June 18, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
509 
Now, plants of these two classes ought to be potted very differently; 
and, in order to illustrate the matter, let us take two plants, a Balsam and 
a Heath. These two everybody is familiar with. In potting the former a 
compost is generally used, and this, in the ordinary language of gardeners, 
means a mixture. When such is used it becomes necessary that, in order 
to have it uniformly mixed, the soil be passed through a riddle or sieve. 
This compost is filled in lightly round the Balsam plant, and a shake or 
two, with a very slight pressure perhaps in filling, makes all right; but in 
shifting a Heath this process will not answer so well by any means. Here 
the skilful cultivator, after procuring his sandy and fibrous heath soil in a 
dryish condition, breaks it up into lumpy fragments, and these he places 
around the ball, packing them somewhat tightly, some even thrusting 
fragments of stones amongst the turfy material. As for the finer particles 
which fall out in the handling, he uses little of this but to coat the surface 
over. 
As to watering newly potted or shifted plants, I may just show that this 
differs as much with these two classes as the potting or shifting process. 
The Balsam alluded to would in most cases benefit by a good watering with 
a fine-rosed pot; but the Heath would require some extra caution. Most 
of our hardwooded plants when repotted require that their ball of earth 
should be in a moist condition—not wet, but equally moist throughout. 
This secured, and the potting performed somewhat similarly to the Heath 
before alluded to, light waterings, not over-frequent, with the spout of the 
pot will prove most suitable. When I pot Camellias I always make a 
point of so dressing up and pressing the surface of the new soil in the pot 
as to leave the stem in a small concavity. This induces the water when 
applied to penetrate the old ball, a thing I hold to be of much importance 
until the new soil is filled with roots, when the surface may be made per¬ 
fectly level. Many a valuable hardwooded plant is ruined by loose potting, 
the water in such cases rushing through the loose soil to the entire deser¬ 
tion of the old ball, the loose soil being speedily converted into a kind 
of mud. 
I have before alluded to the use of very fibrous soil as one of the chief 
improvements in modern potting ; let me here caution the young beginner 
against potting with wet soil. If soil in a wet state must be used, then 
all my advice about firm potting falls to the ground. My practice is 
this :—Turfy or fibrous loam, having lain about six months in the compost 
yard, is chopped down when very dry with a sharp spade, leaving lumps 
the size of a large potato in it. This being well handled a considerable 
proportion of the more loose soil falls away, and this is put aside for ordi¬ 
nary purposes. The turfy material is now housed, no riddle being used ; 
and this will lie for months in the potting-shed if in a body, and prove 
always in excellent order for potting. 
Heath soil, peat, <fcc., are served in a similar way ; and such materials in 
such a condition are qualified, either singly or in composts, to provide for 
every need in the plant way. 
I must now recur to drainage matters. Here, again, practical men make 
a difference. Annuals, and many softwooded plants which soon come to 
perfection, require a very moderate amount of ceremony of this kind. A 
crock carefully placed over the hole, and over that a layer of the coarser 
materials of the compost, will generally suffice, although I usually throw a 
little charred material over the crock, or a piece of moss. When, however, 
we take the more delicate of the hardwooded class, specimens which have 
to remain a long time in their pots, and, indeed, plants of various kinds 
which are known to be somewhat shy rooters, the case is very different. 
Even in Camellia potting, for my part, I deem it expedient to be very par¬ 
ticular ; and strange it is that some of our continental neighbours think and 
act so differently, for I have lately read that they are in the habit of simply 
thrusting a lump of turfy peat in the bottom of the pot, and also pot their 
Camellias almost entirely in peat. But it must be remembered that co grow 
young stock into a smart, saleable appearance, and to sustain large speci¬ 
mens in high blooming condition for many years, are two very different 
affairs. There can be little doubt that much of the failure so frequently 
complained of in Camellias, when in the hands of amateurs and small culti¬ 
vators, arises in no small degree from the mode of potting them. Razors 
made to sell and razors made to cut are two very different things. I find 
also that where liquid manure is frequently used there is the greater need of 
sound drainage, as, under the best of circumstances, it has a tendency to 
close the interstices of the soil, especially if fine soil be used. I, however, 
bid utter defiance to this tendency by the use of very turfy and lumpy soil. 
