SHI 



mer. In performing the bufiners, it is moftly proper to re- 

 move the plants from the fmallerto tlie larger pots, with the 

 balls of earth about the roots, either wholly, or fome of 

 the outward old earth, the dry or matted radical fibres only 

 being carefully trimmed away, fo as not to difturb the prin- 

 cipal roots in the bodies of them, as by this means the plants 

 receive but little check in their growth by tlie removal. 

 Sometimes, when any particular plants, flirubs, or trees, 

 &c. in their pots, difcover by their tops that they are in a 

 dechning ftate, as probably the defeft may be either in the 

 root, or the old balls of earth, it may be proper to fhake 

 all the earth entirely away, in order to examine the roots, 

 and to trim and drefs them as the cafe may require, re- 

 planting them in entire frefh compoft or mould. 



And in preparing for this fort of work, where neceflary 

 to give larger pots, &c. it is proper to provide them of 

 fuitable fizes, in fome regular gradation larger than the 

 old ones, according to the nature and growth of the plants, 

 the whole being placed ready, with a proper quantity of 

 frefti compolt earth, in proportion to the number and fize 

 of the plants intended to bo fhifted : then let thofe plants 

 intended to be removed with balls, be taken out of their 

 old pots feparately, with the whole balls or clumps of earth 

 about the roots as entire as poflible ; and when large, or 

 tolerably full, with a knife trim off fome of the outward 

 loofeft earth, and the extreme fibres of the roots ; but when 

 fmall, and adhering together compaftly, the whole may be 

 preferved entire ; and in cither cafe, where there are very 

 matted, dry, or decayed fibres furrounding the balls, they 

 Ihould be trimmed as it may feem nccelTary : in thofe of a 

 fre(h lively growth, the loofe llraggling parts only fliould 

 be cut away. The requifite pruning, trimming, or dreff- 

 ing in the heads or tops, fhould alfo be given where it may 

 feem proper, according to the ftate of growth, and the na- 

 tural habit of the different plants ; but many forts require 

 little or none of this fort of attention. 



Then having prepared the intended pots for the reception 

 of the plants, by placing fome pieces of tile or oyfter-lhell, 

 &c. loofely over the holes at bottom, and laid in a little frefh 

 earth, two, three, or four inches deep, or more, according 

 to the fize of the pot, the plant fhould be fet in with its 

 ball of earth, as above, filling up around it with more frefh 

 mould, raifing it an inch or two over the top of the ball ; 

 and giving direclly a moderate watering, to fettle the earth 

 clofe about the ball and roots regularly in every part, in a 

 proper manner : in fuch cafes where the ball in particular 

 plants appears very compaAly hard and binding, it may be 

 proper to loofen it a little, by thrulting a fharp-pointed ilick 

 down into the earth in different parts, giving it a gentle 

 •wrench, to open the earth moderately ; or fometimes it may 

 alfo be proper to trim away fome of the old earth on the top 

 and fides, then planting it as above, and filling up round and 

 over the ball with frefh earth, and watering it afterwards. 



Alfo, in fhifting hardy or tender, fhrubby, fucculent, or 

 herbaceous plants, when any appear of a fickly, weak, or 

 unhealthy growth, it may be advifeable to clear off a confi- 

 derable part of the outward old earth from the balls about 

 the roots, or, in fome cafes, to fliake it wholly away, that 

 the defefts in the growths, occafioned either by faults in 

 the roots or in the earth, may be removed by pruning out any 

 decayed or bad parts of the roots, and replanting them 

 wholly in frefh earth. 



