58 



THE AMERICAN GARDENER. [Chap. 



the boxes was this : though there were several 

 holes at the bottom of each box, and though these 

 were properly covered with oyster-shells, the wood 

 itself, sides as well as bottom, imbibed, and retain- 

 ed too lo7ig, part of the water poured on the top, 

 and, as the boxes were plunged into the earth of 

 the bed, they imbibed moisture from the watering 

 of the bed also. There was constantly stagnant 

 and sour water near the roots of the plants, and 

 this killed them. These boxes were of deal. If 

 ty,bs, or boxes, must be resorted to, they ought to 

 be of Locust, or some other hard and close wood. 

 Locust is best, because imperishable. See para- 

 graph 16. 



J 10. Some care is necessary in sowing and plant- 

 ing in pots. The mould should be good, and made 

 very fine. The first thing is to put an oyster shell, 

 or piece of broken earthen ware, into the pot, to 

 cover the hole at the bottom; and the hollow part of 

 the shell, or other thing, should be downwards. 

 The use of this is, to keep the hole open, that the 

 water may find its way out of the pot, and not lie 

 stagnant at the bottom, where it would become sour 

 and injure, if not kill, the plant. The earth, if 

 there were no shell, would fill up the hole, and, 

 would, in time, become solid, and thus prevent the 

 water from getting out. The shell, or broken 

 earthen ware, keeps the earth hollow, and the water 

 creeps under the edges of it, and thus escapes into 

 the pan, whence it evaporates. In fields, we al- 

 ways desire an open undersoil ; and, in a rainy 

 season, you will see the crops stunted and looking 

 yellow, where there is a bottom of clay, while, at 

 the very same time, a bottom of sand, gravel, lime 

 stone, or other open matter, exhibits them green 

 and flourishing. It is upon this principle, founded 



