456 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 19,1898. 
ints for Amateurs. 
THE ANNUAL POTTING. 
The shifting of plants from one pot to another is 
practised during every month in the year in the 
larger and busier establishments, for, with the 
multitudinous requirements of such places, the 
preparations for supplying them can never be laid 
aside entirely, although there are seasons when the 
tension may be somewhat relaxed. In the face of 
this, the phrase “ annual potting ” may require a 
little explanation. In large nurseries where the 
raising of stock is the main business, a plant is potted 
when it wants it with comparatively little regard to 
the time of the year, although matters are so well 
managed as to the striking of cuttings and raising of 
seedlings, that the most favourable seasons of the 
year are taken the fullest advantage of. In private 
establishments, whether large or small, a different 
system prevails. The object aimed at in a private 
garden is, of course, different to the nurserymen’s, 
for particular care and attention have to be given to 
old plants and there are indeed many which may be 
called “ permanent " plants on the place, in addition 
to the young stock which is being reared to supply 
smaller plants for furnishing purposes, as well as to 
fill up gaps, should these occur, among the old ones. 
Under this system, the usual custum is to give all 
the plants a thorough overhauling once a year, and 
this is what is meant by the “annual potting." 
True, in every case it does not mean a shift forward 
into more roomy quarters for each plant. On the 
contrary, each plant receives treatment according to 
its special condition, and this of course varies with 
the plant. Thus, some vigorous subjects will have 
made so much roots that the outside of the balls next 
to the pots is nothing but a network of thick fleshy 
roots. In such cases it becomes almost impossible 
to reduce the old balls much, for to attempt it would 
mean certain destruction to a large proportion of 
these roots ; the plants would receive a correspond¬ 
ingly severe check and no improvement; rather the 
opposite would have been effected. In such cases, 
the only thing possible, if it is decided to give it a 
shift, is to give a good one, and not to attempt to 
interfere with the ball beyond loosening gently the 
tips of the roots. The alternative policy is to leave 
the plant as it is, and to endeavour to make np for 
the lack of nutritive soil by feeding with manures. 
Some plants, such as Palms, for instance, answer 
admirably to this treatment. 
Then, again, we may come across a plant which 
seems to have had a bad season last year. We turn 
it out of its pot and find that it has very few roots, 
the greater part of them having rotted off in the sour 
sodden soil, and possibly it contained worms, with 
which the pot is filled. The only thing to do with 
such a subject is to transfer it to a much smaller 
pot, after removing all the old soil and cutting away 
any roots that are injured or appear to be in the first 
stages of rottenness. In more confined quarters, and 
in new, sweet soil the plant will have every chance 
to develope its root system, and to make up for lost 
time, whilst another few months in the old quarters 
would have finished it off completely. 
These two plants represent the extremes, but in 
any ordinary collection they are sure to be seen in 
all intermediate stages. 
We may perhaps mention another set of typical 
conditions as one that is very frequently met with. 
A plant on being turned out of its pot shows that the 
drainage is in good working order ; and the lower 
strata of soil sweet and good, whilst the roots are 
only just beginning to make their appearance round 
the sides of the ball. Such a plant does not stand in 
need of a shift, but a sort of compromise may be 
decided on, viz., a top-dressing. To give this, the 
plant should be returned carefully to its pot in such 
a way that the drainage is not disturbed at all. 
This done, remove with a pointed stick, keeping a 
sharp look out meanwhile for any roots, the soil to a 
depth of 2 in. or 3 in. according to the size of the 
pot. The vacancy thus caused may be filled up with 
fresh soil, which should be worked all round the 
spread-out roots which have been laid bare during 
the removal of the old soil. 
Top-dressing does not find general favour with 
cultivators who frequently change their young men 
assistants, because the top-dressing does not give an 
idea of the true state of the plant for water when the 
pot is tapped in the usual way : the top-dressing is 
invariably drier than the lower layers of the old soil, 
and the plant is consequently in danger of being 
consistently over-watered by a young man who does 
not know that it has been only top-dressed and not 
potted. 
These reasons are certainly valid enough in such 
cases, but they do not apply to the average amateur 
who looks after his plants himself, and knows what 
has been done, and, consequently,the true inwardness 
of affairs. It may be well to give the hint, however, 
to test the plants as to their need for water by their 
weight, and not by the hollow sound emitted from 
the pot of a dry plant when the pot is "tapped ’’ or 
“ rung ” in the usual manner. 
Shall We Pot Firmly or Not?— There is nothing 
that has caused brisker discussions than this, and 
even now the controversial spirit is at large. 
Some growers eschew the rammer as the devil is 
said to hate holy water, whilst others will ram any¬ 
thing and everything, no matter what it is, or what 
its condition may be. The latter policy is obviously 
a mistake when we come to take a closer view of the 
effects on plant life of ramming the soil, whilst the 
former system is too much that of an extremist to 
find favour with an enlightened cultivator. 
The exact amount of firmness imparted to the soil, 
whether by means of the rammer or of the fingers, 
must depend not only upon the condition of the soil, 
whether light, heavy, damp, or dry, but also the 
plant operated on. We may lay down the broad 
general rule, however, that when the soil is of 
medium texture, and not too damp, a vigorously 
growing plant may, with advantage, have the ram¬ 
mer used pretty freely upon the soil in which it is to 
grow. Firm potting tends to check over-luxuriant 
growth, aud to promote the production of sturdy 
short-jointed shoots, and leaves of firm texture, thus 
keeping the proportions of the plant within due 
bounds, and thereby increasing its usefulness for 
decorative purpose whether in the conservatory or 
dwelling house. 
