36 The New Practical Window Gardener. 



takes up room in a pot which should be occupied with 

 food for the roots. 



Drainage will get choked up sometimes. One great 

 cause of this is earth-worms, which must be hunted for 

 as soon as you perceive traces of them. You wiU soon 

 know if a worm is present in the soil by its casts upon 

 the surface. If you have a suspicion that there is a 

 worm present, turn out the ball of the plant and search 

 for it. The proper way to do this is to take the neck 

 of the plant between the fore and middle fingers of the 

 left hand, placing the bottom of the pot in the right, 

 then turn it over and give the rim of the pot a rap or 

 two on the table and the ball will loosen freely. Take 

 the pot gently off with the right hand, taking care not 

 to disturb the drainagCj and you will see at once by 

 the appearance of the ball if a worm is there, as if so 

 the runs or channels will be traceable all round, and 

 most likely you will find the rascal lying lengthways in 

 one of them. It is sometimes difiicult to get the worm 

 out, for it disappears from view if not taken firm hold 

 of quickly. In replacing the pot on the ball do not 

 disturb the drainage. A smart dump or two on the table 

 will settle the plant into its old position. 



To water with soap-suds is another way of catching 

 them, and also water that a few pieces of lime have been 

 slacked in. This makes them rise to the surface, and 

 then they are easily caught. 



"Worms are a great nuisance in a flower-pot, for they 

 not only feed on the strength of the soil, but they 

 also break numbers of small fibrous roots and make the 

 ball loose and broken, all which evils very soon tell 



