POT 



482 



POT 



Delamere Forest, in parts where the ! cover fresh sown seeds, where it is de- 

 heather is cut for making besoms. The ■ sirable to insure a permanent moisture 

 upper surface of this heath soil is com- ; without frequent watering; it also pro- 

 posed of heath leaves and moss, in a duces a darkness favourable to germi- 

 raw or half-decomposed state, and too | nation. 



fresh for the purposes of potting ; but | Bin 13. {One-inch Drainage termed 

 beneath this, and in contact with the A'b. 1.) — This is composed of about 

 gray sand, lies a flake of vegetable , equal parts of boiled bone, charcoal, 

 matter full of the roots of heather, pos- , and pounded crocks, in lumps averaging 

 sessing little sand, and compressed by , an inch square, and intended to cover 

 the weight of centuries. This, when I the rough crock placed over the hole of 

 divested of the dirty sand under it, and pots, from No. 32 to No. 16 of the Lon- 

 of the mossy and raw matter on the ! don sizes inclusive, 

 surface, is put in bin 3, after being Bin 19. (^Charcoal in large lumps.) — 

 half-dried. This is used to mix with the potsherds 



Bin 4. {Horse Manure, or Old Horse for orchidaceous plants, and when large 

 Droppings.) — Obtain them before high masses are wanted for very large shifts, 

 fermentation takes place, and ridge Bin 20. {One-inch boiled Bone.) — 

 them up in the compost yard , three feet I This is used after the manner of No. 19, 

 in width, three feet in height, and in- } when considered requisite. To the 

 stantly roof them over (to shut in the ; above may be added old tan, riddled 

 gases) with double turves, each over- ! particularly clean; to be intermixed 

 lapping the other: in this way a slight' with or placed over the drainage; for 

 fermentation takes place, which, being i such it answers exceedingly well, not- 

 arrested, is beneficial. Rain is at all i withstanding the prejudice against it. 

 times excluded from this in the compost ; It is very well adapted for annuals in 



yard by the roofing. 



pots, a single crock with a handful or 



Bin 5. {Cow Manure.) — This is cow two of old tan over it, provides a safe 



droppings placed in a ridge, and roofed, 

 similarly to the horse-dung, but allowed 

 to remain to a much greater age ; in 



drainage for a season, and withal 

 rooting medium. — Card. Chron. 



Care required. — A principal object to 



fact, when placed in Bin No. 5, it has , be aimed at in potting is complete drain- 

 the appearance of rich peat, being at! age, for nothing is more injurious to 



least two years old. 



most plants than stagnant water about 



Bin 6. {Wood Ashes and Charcoal.) \ their roots. The drainage is best ef- 

 — Brush-wood at bottom, covered with | fected by filling one-fourth the depth of 

 all sorts of garden refuse, viz. cabbage ! the pot with the larger fragments of 

 stalks, potato haulm, hedge clippings, ] bones and charcoal mixed in equal pro- 

 and in fact weeds and rubbish of all . portions; this and the pebbles, woody 

 kinds, which, when about half-burned, fibres, &c., which are now allowed to 

 are closed up with soils of any kind, I remain in the soil, will remove from it 

 and kept smouldering for days; when i all superfluous water. Dryness in the 

 the combustion is complete it is sub- j centre of the ball of earth is another 

 jected to a riddle of an inch mesh, and i evil to be avoided. Though not usual- 

 what comes through is housed in a dry ^ ly suspected, it occurs more often than 

 state in this bin, the rest belongs to 1 excess of wet, and deprives the roots 

 bin 19. ' ' ' . - . . 



Bin 8. 



of a large proportion of their pasturage. 

 {Sharp Sand.) — Coarse river I To prevent it, a small rod of iron should 

 sand ; but every potting-shed should be ; be thrust through the earth around the 

 furnished with two kinds, the one very , stem occasionally, to allow the water 



coarse and the other very fine, both as 

 sharp as they can be obtained ; the 

 London propagating sand is an invalu- 

 able article. 



Bin 10. {Sphagnum, well scalded.) — 

 This is chiefly for orchidaceous plants, 

 and requires to be steeped in boiling 

 water for some hours previously to be- 

 ing transferred to this bin, in order to 

 destroy insects. It is also useful to 



poured upon the surface a freer en- 

 trance. Mr. Moore, to efl^ect the same, 

 says — " Whenever a plant (most parti- 

 cularly a valuable specimen plant) is 

 repotted, either in its infancy or in its 

 maturity, I would introduce a few sticks 

 of charcoal perpendicularly into the 

 pot; these should be long enough to 

 extend from the bottom of the pot to 

 the top of the soil ; about three might 



