232 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 12, 1891. 
SOILS, POTTING, AND 
WATERING. 
(Continued from page 210.) 
Potting. 
The pots to which the plants are about to be trans¬ 
ferred should be clean and dry both inside and out ; 
in the case of new pots, which are too dry to be used 
as they come from the pottery, care should be taken 
to soak them well in water before using ; if not 
soaked it will be found that they will extract too 
much moisture from the soil close to it, and cause a 
vacant ring between the soil and the pot, a thing 
that ought to be guarded against at all times, as it 
is impossible then to give sufficient water to maintain 
the plant. The drainage of pots is also a very 
important matter—the future success of the plants 
depending very much on the way it is performed. 
We should be careful to do it in an efficient manner. 
To assure its being so, commence by placing a thin 
narrow piece of crock at either side of the hole, then 
place a piece large enough to bridge over the two, 
and arrange others over it to whatever depth may 
be thought sufficent to ensure a good drainage in 
proportion to the size of the pot, smaller pieces, 
decreasing in size towards the finish. Over all 
place a layer of the most fibrous part of the compost 
or some other lasting material such as moss, press¬ 
ing it level and firm down on to the drainage. 
Potting, as applied to plants, is an operation with 
which all who are interested in gardening are more 
or less familiar. The process in itself is of a sim¬ 
ple nature, and easy to perform. But to do it in the 
way calculated to produce the best results, it is 
necessary that the operator should understand the 
requirements, as regard the root medium, of the 
particular kind of plants undergoing the operation. 
In dealing with this subject we wish to be as prac¬ 
tical as possible ; we will therefore consider it under 
two heads, namely, potting off and repotting. The 
meaning of these terms is pretty well understood by 
all gardeners; the first applies to all plants, whether 
seedlings or rooted cuttings, that are for the first 
time undergoing the process of being transferred 
singly from the seed or cutting 'pots to others of 
whatever size it is thought desirable for them to 
occupy; the second has reference to the shifting of 
plants that are established in pots into others of 
larger proportions, and is done for the purpose of 
giving to the roots a wider field wherein to collect 
the food necessary for building up the system of the 
plants. In the first instance there is no hard ball 
attached to the plants, and it follows that after pot¬ 
ting off, the soil which surrounds their roots will be 
firm in proportion to the amounts of pressure applied 
to it at the time of potting, and of an equal degree 
throughout ; consequently, when water is given to 
the plants it will percolate equally through the 
compost contained in the pots, moistening the 
whole in a uniform degree. This is an advantage 
plants potted for the first time have as compared 
with those that have undergone one or more shifts, 
and is one reason why careless potting is not so soon 
discovered in their case as in that of those with balls 
attached to them. 
When plants intended to be permanently grown in 
pots are being potted singly for the first time, every 
precaution that will tend to their future success 
should be adopted, and particularly if they come 
under the term of hard wooded, as when once estab¬ 
lished the majority of them are impatient of having 
their roots interfered with by reducing the balls at 
future pottings. There is therefore not the same 
chance of remedying an oversight in not supplying 
the proper compost at first, as in the case of soft 
wooded plants that will submit to have their balls 
reduced without injuriously affecting them. We 
should therefore be careful to supply at the begin¬ 
ning the compost best adapted to them, and in as 
lumpy a state as the size of the pot will admit, 
pressing it to the roots as firmly as is consistent with 
their safety at the time. When re-potting hard- 
wooded plants requiring peat as the chief ingredient 
of the compost, we cannot err in making it as firm as 
possible around the balls. If the compost is in the 
right state of dryness, there is no fear of making it 
over-firm by ordinary means. By supplying efficient 
drainage and making the fresh compost as hard as 
possible between the balls of the plants and the sides 
of the pots, we not only supply the plants with a larger 
amount of material from which to collect food than 
would be the case in less firm potting, but we also 
lessen the chances of the plants suffering through 
inattention to watering or over-watering afterwards. 
