TRANSPLANTING 



243 



clean and are usually dipped in water before receiving 

 the plants, until they have absorbed as much of the liquid 

 as they will take without leaving any upon the surface. 

 Rooted cuttings are generally potted in pots one and one- 

 half to two inches in diameter, and the plants are changed 

 to larger pots (shifted) as the roots require more room. 

 Pots four inches or more in diameter are commonlv filled 



FIG. 148. Potting. The work- 

 man takes the pot in his left 

 hand, and at the same time a 

 handful of potting soil in the 

 right hand. 



FIG. 149. He places the soil in 

 the pot, pressing it against one 

 side with the right hand, while 

 he picks up a plant with the 

 left hand. 



one-third full or less with pieces of broken pots (pots- 

 herds) to insure abundant drainage, and these are often 

 covered with a little sphagnum moss before putting in the 

 soil. The soil used for potting should be of a sort that 

 does not harden, " bake," on drying, and should gener- 

 ally be liberally supplied with plant-food. Decayed 

 sods from an old pasture, leaf mold, decomposed ma- 

 nure and sand, the whole mixed and sifted through a 

 coarse sieve, form a good potting soil. The proportions 



