716 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



tlie more decayed upon tlic top, in whicli to plunge the pots 

 upon their being again brought into the house. 



The plants will now require to be carefully examined ; and 

 such as appear in want of shifting into larger pots, should be 

 set out, and the necessary mould and pots got ready for that 

 piu'pose. In preparing the plants for potting, after their being 

 turned out of the pots, remove all small suckers that may be 

 forming at their roots, and also displace such small and use- 

 less leaves as are nearest to the roots, as this will induce them 

 to push out fresh and vigorous roots from the lower part of 

 their stem. The pots being well drained, as already directed, 

 the plants should be placed in tlicm, observing previously to 

 putting them in, to examine their roots, and cut out all those 

 Mhich are decayed or useless, and single out those which 

 appear matted round the outside of the ball, or at the bottom 

 of the pot. Those which have penetrated through the holes 

 in the boitom, and have extended themselves in the tan, should 

 be cut off, as they nmst have been injured in taking out the 

 plants ; independently of which, the shortening of their roots, 

 that arc of immoderate length, will induce the plants to push 

 out a number of others nearer to the stem. The balls should 

 not be much broken, unless they appear hard, or the mould 

 be exhausted ; in such cases, they may be carefully pushed in 

 pieces, and the exhausted mould removed. In repotting them, 

 let the mould be well shaken in amongst the roots, whicli 

 should be rather dry than otherwise, and finely broken with 

 the back of the spade, or with the hands, but not sifted, un- 

 less through a very coarse riddle ; for when the mould is ren- 

 dered too fine by sifting, it prevents the free escape of super- 

 fluous moisture, and becomes of too close a texture for the 

 roots to push freely in ; besides, in sifting the mould too fine, 

 all the fibrous matter that it did contain would be rejected, 

 and consequently the best part of the compost would be lost 

 to tlic plants. Let the mould be well shaken in amongst tlie 

 roots, and the plant gently shaken up and down, so that no 

 vacancy may be left amongst tlic roots. Those which are re- 

 potted with their Ijalls entire, should only have a few of their 

 outer roots loosened, and be placed carefully in a larger pot, 

 shaking in the mould regularly all round, so as to fill up the 



