64 
WATERING. 
J^CHAP. III. 
stem erect; and the plant is not only pre¬ 
served from death, but restored to full health 
and beauty. 
Watering appears an extremely simple 
operation, yet nevertheless there are several 
points relating to it that it is necessary to at¬ 
tend to. One of these is, never to saturate 
the soil. Water, to be in the best state for 
being taken up by the plants, should be kept 
in detached globules by the admixture of 
air; and it should be only slightly impreg¬ 
nated with nourishing matter from decaying 
animal or vegetable substances: for, as al¬ 
ready observed, when fully saturated with 
nourishment, it becomes unfit for the food of 
plants. Nothing can be more admirably 
and wonderfully adapted for supplying plants 
properly with water than rain. In falling 
through the atmosphere, it is thoroughly 
mixed with the air; and in sinking into the 
soil it becomes slightly impregnated with 
nutritious qualities, which it is thus enabled 
to convey, in the most beneficial manner, to 
the plants. 
It is a very common mistake, in watering, 
to pour the water down close to the stem of 
