potenti'lla. 



224 



POTTING. 



both propagated by cuttings in sand, 

 under a bell-glass, and plunged into 

 bottom heat. 



Portugal Laurfl. — Cerasus Lu- 

 sitanica. — A handsome evergreen 

 shrub, which thrives best in moist 

 shady situations, and which sometimes 

 attains the size of a tree. In Ireland, 

 Portugal Laurels attain an enormous 

 size, the moisture of the climate suit- 

 ing them admirably. 



PoTAMOGETON. AUsmaceCB. 



Pondweed. — British weeds, one or two 

 species of which are ornamental ; as 

 for example, P. rufescens, P. lucens, 

 and P. natans. 



Potknti'lla. — Rosacea. — A ge- 

 nus of herbaceous plants, and one or 

 two shrubs, the greater part of which 

 are ornamental, and some eminently 

 so. They all thrive in any common 

 soil, and are readily increased by divi- 

 sion of the plants, or by seeds, which 

 most of them produce in abundance. 

 They also hybridise freely, from which 

 new kinds are frequently raised by Flo- 

 rists. The principal shrubby species is 

 Potenttlla fruticbsa, which forms a 

 hardy bush, commonly between two 

 feet and three feet high, and produces 

 abundance of yellow flowers in July. 

 The most ornamental herbaceous 

 species are, P. Guntheri, P. Sie- 

 versiana, and P. Thomasi, with 

 yellow flowers; P. crbcea, P. atro- 

 sangutnea pedata, with copper-co- 

 loured flowers ; P.formbsa Gesneri- 

 ana, with yellow and red flowers ; P. 

 formbsa Mayana and P. Hopivood- 

 iana, with pink, and white flowers ; 

 P. alba, P. glabra and P. rup'tstris, 

 with white flowers ; P. atrosangutnea 

 fulgens and P. a. ignescens, with 

 crimson flowers ; P. atrosangutnea 

 and P. formbsa, with deep red or pur- 

 ple flowers, which are produced from 

 May to August ; and P. Russelliana 

 and P. atrosangutnea coccinea, with 

 dark scarlet flowers. All these species 

 are low, few of them exceeding one 



foot in height, and the greater part 

 not being above six inches. They are 

 delightful plants for pots or for rock- 

 work, and the whole are so hardy and 

 of such easy culture that they will 

 bear neglect better than most other 

 inhabitants of the border or the flower 

 garden. Of all the kinds, P. Rus- 

 selliana, with rich dark scarlet flowers, 

 is by far the handsomest. 



Potting. — The subject of potting 

 plants may be considered in two ways : 

 first, with reference to the advantages 

 of that mode of growing plants as 

 compared with growing them in the 

 free soil ; and secondly, with reference 

 to the performance of the operation of 

 potting. Plants growing in pots are 

 placed in very unnatural circumstances, 

 from the limit given to the extension 

 of their roots by the small quantity of 

 soil and the confined space of the pot; 

 and by the circumstance of the outside 

 of the pot being constantly exposed to 

 the action of the air on every side. In 

 consequence of these conditions, the 

 roots of plants in pots are alternately 

 scorched, and cooled, and dried by the 

 action of the atmosphere ; and as, to 

 keep the plants alive, they require to 

 be frequently watered, the soil soon 

 becomes soddened, or soured as it is 

 called by gardeners, and the plant is 

 either checked in its growth, or be- 

 comes diseased. Nevertheless by well- 

 considered treatment plants may be 

 grown in pots toahi^hdegree of perfec- 

 tion, and some kinds better than in the 

 free soil. For this purpose two things 

 are more especially requisite; the first 

 is to provide sufficient drainage for the 

 escape of superfluous matter ; aud the 

 second is to cover the sides of the pot 

 by some medium which shall prevent 

 the action of the surrounding air in 

 heating or drying the, outside of the 

 pot, and consequently the soil and 

 roots within. Every pot, tub, or ves- 

 sel, in which a plant is grown contain* 

 a hole or holes in the bottom or lower 



