112 
THE FLORIST. 
these I lay sufficient moss to cover them, carefully observing that no 
open space is left for the soil to get washed down amongst them. I 
then turn out the plant, and remove the old drainage, and the moss as 
well, if the roots are not yet entangled with it; if they are, I leave it. 
I remove a little of the soil round the upper edge of the ball; and put 
as much compost upon the moss I have just laid on the drainage as 
will elevate the ball to within half an inch of being parallel w T ith the 
top, steady it with one hand, whilst with the other I fill in, gently 
pressing down the soil as I proceed wfith the point of my forefinger, 
or what is better, a wooden label ten or twelve inches long, using 
the pointed end. I strike the pot a few times gently on the board 
to settle the plant, and finish off with a thin layer of sifted soil, and, 
watering freely through a fine rose, shade for a few days from the 
sun’s rays; but on no account exclude the air. With plants four or 
five years old, a slight deviation may be requisite. Permit me first 
to premise, that I am an advocate for annual small shifts, firmly be¬ 
lieving that where one heath is lost by being “ pot-bound,” twenty 
are killed through ovER-potting. By this plan, a more vigorous 
constitution and profuse bloom are induced, besides the advantage of 
a clean pot, fresh drainage and moss, all desirable in their way ; it is 
therefore requisite, in carrying out this opinion, and avoiding the too 
prevalent unsightliness of a pot twice too large for the plant, to make 
these yearly shifts as slight as the state of the roots will justify. To 
return,—the plant alluded to above about to be shifted, we will sup¬ 
pose is in a 7-inch pot; should the roots appear healthy and pretty 
well matted, I should prepare a 9-i-inch pot in the way before de¬ 
scribed, with a proportionably larger amount of crocks ; I should take 
of the roughly broken up peat and sand, in the proportion of two of 
the former to one of the latter, scatter over a handful or so of the 
small pebble or gravel, and mix them well together. The ball I 
prepare by removing the old drainage, moss, and dead roots, from the 
bottom, taking care not to intrude amongst the living ones ; the sides 
I gently rub round and pat with the hand, just to loosen the moss; 
this prevents injury or disturbance to the roots, and induces them 
the more freely to strike into the new soil. 
Should any peruser of this paper have happened to see the fourth 
of a series of articles on Heath Culture in the Gardener s Chronicle 
of the 19th February, (excellent as they are in the main,) I would 
strongly recommend that he should avoid the adoption of the two 
following pieces of advice. The first runs thus : “ Before the plant 
is transferred to its new pot, the ball of roots must be loosened to 
facilitate extension of young fibres into the new soil”—so far good; 
but mark what follows : “ A mode which answers well in effecting 
this is, to pass a pointed stick from the base of the roots upwards a 
slight distance beneath the surface I will remark upon the severity 
of this operation by saying, that I firmly believe death would ensue 
in nineteen cases out of twenty. The other direction given and 
“ strenuously” pressed upon the reader’s notice is, to <c Be sure that 
the ball is thoroughly soaked previous to re-potting.” I say— Be sure 
you do nothing of the sort; it is unnecessary, and would be positively 
