The Penn's Grove record., 1889-05-11
IN THE GARDEN.


treatment in their removal and lnser-
ton. Some persons, who ought to
know better, are careless in this work,
while others endeavour to do h Is
right. vet really do what is wrong
through lack of knowledge. A some
what common, and unquestionably an
incorrect, mode of procedure, is to dig
up plants and lay them on the ground
till the beds or borders can be prepared
for their reception. This often takes a
considerable time, and the roots thu
exposed suffer accordingly. As far as
is possible, the ground should be ready
for the reception of plants before they
are taken up; and the more quickly
they can be inserted, the better.
In the event of plants arriving from a
distance; when a few hours, or even
days, must of necessity elapse before
the planting can be done; it is most m
portant that the plants be SO closely
packed together that the roots cannot
suffer by exposure, and any that are
| visible should be covered with damp
soil. Nothing is more detrimental to
| plants than allowing their roots to get
| dry when out of the ground-a mistake
| that can be easily avoided.
There is also q right and wrong way
of inserting plants in the ground. The
wrong way is to scoop out a little earth,
| then to make the cavity IS smooth and
| round as q teacup, huddle the roots in
! ANYHOW. scrape some soil oven them,
and pack it round the stems, SO that
when finished, the plants appear as If
elevated above the general level of the
ground. If they grow, it will be more
1901 J.n1- x1an raol manQnnmanf
and they cannot be expected to flourish,
The excavations should be large enough
for the reception of the roots without
the slightest crushing or twisting, and
after working soil well amongst them
and pressing it down, the plants should
appear as if in slight hollows rather
than otherwise. In all cases, they should
be inserted a little deeper than they
were before removal; and the soil on
which the roots rest should not be firm
and smooth, but well stirred and loosen
ed to the depth of a foot or more below
them. New roots then penetrate 1T the
more freely, and the plants are soon es-
tablished. Tender plants, which are
preserved in rooms or greenhouses,
must not be put out for a considerable
time.
TENDER PLANTS,
1t is very common for a number of
persons who have tender plants and
flowers, which they have managed to
preserve through the winter, to fancy
that when the sun shines and birds sing
that spring has come to stay, hence the
plants are put out, and are safe for d
time, but eventually either seriously in
iured or destroyed. 1t is desirable to ,
place plants that have long been con
fined in rooms outside on very mild
and genial days, but they must not be
left there long at this early period OF
the year, for biting winds and frosts are
certain to occur, no matter how mild
and tempting the weather may be when
the plants are placed outside. It is
prudent to take advantage of any balmy
days that come, and give plants the
benefit of them by a few hours s~ojourn
on outside window-sills, but the weather
must not be trusted to remain mild for
long at this early period of the year.
REPORTING.
Geraniums IN windows or green
houses which have been in the same soil
and pots most of last summer, as well as
during the winter, should have fresh
soil now, for the old is exhausted. Plants
that have few or no leaves, but which
are pushing fresh shoots from the cut
back stems, may have every particle Of
the old soil shaken from the roots, and
any of these which are dry and dead
looking should also be trimmed the
same as the branches, cutting the roots
back to the thicker portions that are
alive and fresh. When these are placed
in new soil, kept properly moist, that
is, neither very wet nor very dry, they
will soon push innumerable white feed
ing roots, and healthy top growth will
follow. Such plants will not require
larger pots, but smaller would in most
cases be better. They should be quite
clean and dry when used.
An inch in depth of broken flower
pots, charcoal, or oyster shells should
be placed in them, and covered with a
little moss, turf, or partially decayed
leaves for preventing the soil PARTICLES
choking the drainage. Then place in the
firmly. When half filed, or a little
more, put in the plant exactly in the
centre, and if there is more than half an
inch of space from the ends of the roots
to the sides of the pot this will be too
MUCH, anu u SllhiitI pOb bAOulu D6
chosen. 1t is better, however, to de-
eide on the size before preparing the
pot by holding the roots in it, and if
they do not nearly touch the sides the
pot will be too large.
Shake the soil well amongst the roots,
press it firmly down with the fnges,
and finish off quite level half al inch
below the rim. Filling fower-pots quite
full of earth is very great mistake, and
a greater is to pile it above the level in
the form of a mound; plants thus pot
ted, as thousands are, cannot be expect
ed to thrive.
SUITABLE SOIL.
The best soil for potting Geraniums
and many other plants is that taken
from the surface where short grass
is growing - hence full Of fbrous
roots. To four handfuls add one of leaf
mould or cocoanutfbre refuse, II of
decayed manure crumbled into small
particles, one consisting of equal parts
of crushed charcoal and sand, and an
excellent mixture will be provided.
Persons in the country have no diff
Guilty in procuring these ingredients,
and those who reside in or near towns
should buy a little suitable soil from
florists for their plants. 1t should be
damp enough for compression when
used; not so dry as to escape through
the fingers when a handful is tightly
grasped, no yet SO wet as to adhere in
an unpleasant manner. The right con-
dition of soil when used is almost as i'm
portant as its quality. Two days after
potting sufficient water should be very
gently poured on the soil to pass down
to and through the drainage, and this
will be sufficient for a week for cut
down plants which as yet have no leaves
to appropriate the moisture. The
method of reporting plants not cut
down, and in full leaf, will be described
in an early issue, and, in the meantime,
it will be better to let them remain I'M
disturbed, only giving them water when
the soil is distinctly dry on the surface,
L