of pots, and which of course at the time of
planting is simply placed, along with the plant it contains, at once into
the soil, without in the least disturbing the roots, which, growing
through the substance of the turf, extend beyond it in all directions into
the free soil provided for them. These turf pots are made of spongy,
fibrous turf--whether loamy or peaty is not material, provided it is full
of fibre, so as to admit of being readily traversed by the roots. The
grassy surface is evenly removed, and the under-turves are cut three or
four inches in thickness, and are then divided into squares of about three
inches across. The centre of each of these little squares is taken out by
means of an iron scoop, such as that represented in the annexed sketch;
and this is then filled up with soil, and the plant, or seed, or cutting,
or layer, inserted as if it were into an ordinary flower pot. It will be
obvious that by this plan, every plant is independent and perfectly
removable--thus securing the convenience of sowing or planting and rearing
the plants in pots during their earliest stages: on the other hand, at the
time of planting out permanently, the plant, turf, and all being set
carefully into the soil, no check is sustained, because the roots remain
undisturbed, and may, as they advance, penetrate through the turf into the
prepared soil which surrounds them; in this way the advantages of sowing
or planting at the very first in the position the plants are intended to
occupy permanently, are secured.

[Illustration]

This plan of sowing seeds, or of planting young plants intended for
transplantation, into pots made of turf, is not only applicable to
cucumbers, but might be very extensively adopted in the case of annuals
and half hardy plants raised in frames, during the spring, in large
quantities for the flower garden. In these cases, however, as the quantity
that could be reared within a given space would be an object, the turves
should be as small as possible in their lateral dimensions--a bore of two
inches and a half, with half an inch on each side, thus making the
diameter three inches and a half, would be found convenient in this
respect. For cucumbers, however, or when the plan was applied to any
special object, a larger size might be employed, which would allow of the
plants attaining a larger size before it would be necessary to place them
in their permanent positions.

_On Watering the Soil._

In