TOOLS AND INSTRUMENTS. 



191 



Name. 



Twos, or 18-inch 



Fours, or 15-inch 



Sixes, or 13-inch 



Eights, or 12-inch 



Twelves, or 11-inch 



Sixteens, or 9-inch 



Twenty-fours, or 8-inch. 

 Thirty-twos, or 6-inch... 

 Forty-eights, or 5-inch.. 



Sixties, or 3-inch 



Eighties, or thumbs 



Number to 



Diameter 



the cast. 



at top. 





Inches. 



2 



18 



4 



15 



6 



13 



8 



12 



12 



Hi 



16 



n 



24 



«i 



32 



6 



48 



*i 



60 



3 



80 



Z 2 



Depth 



Inches. 

 14 

 13 

 12 

 11 

 10 



The dimensions of pots vary, however, con- 

 siderably, according to the locality and the 

 particular pottery in which the pots are made. 



The various sizes of garden pots have one 

 prevailing characteristic in their form, which is 



that of being wider at top than at bottom. This 

 is necessary as, if the sides were perpendicular, 

 the ball of earth could not be turned out with- 

 out breaking the pot. Sandy soil, even without 

 roots growing in it, could not by any means be 

 pressed out of an earthenware cylinder, unless 

 a very short one. On the other hand, long 

 tapering pots are not to be recommended. 

 Generally, pots of large size are wider than 

 they are deep; and on the contrary, the depth 

 of small-sized pots equals or exceeds their width. 

 Examples of the usual forms of plant pots, pans, 

 and baskets are represented in fig. 243. 



It has been a question whether glazed or un- 

 glazed pots are best for plants. The glazed 

 pots have a clean appearance; they do not 



Fig. 243. 



a, Orchid pot. b, Orchid pot (loose bottom), c, Perforated Orchid pot. d, Shallow suspending pan for Orchids. 



e, Suspending Orchid basket. /, Nest of pots, lg to 30 inches, g, Sea-kale pot. h, Rhubarb pot. 



evaporate so much water as the porous earthen- 

 ware; and the ball can be more easily turned 

 out in shifting from the smooth glazed surface 

 than from a rough one. In these respects the 

 glazed pots have some advantages; but these 

 are more than counterbalanced by the higher 

 price, which in extensive cultivation would be 

 a consideration. The glazed surface is also 

 objectionable as affecting the growth of the 

 plants, chiefly because the soil gets less aeration 

 in a glazed pot than in the rougher and more 

 porous kind. 



Drainage for the roots of plants being essen- 

 tial, it is usually provided for by one hole in 

 the bottom, or by several smaller ones in that 

 part, and in the side near the base. For large 

 plants, however, pots are now made with one 

 hole in the bottom large enough to admit the 



end of an upright post, and over this is laid a 

 stout movable bottom without holes. When 

 the plant is to be shifted, the pot is kept up- 

 right and placed on the top of the post, and 

 thus the pot is pushed down, whilst the ball is 

 not, but remains on the top of the post, with 

 the flat circular bottom under it. 



It is frequently necessary, as a protection 

 against slugs, beetles, &c, to isolate a plant by 

 surrounding it with water. An excellent con- 

 trivance for this purpose is Warned Protector, 

 represented at fig. 244. The platform is open 

 right through, and it is set in a dish which can 

 be filled with water. 



Besides the common forms, pots are made 

 with double sides, with raised bottoms, also 

 with projecting bases. The double -sided pot 

 has a small opening at top by which the space 



