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THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



which they will impart to tlie roots when they enter amon«r 

 them. The rotten turf will also alFord additional nourishment 

 to the roots, and will prevent the drain under them from being 

 choked up by the finer earthy particles washed down in the 

 })rocess of watering. The roots seem to delight in entwining 

 round the broken fragments of pot5, or small pieces of bricks, 

 and will be found, upon examination, to be always in a healthy 

 state, in proportion as these abound in the pots. For larger 

 pots, a greater depth of these fragments should be used, in 

 proportion to the size of the pots. In potting the plants, 

 after the roots are all separated and trimmed, place a handful 

 of mould in the bottom of the pot over the rotten turf, upon 

 which jdace the plant ; and while it is held upright by one 

 hand, with the other fill the pot with mould up to the toj>, 

 pulling up the plant occasionally, so as to allow the mould to 

 fill all the spaces amongst the roots, as well as to place it at 

 a proper depth in the pot. When it is full of mould, beat 

 the pot upon the potting-bench two or three times, so as to 

 shake the mould more compactly together ; do not press the 

 mould too tightly together with the hand, particularly if it be 

 damp ; a very slight pressure round the sui'face will be suf- 

 ficient, and that merely to regulate the mould to a proi)er 

 depth under the level of the margin of the pot, so as to leave 

 a space for the purpose of holding water. The plants being 

 potted, give them a slight watering at their roots, merely to 

 settle the mould about them ; a more general watering will be 

 given when they are again placed in the bed. 



Presuming the bed to be now in readiness for them, which 

 should have been preparing while the shifting of the plants 

 was going on, proceed exactly in the same manner to replungc 

 Ithem, as was directed last month for the fruiting-plants, begin- 

 ning with the largest and tallest plants in the back row, and 

 so proceeding until the whole be again replaced in the bed ; 

 the smaller and sometimes the unpotted crowns and suckers 

 occupying the rows next die front, not only that they may en- 

 joy more light and air, but also be more conveniently got at 

 in the course of the succeeding month, when many of them 

 will require to be potted in mould, and being thus placed in 

 ih- front, they can be conveniently got at without disturbing 



