FERN POTS, PANS, EOCKWORK, ETC. 
47 
upon a couple of strong hooks, driven into the wall, a thin 
wire, passed from side to side, and fixed to wall nails, will 
fasten it securely. A judiciously-planted basket of this de- 
scription will accommodate a very handsome group of several 
varieties. Seedlings will also speedily make their appearance 
in the chinks, and must be looked after, so that the proper 
tenants are not crowded out. 
For many purposes, however, ordinary roofing and ridge 
slates form a preferable material to cork. They are cheap 
and practically everlasting, and, with a little ingenuity, can 
be fashioned into a great variety of pockets and other recep- 
tacles of very simple, sightly, and unobtrusive forms, possess- 
FiG. 9.— Removable Slate Wall-pocket. 
ing all the advantages of cork without any of the drawbacks, 
and being, moreover, of that porous nature which stimulates 
root-growth. 
A supply of roofing-slates, of the usual oblong shape and 
size, and ridge- slates, which are much longer, narrower, and 
stouter, an old saw, a bradawl or drill, an old rough file, a 
pair of good cutting pliers, and some stout copper wire, are 
all the materials and tools required. 
A few examples of this class of work will suffice. In Fig. 9, 
A represents a roofing-slate pierced with holes, as indicated ; B, 
another sawn across diagonally, and a piece cut offi from 
each half, as per dotted line ; two semicircular notches 
may be bitten out by the pliers as shown, to accommodate 
