II.] THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 57 



about 2 inches deep, and as wide over as the top of 

 the pot, and, of course, a third part wider than the 

 bottom of the pot. This pan shouh 1 be mado of the 

 same materials with the pot itself. 



109. I have, in paragraph 21, mentioned, inci- 

 dentally, wooden boxes, as things wherein to place 

 plants ; but, I must here caution the reader against 

 the practice, wherever it can be avoided, especially 

 for small plants. We see plants, thus cultivated, 

 placed on window sills ; and they sometimes grow 

 there pretty well. Orange Trees, Large Myrtles, 

 and other large exotics, are planted in tubs. There 

 would be great difficulty in getting earthen things 

 of sufficient dimensions for these purposes ; be- 

 sides the constant danger of breaking. But, I am 

 quite satisfied, that where earthenware can be got 

 and used, it is greatly preferable to wood ; and this 

 opinion is foi<nded on actual experience. In my 

 hot-bed of 1819, I sowed several sorts of seeds in 

 little wooden boxes. I had no pots at hand, and to 

 get them from New York required more time than 

 I was willing to spare. The seeds all came up ; 

 but, by the time that they were an inch or two high, 

 they rotted at the stem, and fell down. They were 

 not less than twenty sorts of seeds; some of culi- 

 nary vegetables, some of field-plants, and some oi 

 forest-trees. They all died. In one box there were 

 planted some geranium-cuttings. They cf-.me out 

 into bud and leaf; but died soon afterwards. I had 

 soon afterwards got some pots. I repeated my sow- 

 ing and planting ; all the seeds and plants grew and 

 flourished. And, let it be observed, that the boxes 

 stood in the same bed, where cabbages and cauli- 

 flowers were sown without either pots or boxes ; 

 and that the plants of these grew, and flourished 

 exceedingly. The cause of the plants ro ting .11 



