March 29, 1388. ] 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
251 
I F asked to mention the one most important point in the 
cultivation of plants in pots, I should unhesitatingly say it is 
watering. It is all-important that the application of water to 
plants be thoroughly understood, for without a proper knowledge 
of their requirements in this respeot, no amount of attention to 
other particulars can make their cultivation a success. In too 
many instances the watering, or a great portion of it, is left to 
inexperienced hands, and frequently the consequences are too 
■■apparent. It cannot be too strongly impressed upon the minds of 
young men that a thorough knowledge of this very important 
point in plant culture is absolutely essential to success, and con- 
•sequently that they cannot pay too much attention to it. The 
requirements of different plants must be studied, and also the 
nature of the soil employed in potting, particularly the loam, 
which varies so much in different localities ; so much, in fact, that 
a change of situations is frequently almost equivalent to beginning 
to learn afresh the art of watering. In some very heavy soils it is 
absolutely necessary to let it reach a state of dryness before apply¬ 
ing water, that in less retentive soils would be dangerous. Thus it 
is mistakes are frequently made by young men, after being accus¬ 
tomed to a light soil, having to deal with a heavy one, or vice 
versa. 
We frequently read of cartam plants said to require an abun¬ 
dance of water, and I always think such statements misleading, 
especially to inexperienced persons, for few plants require water 
until the soil is nearly dry. By dry, I mean when there is not 
sufficient moisture left to prevent the plants flagging, which no 
plant when growing should ever do ; but in heavy soils the nearer 
they approach that state the better for the plants—at least most 
plants. There are some exceptions, and amongst them I may 
mention Ferns during active growth when the pots are filled with 
roots. Then, with some strong-growing species it is almost im¬ 
possible to give too much water, and to allow them to get as dry as 
some plants require to bo would insure a check, and probably dis¬ 
figurement of the fronds, which would be apparent throughout the 
remainder of the season. A plant of Nephrolepis davallioides 
furcans we had here last summer, quite 8 feet in diameter, in a 
14-inch pot, was supplied with water four times on every hot day, 
treatnient it plainly indicated it liked. Some growers advocate 
keeping Ferns dry during winter, but I am convinced it is a mistake 
to do so ; others say that because they receive most water in winter 
when growing in their natural homes, it is proof conclusive they 
should be kept wetter at this season when grown in pots, but it is 
as easy to err on the wet side as by keeping them too dry. They 
should be allowed to get drier than when growing freely, but 
not so much as to cause them to flag, for that is decidedly injurious 
to Ferns at any time of the year. 
Anthuriums are plants that may safely be said to require an 
abundance of water, for when potted in suitable materi-al they 
delight in an almost unlimited amount of moisture both at the 
roots and in the atmosphere. A compost wm find suits these plants 
well is one-half good peat fibre, the small shaken out, and one-half 
charcoal and broken crocks, with a surfacing of living sphagnum. 
Going to the other extreme, it may with equal certainty be said 
that Hedaromas, Leschenaultias, Pimeleas, Dracophyllum gracile,- 
and Heaths—especially the hardwooded, slow-growing varieties of 
the aristata section—with other hardwooded greenhouse plants of 
No. 405. —VoL. XVI., Third Series. 
a like nature, require more careful attention in this respect than 
any other kind of plants generally grown. If a Pelargonium or a 
Fuchsia becomes so dry that it flags, or if it is kept too wet for a 
time, it will recover, although injury has certainly been done it ; 
but subject any of the above-mentioned plants to such treatment 
and they are worth but little after ; for even if they do not die 
outright they are ever after miser.able-looking objects. It is greatly 
to be regretted that those good old plants should have been allowed 
to go out of cultivation as they have, for they are second to no 
class of plants for beauty when in flower, not even excepting 
Orchids, with all due respect to those lovely flowers. At the same 
time they require a greater amount of skill to grow them to per¬ 
fection, thus rendering good examp’es doubly v.aluable in the eyes 
of the cultivator. But I fear their day is past, principally because 
of the great demand for cut flowers in most establishments at the 
present time, for supplying which they are not so well suited as the 
softwooded, free-flowering plants. Even among these there is a 
great difference in the amount of w.ater they require, or, rather, in 
how dry they may be'allowed to get before water is applied. Take, 
for instance, the Heaths. The softwooded varieties, such as 
hyemalis, Wilmoreana, Cavendishiana, or Eweriana superba, must 
never be .allowed to get so dry as some other varieties with shorter 
harder wood absolutely require to be kept, or their growth will be 
seriously checked. 
Azaleas also suffer very much if carelessly watered. I am in¬ 
clined to think the loss of leaves so frequently noticed in the winter 
is mainly owing to their getting dry during some period of their 
growth ; not necessarily at or near the time the leaves fall, but 
probably some time bffore. 
Mignonette is very impatient of too much water at the roots. 
If wintered in a cold house where in severe frosts the temperature 
is allowed to fell to 35° at night, very little water is required from 
November to February. Oar plants of th's were kept in a cold 
fname—matted to keep out frost—this winter, and are now growing 
freely on a shelf in a cool house. 
Too much water is often the cause of Primulas decaying at the 
“collar,” though some who lose their plants in thisw.ay do net care 
to acknowledge it. There are few plants that require more careful 
watering than Primulas, particularly the double varieties that are 
propagated annually from cuttings, and being rather more tender 
than the singles are more liable to damp off. 
Strawberries in pots, more especially such as are forced very 
early, will soon show only too plainly the results of negligent 
watering. The majority of ill-formed fruits (ill-formed through 
being imperfectly set) are the result either of allowing them to get 
too dry or keeping them too wet when in flower. Examining them 
frequently and giving water only to such as absolutely need it is 
the only w<ay to ensure a good set of perfectly formed fruits, all 
other conditions being favourable. Another time of the year when 
Strawberries are apt to be over-watered is after they are shifted 
from the small pots they are layered in into their Largest size. If 
the b.alls of soil arc wet when potting is done, as they should be, 
and they can be stood in a shady place and freely syringed every 
evening, this will generally suffice until about a fortnight after, 
when they may be removed to more exposed quarters and given a 
thorough soaking. 
It is after being newly potted that plants usually receive most 
injury, and then it is necessary to exercise the greatest possible 
care, for if given too much water the new soil becomes sodden and 
sour before the roots have established themselves in it, whilst on 
the other hand there is great danger of the ball of old soil becoming 
so dry that the water given will not penetrate it, the consequence 
being great injury to the plants, and in many cases death. It is a 
good pljfn to frequently syringe newly potted plants, and so prevent 
their requiring water for as long a time as possible. In the case of 
plants that must not be syringed, such as Heaths, they should be 
kept shaded, and the staging and pots syringed to keep a moist 
No. 2051. —VoL. LXXVIII., Old Series. 
