CHAP. III. POT-CULTUEE. 67 



rnehter, when a fresh and abundant deposit of dirt upon the 

 leaves of the plants is the inevitable consequence. How 

 deleterious this must be to many of the Orchids, which in their 

 native homes live high up on trees far out of the region of dust 

 and dirt, may easily be conceived. 



Sir J. Paxton advises " to maintain a regular supply of 

 moisture, and likewise obviate the necessity of pouring water 

 on the soil, so as to endanger the rotting of the plant at its base, 

 each pot should be furnished with a pan filled with water. 

 Specimens are preserved sometimes in this way with the greatest 

 security, as the mere application of water to the surface of a 

 pot, in which a delicate plant is growing, often causes it to 

 decay at the juncture of the stems and roots."* A modification 

 of this plan I have for some time past adopted, and found highly 

 advantageous, especially with flowering annuals, in the month 

 of February, when the weather begins to become hot and dry. 

 At that period, though the malee, when not watched, .often 

 does little more than just sprinkle the surface of the soil, still, 

 by any amount of watering from above, it would be almost 

 impracticable even so much as to damp the roots at the bottom 

 of the pot. 



Several earthenware glazed pans, of the same depth as the 

 flower-pots, are procured from the bazar. These are filled with 

 water just so full that, when a flower-pot is placed in one of 

 them, the water rises up to a level with the rim of the flower-pot. 

 Each flower-pot may be allowed to remain immersed about six 

 hours, by which time the water will force itself up through the 

 hole at the bottom of the pot, and thoroughly saturate the whole 

 contents of the pot. All the pots are thus placed in the water- 

 pans in succession, and watered effectually. A plant that has 

 been thus treated will not require water again for three or foui 

 days. There need be no fear of the plants suffering from water 

 lying stagnant at their roots, concerning which such strong 

 cautions are usually given by those who insist upon the necessity 

 of thorough drainage, as the water will dry up by evaporation 

 long before it has time to stagnate. An advantage, moreover, 

 resulting from this mode of occasionally watering potted plants 

 of all kinds is, that the action of the water, forcing its way 

 upwards, tends to loosen and lighten the soil, counteracting 



* ' Botanical Magazine/ vol. viii. p. 227. 



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