POTTING 135 



in the bottom, to assist drainage; the four-inch pots will 

 need a little coarse material as well. 



Nothing else does quite so well as these terra-cotta pots. 

 Nevertheless, other things may be used. Strawberry boxes, 

 for example, will do nicely, though they are large and clumsy. 

 Tin cans, with holes punched in the bottom for drainage, 

 are very serviceable. But from these we cannot repot 

 nicely. Best of all the cheap materials are the pots made 



FIG. 72. " Standard " pots, with a rose pot at the end of the row. Pots 

 with thick rims are best for general use. 



of heavy paper. Though they do not protect the plants 

 as well as any of the others, they may be bought cheaply 

 by the dozen or hundred, and on account of their shape 

 can easily be used for repotting. Or with a little skill, such 

 pots can be made of building paper. 



I shall suppose that we are potting seedlings from the flats. 

 The same mixture of soil should be used. We should begin 

 the work of potting by scrubbing the two-inch pots inside 

 and out. This is neater, and it is better for the plant to 

 have clean porous pots. The process of washing also wets 

 the pots thoroughly ; but if they do not need washing they 

 should be put under water for at least a few minutes, so that 

 they shall not steal water from the plants. 



Drain them, now; and having studied our plants to see 

 how long the roots are, put in such a thickness of soil as the 