In the act of potting off or repotting it is a mistake 
to overfill the pots with the compost Young hands 
at the potting bench are apt to commit this error, 
but a little consideration will show the undesirable¬ 
ness of so doing. Room enough .should be left be¬ 
tween the surface of the soil and the rims of the 
pots to ensure on each occasion that water is given 
to the plants sufficient to thoroughly moisten the 
mass of soil contained in the pots. When repotting 
large plants that are to remain for some years after¬ 
wards in the same pots, extra care should be taken 
to perform all matters connected with the process 
in the way that is thought to be most conducive to 
the future well-being of the plants. Having suffi¬ 
ciently prepared and drained the pots as I have 
recommended, the balls of the plants, whether hard 
or soft wooded, should be pricked a little with a 
sharp-pointed stick ; this is necessary to loosen a 
little the edges of the old balls, care being taken to 
break as few roots as possible, so that the roots may 
get freer access to the new compost, and in so doing 
there is less chance of the old ball becoming dry, 
as the water supplied to the plants drains more freely 
through the new compost than it does through the 
old ball if not pricked a little. The old ball should 
always be low enough to allow at least half-an-inch 
of the new compost to cover it. Care should also 
be taken to work the finer portions in amongst the 
rougher or lumpy parts, ramming the whole firmly 
down as the work proceeds, so that, when finished, 
the new material may be as near as it is possible to 
make i, of the same degree of firmness as the old. 
Operators should also guard against raising the 
soil higher in the centre than at the sides of the 
pots, so that the water may act equally on the old 
and new soil. Before repotting any plant we should 
be careful to have the ball in a right state as regard 
moisture. If repotted in an over-dry condition, it 
will be found difficult to get it into a right state of 
moisture afterwards ; and as it is not desirable, 
unless circumstances compel it, to water plants for a 
few days after they are repotted, we should see 
that the balls at the time are not over-dry. 
Watering. 
There is scarcely a more difficult subject connected 
with gardening to write about than that of watering 
plants in pots. It is admitted by all who understand 
the matter that no definite rule can be laid down as to 
how often it may be necessary to do so. The cir¬ 
cumstances and conditions are so varied under which 
plants are grown that it is impossible to lay down a 
rule in reference to watering that would with any 
degree of certainty apply to all of them. One thing, 
however, we may state with safety, that water 
should be given as soon as it is required, but not be¬ 
fore. The difficulty, however, is to know the precise 
state- of dryness, consistent with the welfare of the 
plants, at which the soil should be allowed to arrive 
at before water is given. This can only be learned 
by practical experience, and a knowledge of the 
amount of moisture necessary in the soil to maintain 
healthy and vigorous growth in the particular plants 
being operated on. I am inclined to think that in a 
general way more harm is done, especially to plants 
growing in large pots, through overwatering than 
what takes place through a deficiency thereof. If 
through overwatering or imperfect drainage the soil 
in a large pot becomes sodden and sour it is ten to 
one if ever it become sweet again while it remains in 
the same pot. No doubt by withholding water it will 
be got into a dry state, but it will always have a 
greater tendency to become sour afterwards than if 
it had not been overwatered previously. This should 
make us careful to guard against over watering plants 
that have to remain in the pot any length of time, 
as the roots will never take so kindly to soil that has 
been once sour, although by care and attention to 
watering we may get it into what appears a fair con¬ 
dition of sweetness. 
Then, the system of dribblets of water at a time 
is also a bad practice. By this mode of watering, 
the surface and a short distance beneath it is kept 
in a seemingly right enough condition as regards 
moisture, whilst further down in the pot the soil is so 
dry that the roots cannot derive any benefit from it. 
In the case of those plants requiring peaty soil, this 
system has been the death of many that were valu¬ 
able. It therefore cannot be too carefully guarded 
against. If peat gets into a certain stage of dryness 
it is very difficult to get it moist again. 
[(To he continued ) 
SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural, December 8th .—Orchids were 
certainly the most striking feature of the meeting on 
Tuesday last, while Chrysanthemums and fruit were 
also noticeable. A Silver Flora Medal was awarded 
to Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P. (gardener, Mr. 
