Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-12-08
Housing Plants,

Tender plants that, Tor q &c"
months past, have been in the bor-
der, and that are intended for win
ter blooming, should at the close of
summer or early in September in
the more northern states receive at
tention preparatory to housing. AS
rule, those plants that have How
eged freely during summer will not
be of much value for winter bloom
ing, and it is not to them We would
now direct attention, but to those
especially intended for the window
conservatory or greenhouse. Each
plant 10 be lifted should be cut
around with a narrow, sharp spade,
or some other sharp, thin tool, so
as TO leave a ball of earth that can
be removed with the plant and pla-
ced in the pot. 1t will be seen that
it is necessary to determine the size
of the ball pretty accurately
since it is not to be reduced after
removal. If there is reason to sup
pose that q plant has long roots
running directly dOwnwards' it will
be necessary to run the spade un-
der it and cut them off,so that there
shall be no roots too long for pot
ting. As a result Of cutting about
the plants, all the roots that are
shortened by the operation will
make numerous young roOtlets'
and in a fortnight these will have
fully formed, and the plants will
then be ready to be placed in thler
pots. A plant in the condition
now described, if properly potted
and treated, will commence an &C
tive growth, scarcely showing
sign Of the change it has been sub
iected to. After the root pruning
process has been performed, 1t is
time to prepare potting soil, if that
mixture is not already stored away
for the purpose. When access can
be had to woods where leaf-mold
eau be procured, it should be cOllec-
ted as one Of the NEST important
materials for the purpose. Sharp,
clean sand must be secured and
some loan can be taken just under
the sod Of an old pasture it Is to
be preferred, but, if not, it should
be what a gardner or farmer would
call fresh-that is, lively, and not
old soil that has been run and is
Door. If attention has been given
in advance TO secure good potting
soil, probably pile Of rotted SOds
is at hand to furnish the necessary
loan. Those who would have at
command good soil, should lay in
a pile of sods every spring, piling
them up grass side down, so that
the grass and roots will decay; and
TO make it mellow, the pile should
be turned two or three times dur
ing the summer. A mixture OF
equal parts of loan, leaf mold and
sand, with small addition OF COW
manure, will make a soil suitable
for nearly all plants. When Leaf
mold cannot Dc procured, its place
may be taken by dried COW manure
pulverized.
Having the pOtting material ready
and a good assortment Of pots, the
plants may be lifted any time be-
fore frost, and two or three weeks
after the operation Of cutting around
them has been performed. The
pots should be an inch or two larg-
er in diameter than the balls Of
earth, so that from half-inch to an
nch Of the prepared soil can be
placed q bit Of crock over the hole
in the bottom Of the pot, in order to
keep the drainage free, and then fill
in couple of inches of soil, and
upon this set the ball Of earth, and
then fill in the soil carefully all
around, a little at a time, seeing
that no vacancies are left but gently
pushing it in, when necessary'with
a blunt stick, or jarring the pot sui
ficiently to settle it. When the
potting of a plant is finished'th' soil
should be about half an inch be-
low the rim, thus leaving room for
water on the surface. After pot
ting, give the plants liberal water
ing and stand them in the shade
and, if possible, give them the ben
st of the close. moist air of cold
frame; but where this is not Practlc
able,do the next best thing by plac-
mo fhem where they will be ont OF