520 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING 



Part III. 



or ten ckys, or even at greater intervals, if the weather be moist and hazy. It is safer, in winter, to give 

 too little,, rather than too much water to pine-plants, nor should they be watered over head at this season. 

 They should be watered in the forenoon of a sunny day, at this time of the year, in order that any water 

 spilt on the bark, or in the hearts of the plants, may be exhaled by the heat of the sun, and by an extra 

 quantity of air purposely admitted. This precaution, however, is only necessary for the sake of such 

 crowns and suckers as have been struck late last season, and are not very well rooted ; such being more 

 apt to damp off than others that are better established." In summer he supplies water regularly and 

 plentifully once in three days ; giving the proper quantity at root, and then a dewing over the leaves. 

 Water frequently with the draining of the dunghill. 



2743. Temjierature of the ivater. M'Phail says, " Eighty degrees is the medium 

 heat of the water with which pines should be watered." He adds, " I would advise 

 never to water them with water under seventy, unless in very wann weather, when the 

 earth about their roots will soon regain its natural warmth." ((?. Ee7n. p. 128.) 



2744. Steaming. M'Phail obtains this in summer " by sprinkling the flues and paths 

 now and then with clean water in the afternoon, and shuts up the houses with a strong 

 heat in them." (G. Bern. p. 240.) 



2745. Shading. This, all the authors quoted, agree in recommending during bright 

 sunshine, after newly potting offsets. Aberci-ombie says, " shade them with thin mats 

 in the middle of hot days ; dividing the hours before and after twelve, so as to amount 

 to a fourth of the morning, and a third of the afternoon." (Pr. G. p. 629.) Speechly 

 approves of shading, and effects it in an ornamental and useful manner by training vines 

 on the rafters. 



2746. Shifting nurse-plants. " Offsets planted early in the season," Speechly says, 

 *' should be carefully looked over in September, and all the forward crowns and 

 suckers that are grown large, and with an appearance of being under-potted, should 

 be removed into larger-sized pots, with their roots- and bulbs entire." {Tr. on Fine, 

 p. 38.) 



2747. Abercrombie says, " When offsets have been potted in July or August, remember by October to 

 examine the roots of the most vigorous plants. Should any have filled the pots, shift them into larger ; 

 but new roots will not often have filled the pots at that inconvenient period." {Pr. G. p. 625.) 



2748. M'Phail does not shift unstruck crowns and suckers, planted in the end of August or September, 

 till the following March or April, and pots with entire balls like Nicol. 



' 2749. Nicol new-pots offsets planted in summer in the following March. " Let them be shaked out 

 entirely; the balls be quite reduced ; the roots be trimmed of all straggling and decayed fibres ; and let 

 them be replaced in the same, or in similar pots. The proper size of pots, however, in which to put 

 crowns and suckers struck last season, is about four inches inside diameter at top, and six inches deep. 

 A little clean gravel should be laid at the bottom of each pot, in order to drain off extra moisture, and 

 this should be observed in the potting of pine-plants of all sorts. I have generally observed, that if the 

 bark-heat be not violent, the plants will push very strong fibres into this stratum of gravel, in which they 

 seem to delight. I therefoi-e generally make it two inches thick in small pots, and three or four in larger 

 ones, less or more, according to their sizes. From the time I first adopted this mode of potting, I hardly 

 ever had an instance of an unhealthy plant ; and this very particular, together with that of keejvlng the 

 plants always in a mild bottom heat, is of greater importance in the culture of pines, than all the ether 

 rules that have been given respecting them, out of the ordinary way. The roots of pines seem to delight 

 in gravel; and 1 have been careful to introduce it into the mould for plants oT all ages. I generally 

 used small sea-gravel, in which was a considerable pi'oportion of shells, or chips of shells, with other 

 particles of a porous nature ; and I have uniformly observed the finest fibres cling to these, and often 

 insinuate themselves through the pores, or embrace the rougher particles. Therefore, if sea-gravel can 

 be obtained, prefer it ; and next, river-gravel ; but avoid earthy pit-gravel, and rather use sharp sand, or 

 a mixture of pounded stone, chips, and brick-bats. The plants being repotted, plunge them in the 

 bark-bed again, quite down to the rims of the pots, keeping t'lem perfectly level. Eight or nine 

 inches from centre to centre will be distance sufficient. When they are all placed, give a little aired 

 water, to settle the earth about their roots. This need not be repeated till the heat in the bed rise to the 

 pots, after which, as the plants will now begin to grow fi-eely, they must be watered at the root once in 

 four or five days ; and they may have a dewing ovSr head, from the fine rose of a watering-pot, occasion- 

 ally, if the weather be fine." 



2750. In May, Nicol again shifts, " but the plants are not to be shaken out at this time, but are to be 

 shifted, balls entire, into pots of about six inches diameter, and eight inches deep. If the roots be any- 

 wise matted at bottom, or at the sides, they must be carefully singled out ; and in potting, be sure that 

 there be no cavity left between the ball and the sides of the new pot. In order the more effectually to 

 prevent which, use a small, blunt-pointed, somewhat wedge-shaped stick, to trindle in the mould wi'th ; 

 observing that it be in a dry state, and be sifted fine ; and also to shake the pot well (potting on a bench 

 or table), the better to settle the earth about the ball. Pots of this size should be filled to v/ithin half an 

 inch of their brims (the balls being covered about an inch with fresh earth), as the whole will settle 

 about as much, and so leave a full inch for holding water, which is enough. In preparing the plants for 

 potting, observe to twist off a few of the bottom leaves, as they ahvays put out fine roots from the lower 

 part of the stem. Also, before letting the plant out of hand, trim off the points of any leaves that may 

 have been bruised or anywise injured in the shifting. Replunge the pots to the brim, as before, observing 

 to keep them quite level, at the distance of fifteen inches from centre to centre of the plants on a medium ; 

 then give a little water, which need not be repeated till the heat rise to the pots." 



2751. Nicol, ill November, shifts such others whose roots have filled their pots, and have become any- 

 wise matted. " p:xamine any you suspect to be so, and let them be shifted into pots of the next size im- 

 mediately above those they are in ; keeping the balls entire, and only singling out the netted fibres at 

 bottom. The rest should be trimmed of any dead leaves at bottom of their stems, and should have a 

 little cf the old mould taken from off the surface of the pots ; which replace with fresh earth ; filling the 

 pots fuller than u 'ual, as but little water v/ill be required till next shifting time in the spring. The 

 whole should then be replaced in the bark-bed as before, and should be plunged quite to the rims of the 

 pots ; giving a little water to settle the earth about their roots, which need not be repeated till the heat 

 rise in the bed." 



2752. Insects and diseases. See this article under General Diirctions. (Subsect. 8.) 



