1881 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
409 
that of the Alton (Ill.) Horticultural Society, 
and has served that active and useful body 
for a number of years. It has been tried and 
found sufficient, and may be commended. Of 
course, agricultural and other societies can 
change the wording where needed, and under 
Section VI, the names of the committees 
will vary according to the needs of the society. 
< l si t ion.—I. This organization shall 
be known as the Alton Horticul’l Society. 
II. Its object shall be the advancement of 
Horticulture. 
III. Its members shall consist of persons 
elected by a majority of thg votes cast, who 
have paid an annual fee of One Dollar ; and 
of honorary members of distinction in Horti¬ 
culture and Agriculture. 
IV. Its officers shall consist of a President, 
two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, 
a Librarian, and an Executive Board, which 
shall consist of the President and four other 
members ; all of whom shall be elected at the 
first regular meeting in the year, and shall 
hold their office one year, or until their suc¬ 
cessors in office are chosen. 
V. The officers of this Society, and the 
Chairman of the Standing Committees, shall 
be chosen by ballot, at the regular meeting in 
January, and a majority of all the votes cast 
shall be necessary to a choice. 
VI. There shall be the following Standing 
Committees : 
1. On Orchards. 5. On Useful and Orna- 
2. On Vineyards. mental Planting. 
3. On Culinary Vegetables. 6. On Orchard Fruits. 
4. On Small Fruits. 7. On Flowers. 
VII. The Society shall hold monthly and 
other meetings and exhibitions, as it may 
direct. 
VIII. This Constitution may be amended 
at any regular meeting, by two-thirds of the 
whole number of votes cast, one month’s no¬ 
tice having previously been given. 
Examining the Roots of Plants. 
Plants in pots are in a very different 
condition, as to their roots, from those in 
the open ground. When planted out in 
the soil, the roots are free to run in any 
direction in search of food, and some of 
them do travel to a surprising extent. A 
very careful observer in Steuben Co., N. Y., 
Fig. 1.— REMOVING THE PLANT. 
once told us that in digging away a hill-side, 
he had traced the roots of some Red Clover 
for over 20 feet. It is this remarkable pene¬ 
trating quality of its roots that, for one thing, 
makes clover of such great value in agricul¬ 
ture. With our ornamental plants that we 
grow in pots, it is of as much importance 
that we learn how the roots are faring as it is 
that we should know about the tops. It is 
this neglect of the roots that causes a large 
share of the failures among amateur plant 
growers. The skilled florist always knows 
the condition of the roots of his plants, which 
the amateur window gardener rarely does. 
The novice, when he for the first time sees a 
gardener turn over a pot and lift it from the 
ball of earth, to inspect the condition of the 
roots, looks upon the operation with astonish¬ 
ment, as if some unnatural act had been per¬ 
formed. If a potted plant is in a rapidly 
growing condition, its roots soon reach the 
outside of the earth, and come in contact 
with the pot. Being unable to go further in 
a horizontal direction, the roots follow around 
the sides of the pot, and continue in this 
curved form, until after a while, being some¬ 
times several feet in length, they become 
Fig. 2. —THE PLANT REMOVED. 
twisted and entangled past all unravelling. 
The parts of the roots in contact with the pot 
become hard, woody, and for all the purposes 
of roots nearly worthless. “Pot-bound,” is 
the general term for plants that have their 
roots thus neglected. Now that potted plants 
are about to be brought into the house, 
whether to the greenhouse or to the window 
of the dwelling, it is quite important to know 
the condition of their roots. Whether the 
pots have been plunged in the soil of the lawn 
or border, or have been standing in some 
sheltered place during summer, it is most 
likely that the roots are in a crowded, 
cramped condition, that is quite unfavorable 
to healthy growth. Before they are taken 
in for the winter, the roots of the plants 
should be examined. To do this, place the 
right hand over the top of the pot, allowing 
the stem to pass between the fingers ; invert 
the plant and, holding the pot with the left 
hand, give its edge a sharp tap against a bench, 
table, or other convenient place, as shown in 
figure 1. The pot will usually come off at 
the first tap, but should it not, after a few 
trials, pour some water on the earth, and let 
it soak awhile. In rare cases it may be neces¬ 
sary to run an old knife between the earth 
and the sides of the pot. Generally, however, 
the pot will readily come off, as in figure 2, 
when the condition of the roots may be in¬ 
spected. If the roots have reached the side 
of the pot, and are in danger of becoming 
crowded and matted, re-potting is necessary, 
using a new pot one size larger than the old 
one. The new pot should have the needed 
amount of soil placed in the bottom, first 
placing a broken crock over the hole, and 
then fresh soil should be carefully filled in 
between the ball of earth and the pot, using 
a thin stick, flat like a knife blade, to aid in 
fillin g it in evenly and compactly. This ex¬ 
amination of the roots should be made when¬ 
ever a plant appears to be in poor condition, 
as it not only enables one to see if the roots 
require re-potting, but allows angle-worms 
to be removed. Worms often do much mis¬ 
chief by forming channels through the ball 
of earth, which allow the water to run out 
before it can have time to soak into the ball; 
though sufficient water may be given, the 
plant may really suffer from dryness, as the 
water is not able to soak into the earth and 
reach the roots. The worms may usually be 
seen, and removed from the ball of soil. 
A Hyacinth in Water. 
Of late the dealers in horticultural articles 
have offered glasses, made expressly for per¬ 
forming a sort ©f floricultural trick, that has 
found favor abroad, and which some may 
find amusement in performing here. Two 
hyacinths are grown and flowered, one with 
the flower-cluster pointing downward, and in 
a glass filled with water, while another bulb 
produces its flowers erect, in the usual man¬ 
ner. The lower part is much like an ordinary 
hyacinth glass ; the upper, as shown in the 
engraving, is a bell-sliaped glass, or vase, ar¬ 
ranged to fit upon the other, and having a 
hole in its lower part. Two bulbs are chosen, 
either alike, or kinds that bloom at the same 
time. One of these is placed in the upper 
glass, with its base 
upwards, and its 
bud, or point where 
the bud will appear, 
directly over the 
hole. Some moss is 
put around this 
bulb, and then rich 
soil placed upon it. 
The other bulb is 
then planted above 
this and, of course, 
right-side up, plac¬ 
ing it in soil as if 
planting it in an 
ordinary pot. The 
bulbs thus potted, 
are put in a dark 
place until they 
have formed a- 
bundant roots, as is 
customary with all 
potted bulbs. With 
bulbs grown in this 
manner, as in any 
other, they should 
not be brought to the light until the roots 
have made a good growth. When the bulbs 
are properly rooted, the upper glass is placed 
upon the lower, and the whole brought to 
the light. The lower glass is at first half 
filled with water. As growth proceeds, the 
stem from the upper bulb will rise in the air, 
while that from the lower one will push 
downwards. When the lower stem is three 
or four inches long, the glass may be filled up 
with water, and the flowers will open in this 
unnatural position. To make the flowers last 
the longer, the affair should be kept as cool 
as possible. We have often advised the keep¬ 
ing of hyacinth and other bulbs in moss until 
they have developed their roots, and to then 
pot them in earth or moss, or to place them 
in glasses of water. Those who start their 
bulbs in this manner, can easily select those 
fitted to grow in the manner described. We 
do not see that this has anything but its odd¬ 
ity to commend it; those who care to grow 
hyacinths in this manner, will find the im¬ 
porters of horticultural wares and bulb dealers 
ready to furnish glasses made for the purpose. 
