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state it can be more safely, easily, and 

 economically attended to in a small 

 pot. The one-shift system requires 

 room for its adoption. Striking indivi- 

 dual, rather than mere general results, 

 are its characteristics ; and, therefore, 

 where a constant show of bloom, and 

 considerable variety in a small space 

 are chiefly desired, it should only be 

 sparingly adopted. The chief object 

 aimed at is rapidity of growth, and thus 

 obtaining a beautiful specimen in a 

 much shorter period than could easily 

 be realized by the succession-shift 

 system. By the one-shift system we 

 obtain a vigorous growth, but yet, from 

 being in a pot, luxuriance may be so 

 controlled as not to interfere with the 

 flowering. In fact, with the extra care 

 and trouble involved, we obtain the 

 advantage without the disadvantages of 

 the planting-out system. For the one- 

 shift system, as well as in every other 

 case, where a fine specimen is desired, 

 a young plant must be commenced 

 with that has never had its roots matted 

 round the pot. Such a plant will soon 

 overtake one four times its size, but 

 which has several times densely rilled 

 its pot with roots. 



The freely-growing plants, and whose 

 existence is short, are the best to com- 

 mence with. Many of them are best 

 managed upon this system. Wherever 

 rapidity and strength of growth is an 

 object, annuals intended to flower in 

 pots, after being once pricked off into 

 small pots or preparatory beds, and 

 thus established, can scarcely be too 

 soon afterwards transferred to their 

 blooming pots. Where double flowers, 

 as in the balsam, or swelling-off part 

 of the ilower, as the receptacle in the 

 case of the cockscomb, are wished for, j 

 then different methods may be adopted 

 to secure a desired end. With such 

 hard-wooded plants as Heaths and 

 Epacrises, the most striking results 

 are obtained by the one shift system ; 

 but as greater care is necessary to 

 success with such plants, we would 

 advise young beginners to try some of 

 the above soft-wooded plants in the 

 first place, and to keep in view for all 

 the cases they may try, whether the 

 plants are soft-wooded or hard. 



In common with other modes of 

 potting, the pots should be sound, 

 fairly burned, dry, and either new, or 

 thoroughly clean, outside and inside. 

 Secondly, yood drainage always essen- 

 tial must here form a chief element 

 of success. In all plants intended to 

 remain in the same pot for years, it 

 cannot be too particularly attended to. 

 Green moss, or chopped wheat straw, 

 strewed over the drainage, is a good 

 thing for preventing the earthy parti- 

 cles above being washed into and 

 choking it up. Broken charcoal, from 

 whence the dust has been extracted, is 

 also very useful for this purpose. In- 

 deed, larger pieces of charcoal may 

 constitute the chief part of the drain- 

 age, which will be lighter than most 

 things that could be used a matter of 

 considerable importance. On this 

 account, alone it is valuable for mixing 

 with the compost, to keep it open, 

 independently of any chemical proper- 

 ties it may possess. Thirdly, soil. 

 Tliis, whatever maybe its constituents, 

 should be rough and lumpy : the bulk, 

 in general cases, consisting of pieces 

 from the size of peas up to that of 

 beans and walnuts; and in cases of 

 larger pots, a few pieces may be as 

 large as hen's eggs. In such compost 

 the plants will grow rapidly ; and even 

 in the case of heaths, &c., they will 

 maintain a healthy appearance for 

 years. Should much of the compost 

 be in larger pieces, the plant will not at 

 all be greatly injured for the first sea- 

 son, or more, nor yet as long as the 

 roots are contented to crawl around the 

 surface of the lumps ; but when they 

 have reached the side of the pot, and 

 necessity leads them to penetrate the 

 large pieces, a declining appearance is 

 apt to present itself. Hence the com- 

 plaints against the system, that though 

 plants grow vigorously at first, they 

 were short-lived. Such large shifts in 

 the fine sifted soil of old could not 

 succeed, unless in potted specimens 

 ! that received more care than can in 

 ! general be given to plants. Using 

 huge lumps of loam, or peat, would 

 tend to produce a similar evil, though 

 from causes apparently different. The 

 ! middle course is the safe one, but with 