After all the care we can use in potting processes we may remember that 
it lies in the power of an ignorant and heedless waterer to nullify all our 
efforts in a very few weeks. This is a most serious consideration. The 
worst of it is that we scarcely know how to offer a rule to those who are 
careless or ignorant. A thoughtless person can never be relied on for 
watering; but the term “thoughtless” will scarcely express what I mean, 
for we have no cases of thorough mental inanition in those who labour with 
their hands. What I really mean is this—that no person can water plants 
well unless he actually cares for their welfare. Absence of mind is, there¬ 
fore, here an unfortunate affair. 
One piece of advice may here be given to the uninformed. When plants 
are established in their pots, and require water, let them have a thorough 
watering, unless some special reason exists for dealing otherwise with th^m. 
Plants growing fa3t or blossoming heavily generally require more water 
than at other times; and plants sinking into a state of comparative rest, 
possibly shedding a portion of their foliage, bulbs, &c., require a very 
moderate amount of moisture; indeed, in many cases, none at all. 
One other great feature in modern plant culture is the constant war that 
is sustained against the insect enemies of plants. On this, however, it is no 
part of my present purpose to dwell; I merely point to it as dividing the 
honours attached to the high success of these times with good potting and 
watering. But I would observe that there is such a thing as predisposition 
in plants or families of plants to insects, and that one of the most fertile 
causes of this predisposition may be found in abuse of the root-action 
through bad soils, bad potting, and bad watering. 
I would here beg the earnest attention of all inexperienced plant cul¬ 
tivators to a close consideration of the before-named principles, and suggest 
to them that the general health of plants is more dependent on the soil, 
and, in consequence, the root-action, than upon any precise amount of heat, 
or, indeed, any of those little collateral matters which are, as it were, sub¬ 
sidiary to high culture, and recommend that a due attention be paid to the 
potting-shed and the conservation of soils.—R. E. 
HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 
The following list of Shows, with the dates, may possibly be useful for 
reference. 
June 17.—York Floral Fete (three days). Royal Botanic Society’s Summer Show 
Regent’s Park. 
„ 18.—Bawtry. 
„ 23.—Royal Horticultural Society (Pelargoniums). 
„ 24.—Richmond (Surrey). Leeds (three days). 
„ 27.—Canterbury. Brockham (Roses). 
„ 28.—Antwerp (cut Roses), (two days). 
„ 29.—Maidstone (Roses). 
„ SO.—Bagshot (Roses). Colchester. 
July 1.—Royal Botanic Society’s Evening Ffite. Croydon. Ryde. Farningham 
Bath. Cardiff. Farnham (chiefly Roses). 
„ 2.—Reigate (Roses). Hitchin. Bath. Sunbury. 
„ 8.—Tunbridge Wells. 
„ 4.—Crystal Palace (Roses). Eltbam (Roses). 
„ 7.—National Rose Society, South Kensington. Ealing. 
„ 8.—Wimbledon. Sutton (Roses). Lee, Blackheath, and Lewisham. 
„ 9.—Hereford (Roses). Norwich. 
„ 11.—National Rose Society, Manchester. Sidcup. 
„ 14.—Royal Horticultural Sooiety (plants and flowers). 
„ 15.—New Brighton (Roses). Bedford. Moreton in-Marsh. 
„ 16.—Helensburgh (Roses). 
„ 18.—Birkenhead (Roses). 
„ 21.—Newcastle, Staffs. 
„ 22.—Newcastle-on-Tyne. 
„ 25.—Darlington (Roses). 
