chap, xi.] PLANTS IN POTS. 351 
a little larger than the one it was taken from. 
By persevering in this mode of treatment 
for some time, and never advancing more 
than one size at a time, a plant may be 
grown to a large size, and made to produce 
abundance of flowers ; while by the contrary 
treatment, that is, suffering it to remain in a 
very small pot, or shifting it suddenly into a 
very large one, the stem will become weak¬ 
ened and elongated, and the flowers will be 
few and very poor. In short, on the skilful 
management of repotting, or shifting, as the 
gardeners call it, a great deal of the art of 
growing plants in pots depends. 
The best soil for plants inpots is generally peat 
mixed with vegetable mould and sand; and the 
pots should be filled nearly a quarter of their 
depth with little bits of broken pots, called 
potshreds, so as to ensure complete drainage. 
When plants are shifted, they are turned out 
of their old pots with their balls of earth 
entire; the roots are then examined, and if 
any are wounded or decayed they should be 
cut off. The new pot has then a layer of 
potshreds placed at the bottom with a little 
earth, and the plant is placed in the centre. 
