THE GREEN-HOUSE. 



153 



a knife, and then, without even loosening the remain- 

 ing part of the ball, to set it in a large pot among 

 fresh earth. As the mouths as absorbing pores of the 

 fibres are chiefly at the extreme ends of the fibres, 

 the absurdity of this practice is evident, and only the 

 most hardy free- growing kinds of plants can with- 

 stand it. If practised on the finer heaths, proteas, 

 and camellias, it would either kill them at once, or 

 render them so weakly that they would not recover 

 for several years, even if put under good management. 

 An experienced writer on plants in pots, the late Mr. 

 Gushing, foreman of the hot-houses at the Hammer- 

 smith nursery, states, that he believes ' more plants 

 have been destroyed by this practice, than by any 

 other point of mismanagement whatever.' 



If the plant be in a healthy state, and the roots but 

 sparingly wound round the ball of earth, the size of 

 pot need not be increased ; but the drainage and sur- 

 face must be removed, and the plant replaced on a 

 fresh drainage with a little mould, and surfaced over 

 in the same manner. Well shaken, it may be set on 

 the platform or floor and watered. 



Green-house plants for the most part require a con- 

 siderable share of pot room, especially the deciduous 

 kinds which grow in rich soil, and have large leaves, 

 as the GeraniacecB ; but great caution is necessary to 

 avoid over-potting such kinds as grow in peat soil ; 

 these plants being always much more easily killed in 

 large than in small pots. It is common for theoretical 

 cultivators to observe, that the larger the mass of 



