526 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING 



Part III. 



an improvement, as being much smaller, losing less room in paths, and being comparatively easily 

 heated. 



2796. Shifting and j)otting. Speechly shifts into fruiting-pots in August (see this 

 article under Succession Department), and afterwards, in the following March, divests 

 the plants of a few of their bottom leaves, renews the mould on the tops of the pots as 

 deep as can be done without injuring the roots, and fills up with fresh compost earth. 

 He says, " It is very injurious to the plants, and greatly retards the swelling of the fruit 

 to remove them after this season." (Tr. on Pine, p. 49.) 



2797. Abercromhie differs from this author, in shifting in the spring after the plants show fruit : he says, 

 " The main set of plants from the succession-pit will usually be ready for the fruiting-house in the course 

 of August. As to a criterion for removing full-gro^vn pines ; shift them just as the roots have tilled the 

 pot, so as to turn out whole. Late plants may not be in this state till October. The bark-bed, here, 

 must be renewed, as on every occasion of repotting plants : but to guard against an untimely show of 

 fruit, the strength of the new bark must be kept considerably below the extreme limit, and there should 

 be a layer of old bark to the full depth of the pots. For the large sorts, provide pots twelve inches in 

 diamater and fifteen inches in depth. For forward plants also, which you are apprehensive require free 

 space for the root and hevb, to prevent them from fruiting too early, provide pots two inches wider and 

 three inches deeper than those out of which they are to be turned ; but the additional room in the pots 

 should be no more than you may calculate the roots will fill up by the time at which you propose to have 

 them fruit. On the other hand, if you have any reluctant fruiters, when you transfer them to the 

 fruiting-house, postpone shifting them into new pots, in order that the impletion of the pot by the roots 

 may accelerate their fruiting ; or shift them into pots barely large enough to receive the roots, putting 

 them into mould rendered, by an increased quantity of river-sand and fresh loam, somewhat less rich 

 than the compost for pines in general : whichever of "these courses may have been taken, as soon as they 

 show fruit in the spring, shift them into kirge pots, without disturbing the ball of earth ; and then fill 

 the side of the pot with the best mould. Lay in the bottom of the fresh pots clean shivers, or sea-gravel, 

 to the thickness of two inches, and as much compost as will keep the ball, or. root, to be received, level at 

 top with the rim. At the shifting of plants that come from the succession-pit, twist off some of the 

 bottom leaves, as far as the ripened stem is ready to send out new roots. Turn out each plant with the 

 ball of earth entire J set it in the new pot, fill tlie vacancy with compost, and raise the mould to the 

 lowest leaves by spreading compost over the ball ; leaving a hollow descent to the depth of the rim to 

 hold water. Plunge the pots in the tan-bed, distributing those in the same range eight inches apart." 



2798. Second shifting. "There is in general no second shifting ; but the plants remain 

 in the pots assigned at their coming from the succession-pit till the fruit is ripened. 

 But, 1. In the case mentioned above, there is sometimes a spring shifting. 2. When 

 plants which were regularly shifted, come into fruit early, and it is wished to retard them, 

 you may give them a second shifting in February, or at any time before the fruit lias 

 attained half the full diameter ; putting them into pots one size larger, and proceeding, in 

 other respects, as at the introductory shifting. Tliough this acts as a temporary check, 

 the advantage of fresh mould contributes to swell the fruit. 3. To plants which are 

 sickly, or growing out of shape, the best remedy is, to shift them as soon as tliis is per- 

 ceived, changing the mould, and pruning away decayed parts of the roots as there may 

 be occasion." [Abercrombie.) 



2799. M'Pkail, with Speechly, shifts finally in August or September ; gives a dressing in March, and, in 

 general, does not move them again till they have ripened their fruit, unless to give more bottom heat. 

 Sometimes, however, plants intended for fruiting tlie following year, when shifted late in the autumn into 

 pots which their roots do not fill well before the month of January, do not show fruit till late in the spring 

 or summer months. For this reason it is advisable, when they cannot be shifted early enough in the 

 month of August or beginning of September, so as to fill the pots with roots before the winter come on, 

 to let them remain unshifted till the fruit appear, and the stem of it be grown to its full height, and 

 then shift the plants into larger pots, in the manner before directed, disturbing the roots of the plants 

 as little as can be helped. After the plants ai-e shifted, they must not get much water till the fresh 

 growth of the roots has somewhat exhausted the moisture of the fresh earth put round them. (Gard. 

 Mem.) 



2800. Nicol shifts finally in August, and top-dresses in Februarj' ; but plants that are unhealthy, feeble, and 

 do not stand firm in their pots, should be shaken out entirely, and be replaced in the same pots ; trimming 

 their roots according as they may need, but retaining all" fresh healthy fibres. Any plants that have 

 already started into fruit, should also be shaken out, and be fresh potted,'as above ; which, by the check 

 they receive, will keep them back to a better season of ripening, and by the force of fresh earth, make 

 them swell their fruit larger than they otherwise would have done. I have thus new-potted plants, 

 even in flower, with very much success, and have swelled the fruit to a size far bevond my expectations ; 

 of which fact any one may easily satisfy himself, by fresh-potting a few plants, and comparing their pro- 

 gress with others treated in the ordinary way. Let the plants be replunged to the brim as before, keep- 

 ing the pots quite level. If the plants be full-sized, and strong, they will require to be set at about 

 twenty inches apart from centre to centre, on a medium. But they should be sorted ; the smallest 

 placed in front, and the largest at back, as in arranging plants on a stage, that they may have an equal 

 share of sun and light. As soon as replaced in the bark-bed, let them have a little water, to settle the 

 earth about their roots. In May he again top-dresses, " reducing an inch or two of the earth from off 

 the surface, and adding some fresh mould, which will invigorate the plants, cause them to push sur- 

 face radicles, and so keep^ them the more firm and steady. This needs not be done, however, to plants 

 whose fruit are nearly ripe ; but chiefly to healthy plants new-shown in flower, past the flower, or with 

 the fruit about half grown. And with respect to any that are unhealthv, and whose fruit are less than 

 half grown, do not hesitate to shift them, shaking them out, trimming'their roots, and retaining only 

 healthy fibres. This is a very great improvement in the culture of pines, which I formerly practised, 

 have since advised, and have seen followed with much success." (Kal. p. S94.) 



2801. Griffin shifts, for the last time, in October, with the balls entire as before, allowing them in the bark- 

 bed about twenty inches from plant to plant, and two feet distance from row to row ; " the first row 

 eighteen inches from the kirb, angling them in rows as you go on." The pots he uses are twelve inches 

 diameter, and ten inches deep. 



2802. Baldwin shifts of the last time, in September, into pots " of about fourteen inches diameter, at the 

 top," at first half plunging the pots till the heat diminishes to a safe temperature. J^e after^vards fills 

 up the interstices with tan, and lets the plants so remain until they are fruited off for the table. (Cult, of 

 Anan. p. 17.) 



