SOILS AND POTS FOR FERNS. 69 



suitable character of the pots and pans in which 

 they are raised. The ordinary earthen pots vary 

 much in quality. Those made from poor clay, and 

 insufficiently baked, are apt to become rotten, and 

 break just at the time when it is most necessary 

 that they should hold together. Pots which are 

 over-baked are less porous, and, like common 

 glazed ware, are not so good for most species. 

 Very recently a new kind of pot has been placed 

 in the market, made by Mr. Such of the New-Jer- 

 sey kaolin from the pits at South Amboy. They 

 are stronger, and can therefore be made thinner, 

 than the common ones. Their color is creamy 

 white ; and, although this is not so suitable as red 

 for contrast with the ferns, they are much the most 

 handsome pots for exhibition plants. The figures 

 of pans and pots, given in Plate 8, serve to illus- 

 trate these points. Fig. 7 is the ordinary flower- 

 pot; Fig. 6 the same, with one side flattened, 

 that the pot may be placed on a bracket, or against 

 a wall. Fig. 3 is a taller pot for deep-rooting spe- 

 cies. Fig. 2, which is shown beneath in Fig. 4, is 

 a small pan (all pans should have more than one 

 hole pierced through the bottom, for drainage). 

 Fig. 5 is an open-work pot much used at the 

 Botanic Garden in Cambridge for plants with 

 creeping stems, and also to invert under other 

 pans to raise the plants to a proper height on 

 the shelves. Scoop-shaped pots are often used 



