Ill] REPOTTING 39 



wide, and long enough to reach the bottom of the 

 pot, should be employed. This sort of rammer 

 will be best until there is a space for a round 

 rammer, which should be 2 ins. thick, and 12 to 

 15 ins. long. 



A small quantity of soil should be used each 

 time, and the soil rammed firmly and evenly. 



After the trees are potted they should be 

 watered occasionally until the middle of Xo^'ember 

 if the weather is mild, and not frosty. They should 

 then be placed in their winter quarters, and water 

 ing discontinued. 



Annual potting, or, more correctly speaking, 

 repotting, is the best practice with trees growing 

 in 11 -in. or 13-in. pots ; but where larger pots are 

 used, 15, 17, or 19 ins., unless the tree is very large, 

 repotting need only be performed once in two years. 

 In the alternate years the trees may be top-dressed, 

 i.e. the old soil may be removed, with the aid of 

 the prong before mentioned, to the extent of about 

 one-third of the diameter of the ball, and from 4 to 

 6 ins. in depth, the space being refilled with new 

 soil. Care should always be taken in repotting or 

 top-dressing to ram the soil firmly. 



Where trees are surface-dressed in summer, 

 the roots will undoubtedly fill the surface-dressing 

 with small fibrous roots. When the trees are re- 

 potted in the autumn these small roots may all be 