„ 28.—Royal Horticultural Society (Carnations, Begonias, &c.). Buckingham. 
„ 29.—Aberdeen. 
August 1.—Liverpool (two days). Southampton (two days). 
„ 2.—Antwerp Exhibition of Plants (five days). 
„ 8.—Northampton. 
„ 11.—Royal Horticultural Society (plants and flowers). 
„ 19.—Shrewsbury (two days). 
„ 25.—Royal Horticultural Society (Cottagers’ show). 
„ 27.—Ludlow. 
Sept. 2.—Glasgow. 
„ 3.—Abingdon. 
„ 4.—Crystal Palace (Fruit and Dahlias), (two days). 
„ 8.—Royal Horticultural Society (Dahlias and Grapes). 
„ 9. —Edinburgh (two days). Northampton (two days). 
„ 27.—Antwerp (fruit and vegetables), (three days). 
Oct. 7.—Crystal Palace (fruit and Potatoes). 
„ 18.—Royal Horticultural Society (fruit and vegetables). 
„ 27.—Royal Horticultural Society (Chrysanthemums and vegetables). 
LATE ANNUALS. 
There is a common desire among garden owners to have their flowers 
as early as possible in spring. The greatest attention is given to the 
early sowing of annuals. Many of them which are perfectly hardy are 
sown in February or March under glass and grown on ; others are sown 
in the open when both the atmosphere and soil are cold. Much seed 
never germinates, and the plants which manage to struggle into existence 
never fully develope their beauties. In my opinion late-flowering annuals 
are just as acceptable as early ones ; in many instances they are more 
valuable, and in every case they are more beautiful, as they are sown at 
a time when the seed germinates freely and the plants grow in the 
greatest luxuriance. Splendid masses of fresh finely flowered annuals 
will please most people as much in September, October, and November 
as any which can be grown in May, June, and July, and it is very satis¬ 
factory to have a fresh batch of plants just coming into bloom when many 
of the early ones are failing. Here we wish to have more flowers in 
October than any time from April until then, and we annually find the 
late annuals more useful. The spring-sown ones, however, are of no use 
for autumn blooming. They, as I have pointed out, are never good 
enough to begin with, and the warm weather of July exhausts them too 
much to allow them to be of value in autumn. Fresh seed must be sown 
for the autumn, and this may be put in from the middle of June until the 
end of July, according to the time each variety takes to come to perfec¬ 
tion. The beds in the flower garden are all filled now, and there is no 
room for seed-sowing, but there are many corners and spare patches about 
the kitchen garden and shrubberies most suitable. It is these which 
ought to be filled and made gay. 
The seeds of almost every kind of good annual are very cheap, and 
the sowing is as simple as for Cabbages or Turnips. Drills may be 
opened 2 inches in depth, the seed sown, and the soil placed back. 
Shallow poor light soil will never grow them to perfection. The seed 
will germinate, the plants grow and bloom after a manner, but the dis¬ 
play will be of very short duration. Annuals should have manure applied 
like Cabbage or Potatoes, and the result will be a gorgeous and long 
display of flowers. I have met many of your readers who have no glass 
houses in which to rear Pelargoniums and other tender plants, and while 
they try to do their best with the hardy plants the annuals will be a 
cheap easily grown and valuable addition to their autumn flowers. 
I do not intend giving a special recommendation to any one or two 
annuals, as all will succeed in autumn, which will grow and bloom in 
spring or summer, and where space is vacant I would advise that a 
general sowing be made now, and another in the end of July, the object 
throughout being to secure a rich late autumn display.—J. Muir. 
Late Chr&'santhemtjms at Maidenhead. —9n visiting the Floral Nur¬ 
series, Maidenhead, on the 3rd of June, I was greatly pleased to see a plant 
of a Japanese Chrysanthemum, Coquette de Castile, with a beautiful well- 
developed flower, 6^ inches in diameter, on a compact plant in a 48-pot, the 
