in the fall. 
Carefully remove all the old crocks and other material, 
so as not to injure the roots, a pointed stick being the 
best implement for the purpose. Then replace as care- 
fully with new material in a clean pot. The undersigned 
dwells upon cleanliness 
repeatedly, for herein lies 
the great essential in suc- 
cessful plant - growing. 
Potting orchids in bas- 
kets, which sounds para- 
doxical, is identical with 
potting them in pots as 
far as the essential de- 
tails of manipulation are 
concerned. The potting 
of bulbs is discussed un- 
"shifting" is the tech- 
nical term used in the 
ilori-t'^ trade when plants 
are transferred to larger 
pots. See fig. l;t!'2. When 
the plant exhausts the soil 
in the small pot it must 
be put in a larger one to 
maintain growth. The 
trained eye detects at a 
glance by the appearance 
of the plant when it requires a "shift." those lacking 
such training can discover it by turning the plant out of 
the pot and examining the roots. (See Fig. 194,1.) If 
the outside of the ball of soil on the lower portion is 
1944. Repotting a sickly plant. 
The "shoulder" is rubbed 
ott as at b. repliu-ed by fresh 
soil and the whole ball of 
earth reduced in size. (Only 
a fraction of the plant's 
height is shown.) 
potting 
well netted with roots as in Fig. 1943, and particularly 
if most of them have lost the fresh creamy white color 
of healthy "working" roots, then the plant must be at 
once shifted, or it will soon reach that stage which is 
the bane of the careless plant - grower; viz., "pot- 
bound." 
"knocking out" is the technical term used by hr.rists 
to describe the turning of a plant out of a pot. the best 
way to do this is to take the pot in the right hand, 
invert it in passing it to the left, as the plant should be 
placed between the index and middle fingers of the i, ft 
hand, give the pot a smart tap on its rim on the edge 
of the bench and the liallut soil is separated from the 
pot; place the plant in a flat ready for the purpose, and 
repeat. one tap is all that is necessary in ninety-nine 
cases out of a hundred. It is bad practice to get into the 
habit of giving a series of taps. a~ it makes slow work. 
We are considering now the li.^t shift, i. e., from a 
2-inch to a 3-inch put. 
The plants having been knocked out, the next opera- 
tion is to "shoulder" them. This consists of removing 
the shoulder or edge of the ball of soil with the thumb 
and forefinger down to where the roots begin. Fig. 1944. 
The object of this is obvious, to remove leached-out soil 
and supply a fresh, nutritious portion in its place, so as 
to get the greatest possible advantage from shifting. 
Everything being made ready, the operator proceeds by 
putting a portion of soil in the bottom of the pot sufti- 
cient to raise the ball of soil flush with the edge of the 
pot. As this is being done, reach for the plant with the 
left hand and put it in the center of the pot; simultane- 
ously take a handful of soil in the right hand and fill 
the pot, then grasp the pot between the index and 
middle fingers of each hand, place the thumbs on each 
side of the plant at right angles with the body, lift the 
pot about a half-inch 
and set it back on the 
bench with a smart rap, 
pressing with the 
thumbs at the same 
time; change the 
thumbs to right angles 
with their former posi- 
tion and press again, 
then change so as to 
press where they have 
not touched already; 
three pressures of the 
thumbs and the rap on 
the bench, and the op- 
eration is done. A 
smart operator with 
two boys will shift ."i,- , 
000 plants in 10 hours. 
This amount of work is 
made possible only by eliminating all unnecessary mo- 
tions and making them synchronous with each hand in 
reaching for soil, pot and plant as described. One hand 
should not be idle while the other is employed. See 
Figs. 1945-9 for good and bad examples of potting. 
Be careful in shifting not to set the plants too deep. 
The tendency of roots is downward, and only enough of 
the stem to steady the plant in the pot should be in the 
soil. Plants set too deeply in the pots are easily over- 
watered, because so much soil is not within the influ- 
ence of root action. A few plants which root from the 
crown, like lilies, should be set deeper than such plants 
as roses, geraniums, fuchsias, palms and all plants 
whose root action is mainly downward. 
Do not give too great a shift at one time; that is, do 
not attempt to shift from a 2-inch pot to a 5- or 6-inch. 
As a rule, an inch at a time is best, especially for com- 
mercial purposes, where plants are grown to be shipped 
some distance. In private places soft-wooded plants 
may be shifted in spring from 2- to 4-inch pots and 
from 4- to 6-inch as the question of shipping does not 
enter. But it would not be safe even with these to do 
the same in late fall when growth is slower and the days 
are growing shorter. hard-wooded plants, such as 
palms, azaleas, etc., and even roses should never be 
shifted more than an inch at a time; in fact, it is better 
not to shift them later than September in any case. 
The spring is the best time to do center 