On the other hand, naturally, weak growing sub¬ 
jects, or those that are in a weak condition through 
ill-health, should not be potted too firmly, for, so far 
from requiring a check put upon their growth, they 
must have every inducement given them to grow. 
In every case, therefore, such plants should be 
potted rather loosely, no more firmness being given 
to the soil than can be imparted with a moderate 
pressure of the operator's fingers ; indeed, for plants 
that are apparently at the last gasp, it is often good 
practice to lay them loosely in a bed of cocoanut 
fibre refuse in a warm house. Under such circum¬ 
stances they will often come round, and the lives of 
valuable plants will be thus spared. Of course, 
after a nice few roots have been made, the plants 
may be removed from the cocoanut fibre and potted 
up in ordinary soil. 
We have said enough to show that in going 
through a collection of stove plants, there is a wide 
field wherein the operator must exercise his dis¬ 
cretion. The broad general rules that we have 
given are the only ones which can safely be laid 
down, and they must be applied according to the 
particular set of circumstances which have to be 
dealt with. 
The present time is a most favourable one to make 
a start with the potting of the plants, attention 
being first of all paid to the occupants of the stove 
and the warmer houses. We thus take advantage of 
the increase in light, whilst the worst part of the 
job is got through before the sun becomes so power¬ 
ful as to try the shifted plants to any serious extent. 
With the cold winds that have been prevalent of 
late, it will not be advisable to take the plants out of 
the warm house to the potting shed, but to rig up a 
potting-bench within the stove, and complete the 
work there. A capital potting-bench may be 
improvised by knocking one side out of a large 
shallow box, and placing this on the stage in the 
required position. The three sides remaining serve 
to keep the soil from spilling about, and economises 
the space.— Rex. 
-•*«-’- 
Potato Early Rose.—American Potatos, do not, as 
a rule, succeed well in this country ; but a few of 
them gain a footing. Early Rose is the oldest of 
these and is still planted at many places. Beauty of 
Hebron is of more recent introduction, and enjoys a 
considerable amount of favour. 
Correspondence. 
Questions ashed by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
" Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Propagating Heliotropes.— Rob.: The reason why 
your plants do not make haste to throw up side 
shoots is first of all because you have not taken off 
the tops, consequently the efforts of growth made by 
the plants are all in an upward direction. Secondly, 
you are not giving them sufficient heat. Remove the 
plants to a shelf in a warm house, and take off the 
tops and put them in at once as cuttings—also in 
heat. The old plants will not be long in throwing 
out side shoots which may be taken off for cuttings 
as soon as they get long enough. You will have to 
hurry your plants up or you will never get a 
sufficient stock by bedding-out time. 
Window Facing North. — T. T.: It will be of little 
use attempting to grow flowering plants in a north 
window. Of course, plants that were already in 
flower might be removed to it for a time, but it 
would not suit them as a permanent home. Ferns 
and greenhouse Selaginellas would do very well, also 
such foliage plants as Aralia Sieboldii, the elegant 
Araucaria excelsa, and the hardier Palms, such as 
Kentia fosteriana, or K belmoreana. 
Back Wall of Yinery.—I have at present nothing 
growing upon the back wall of my vinery. Would 
it be possible to utilise this space for anything ? I 
have been advised by a friend to devote it to Figs, 
but they are no favourite of mine, aod I would rather 
have something else—a decorative plant for prefer¬ 
ence.— Stolon. 
Hoya carnosa would do fairly well upon the wall, 
unless the shade from the Vines is too great. As¬ 
paragus plumosus will, however, do even better. It 
would grow quickly enough, and would soon cover 
the wall if you procured strong plants to start with. 
The fronds, moreover, would come in handily for cut¬ 
ting. Why not try the Aparagus ? 
Shading for Greenhouse. —Leonard E. : If you 
have plants in flower such as Primulas, Cinerarias, 
and bulbs of various kinds, you will do well to fix 
the shading at once, for the bright sunlight will 
shorten the lives of your flowers to a great extent, 
and this should be avoided. 
Famigating Freesias. —Leonard E. : You have 
been somewhat negligent in allowing your plants to 
get so badly infested with greenfly before taking re¬ 
medial measures. Certainly the plants may be 
smoked or vapourised whilst they are in bloom, but 
it would have been better gardening to have seen to 
this before the flowers made their appearance. You 
must exercise great caution in giving the smoke or 
vapour, and it should not be too strong ; indeed, it is 
preferable to give three weak doses rather than ons 
strong one. 
Fertilising Peaches—I have a good sized Peach 
house in which the trees are coming into bloom. A 
friend of mine has advised me to put a hive of bees 
into the house aud thus assure the proper fertilisa¬ 
tion of the flowers without the necessity of the 
lengthy and tedious operation of going over and 
brushing each flower separately. Would you also 
advise the use of the bees in this way ?— P. IV. 
If your friend is willing to lend you a hive of 
bees for the purpose, or if you can find another 
friend equally accommodating and foolish, you may 
act as you suggest by all means ; but it is a sad 
experience for the bees. Poor things! they are 
lured out of their hive by the warmth and bright¬ 
ness, and in attempting to stretch their wings by a 
good long flight, dash themselves to death against 
the glass—it is almost sure to weaken and spoil the 
hive. If you cannot find somebody else's property 
to experiment with, don’t do it. 
Feeding Bees.— Apiarian. : Candy is all right 
for feeding strong stocks, but from the description 
you give, your stocks are anything but strong, and 
would be likely to starve to death on the candy. 
Instead, give them some properly prepared syrup 
which they will be able to take even if they are at 