W. White), Burford Lodge, Dorking, for a large 
group of some of the finer species and hybrid garden 
varieties of Calanthes, including C. Burfordiense, 
C. nivea, C. Veitchii superba, and others. His 
group of Cypripedium Leeanum and C. L. gigan- 
teum was also very fine. A similar award was 
made to Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, for a 
mixed group of Orchids including Odontoglossum 
rosaceum. Cypripedium hybridum Pollettianum, 
C. Leeanum giganteum, and others. A cultural 
commendation was awarded to C. W. Lea, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. Catt), Hallow, Parkfield, Wor¬ 
cester, for a splendid spike of Odonto¬ 
glossum coronarium. Messrs. Pitcher & Manda, 
Hextable, Swanley, Kent, were awarded a Silver 
Banksian Medal for a large group of Cypripediums, 
including C. Masereelianum, a fine form, C. Arthuri- 
anum, and some Laelias as well as Palms and 
Cycads. A Bronze Banksian Medal was awarded to 
Messrs. Collins & Collins, Cumberland Park 
Nurseries, Willesden, for a group of Cypripedium 
insigne and some Oncidiums. A fine spike of 
Schomburgkia Sanderiana, a rosy-purple species, 
was shown by Baron Schroder (gardener, Mr. 
Ballantyne), The Dell, Egham. Some cut flowers 
of Orchids and a large piece of Laelia albida were 
shown by Malcolm S. Cook, Esq. (gardener, Mr. D. 
Cullimore), Kingston Hill ; also cut flowers by 
E. H. Woodall, Esq., St. Nicholas House, Scar¬ 
borough. Dendrobium Macfarlanei and some 
Cypripediums were exhibited by C. Ingram, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. T. W. Bond), Godaiming. Messrs. 
Hugh Low & Co., Clapton, showed Cypripedium 
Leeanum Claptonensi ; Mr. Prewett, Hammer¬ 
smith, had Dendrobium superbiens ; and Messrs. 
Lewis & Co., Southgate, had a small group of 
Orchids. 
A collection of eight stands of fresh and beautiful 
cut blooms of Chrysanthemums was exhibited by- 
Mr. Robert Owen, Castlehill, Maidenhead, including 
fine blooms of Lizzie Cartledge, Thomas Selwood, 
Henry Perkins, and others; and a single bloom of 
his magnificent Seedling incurved Japanese R. Owen 
which the Floral Committee very highly recom¬ 
mended. It could not receive an Award of Merit, 
only one bloom being staged. A Bronze Banksian 
Medal was awarded to Mr. W. Wells, 8, High Street, 
Redhill, for a collection of cut flowers of Chrysan¬ 
themums as grown for market. Mr. T. S. Ware, 
Tottenham, was awarded a Bronze Flora Medal for 
Christmas Roses, Iris Histria, and Narcissus mono- 
phyllus, all in fine bloom. A similar award was made 
to Mr. W. Whitely (manager, Mr. T. Godfrey), Hill- 
ington, for a group of cut flowers of incurved Chrysan¬ 
themums. Some nice Chinese Primulas were shown by 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley. Mr. Simpkins, 
gardener to R. J. Measures,Esq., Camberwell, showed 
a yellow Pompon Chrysanthemum named Mrs. H. 
Simpkins, a curiously frilled variety received direct 
from Japan. Messrs. J. Veitch & Son, Chelsea, 
showed Begonia Winter Gem and some hybrid green¬ 
house Rhododendrons. Christmas Roses were 
shown by Messrs. R. Veitch & Sons, Exeter. 
Vriesia cardinalis, a pretty hybrid, was shown by 
M. L. Duval, Versailles. Some Poinsettias were 
exhibited by Mr. C. Turner, Slough, and also by 
Mr. W. Iggulden, Marston Gardens, Frome ; Mr. 
G. Wythes, gardener to the Duke of Northumber¬ 
land; and Mr. C. Ross, Welford Park, Newbury, 
also showed Chrysanthemums. 
At a meeting of the Fruit Committee a Silver 
Banksian Medal was awarded to G. Hatfield, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. H. Alderman), Morden Hall, Morden, 
Surrey, for a large collection of Apples in fine con¬ 
dition. A similar award was made to J. A. Rolls, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. T. Coomber), The Hendre, 
Monmouth, for three huge Pineapples, two of them 
weighing almost 10 lbs. each. A dish of fruits of 
Benthamia fragifera was shown by R. G. Lakes, Esq., 
Trevarrich, St. Austell, Cornwall. A very ancient 
Apple named Croft Angry, or more correctly Croft- 
an-Righ, was exhibited by Miss M. Macknight, 
Malden Lodge, Wallington. A Cultural Commenda¬ 
tion was awarded to Mr. W. Whitely for Tomatos. 
A Cultural Commendation was awarded to Mr. 
