OF POTTING. 277 



is exposed will be more immediately felt by the roots ; 

 the latter, as they grovf, will ramify regularly all 

 through the mass of earth, which, moreover, will 

 be thoroughly drained : but if, on the other hand, a 

 very small young plant is placed at once in a large 

 pot, and left to grow there, the drainage will be less 

 perfect, the large mass of earth will be less sensible 

 of the heat to which it is exposed, the roots will from 

 the first take a horizontal direction towards the ou:- 

 side of the pot, and, once there, will follow its surface 

 'as has been already stated, exhausting the small 

 quantity of earth with which they are then in con- 

 tact, and profiting little or nothing by the main body 

 of soil in the interior of the pot. As the proper 

 manner of managing potted plants is of the first con- 

 sequence, I transcribe the following mode of treating 

 the Balsam, from a very sensible paper by the Rev. 

 "William Williamson. 



" As soon as they have got four leaves, I trans- 

 plant them singly into the smallest pots lean procure, 

 and in such a manner that the stem of the plant may 

 be covered somewhat more than it was at first, and 

 then all are to be again placed in the frame. In a 

 short time, if there be a sufficiency of heat, that part 

 of the stem which is covered with the mould puts 

 forth fibres, by which nourishment is conveyed more 

 immediately to the principal stem of the plant. As 

 soon as the plants are a little advanced in growth, 

 they are again removed (if possible without disturb 

 ing the earth) into somewhat larger pots, still plant- 

 ing them rather deeper than before. The same process 