And fometimes particular forts of plants in pots require 

 fliifting, more for the advantage of having frefh eaith, than 

 for want of new, or larger pots ; and as in this cafe fome of 

 tht fame pots may be fl:ll of an eligible fize to repot them in, 

 thefe Dot8 fhould be well cleaned from all the adhering parts 

 7 



SHI 



of the old earth, and be replenifhed with entire new, at the 

 time of repotting the plants ; which being removed out of 

 their pots, either with the entire balls about the roots, and 

 part of the old mould cleared off all round, to admit of a 

 larger portion of frefli earth in the pot at replanting ; or in 

 fome, appearing of an infirm or declining habit, the whole 

 balls of old earth difplaced clean to the roots ; then having 

 furnifhed the pots with frefh earth, the plants fhould be re- 

 placed in them, filling up the pots regularly with a fufEciency 

 of the fame frefh mould, and finifhing with a moderate 

 watering to fettle the whole clofe about their roots. 



Likewife after fhifting, when the plants ai-e not watered 

 at the time, a moderate watering, both to the earth in the 

 pots to fettle it clofe about the roots, and in moft forts 

 highly over the tops or heads of the plants, fhould be given, 

 in order to wafh off any foulnefs ; then the pots of plants 

 fhould be fet in their refpeftivc ftations in the garden, &c. : 

 the hardy kinds, if warm funny weather, may be placed 

 in a fhady border fur two or three weeks, till they have 

 ftruck frefh root in the new earth : the tender forts fhould be 

 difpofed in their places among the green-houfe and flove- 

 plants, or to have the benefit of fliade in the middle of hot 

 funny days, till frefh flruck, or probably fome of the more 

 tender particular forts may require to be plunged in a hot- 

 bed or bark-bed, efpecially fome of the ftove kinds : fome 

 principal forts of the more curious cr tender grcen-houfe 

 plants, in order to expedite their frcfh-rooting more eflec- 

 tually ; and fometimes tender annuals in hot-beds, potted 

 in their early young growth, may require to be replunged 

 in the hot-bed to frefh Itrike, and forward them till June ; 

 but generally all the full ground or open air plants only re- 

 quire a little occafional fhade in hot dry weather the firfl 

 two or three weeks, and fome fhifted with full balls about 

 the roots, only need occafional watering ; afterwards, on 

 the whole, both the hardy and tender kinds fhould have re- 

 peated moderate waterings given them., according to their 

 kinds. 



SHIFTS, fuch parts of a farm as are allotted for the 

 reception of either flock or crops. It is alfo a term ap- 

 plied to the rotations of cropping lands : thus we have 

 three, four, five, and fix-courfe fhifts. See Courfe of 

 Chops. 



SHIJASCHKOTAN,in Geography. See Syaskutan. 



SHIITES, in the Hijlory of Mahometan SeSs, were the 

 opponents of the Kharejites ; fee that article. This name 

 properly ^\gmhe5 feclaries or adherents in general, but is pe- 

 cuharly ufed to denote thofe of AH Ebn Abi Taleb ; who 

 maintain him to be lawful caliph and imam, and that the 

 lupreme authority, both in fpirituals and temporals, of 

 right belongs to his defcendants, notvvithflanding they may 

 be deprived of it by the injuftice of others, or their own 

 fear. They alfo teach, that the office of imam is not a 

 common thing, depending on the will of the vulgar, fo that 

 they may fet up whom they pleafe ; but a fundamental affair 

 of religion, and an article which the prophet could not have 

 negleiled, or left to the fancy of the common people ; nay 

 fome, thence called Imamians, go fo far as to affert, that 

 religion confifts folcly in the knowledge of the true imam. 

 The principal fefts of the Shiites are five, which are fub- 

 divided into an almofl incred.ble number ; fo that fome un- 

 derlland Mohammed's prophecy ofthefeventy odd fefts, of 

 the Shiites only. Their general opinions are, i. That the 

 peculiar defignation of the imam, and the teftimonies of the 

 Koran and Mohammed concerning him, are necefTary points. 

 2. That the imams ought neceflarily to keep themfelves 

 free from light fins as well as more grievous. 3. That 

 every one ought pubhcly to declare who it is that he ad- 

 here* 



I 



