312 FLOWERS ALL THE YEAR ROUND 



POTS NEW OR OLD should be soaked in water before use. They 

 are very porous, and by absorbing moisture from the soil they may 

 at once make it too dry, although in exactly the right condition 

 before being placed in the pots. And old pots ought never to be 

 used until they have been scrubbed quite clean. These may appear 

 to be trivial matters, unworthy of attention. They have, however, 

 an influence on the health of plants, and experienced growers know 

 that a few apparent trifles make all the difference between success and 

 failure. Pots which are dirty, or covered with green moss, prevent 

 access of air, and tend to bring about a sickly growth. Cleanliness 

 in horticulture is valuable for its own sake, and for the orderly routine 

 it necessitates on the part of the cultivator. 



Pots are known both by number and by size. They are sold by 

 the * cast,' and a cast always consists of the distinguishing number. 

 The following are the numbers and sizes : 



Number in Cast Inches 



72 Inside diameter across top 2\ 



Small 60 2} 



Mid. 60 3 



Large 60 3-^- 



Small 54 4 



Large 54 , 4? 



Small 48 4J 



Large 48 5 



40 5a 



32 6 



28 7 



24 7i 



16 8i 



12 9i 



8 ii 



6 i2j 



4 14 



2 I5i 



i 18 



WATERING is sometimes conducted on the principle that the 

 usual time has arrived, and therefore the plants must have water. 

 But do they need it ? Press the fingers firmly on the surface ; if 

 particles of soil adhere it is too dry. Or tap the pots smartly with 



