138 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 13. 
The most important, and yet the least generally im¬ 
proved, of all the smaller structures with which the 
gardener has to operate is The Flower-pot. Per- 
liajis of no other structure, of which the size is im¬ 
portant, is the size so uncertain as in this. If you 
order “ a two,” as it is called, at the potteries in 
London, you would have a pot 18 inches in diameter 
at the top and 14 inches deep; but in Hampshire 
it would be 10 inches in diameter and 15 deep; 
whilst in other districts we have known the magni¬ 
tudes still more differing. To remedy these dis- 
crepancies, it was wisely proposed, some years since, 
to distinguish flower-pots by the size of their greatest 
diameter; and in the following table we enumerate 
them according to that mode of distinction, adding 
also their relative desirable depths, and the old un¬ 
meaning names, which only inform the dealers in 
such articles that there are 60, 48, and so on to “ the 
cast”—a piece of information conveying no useful 
suggestion to the gardener:—• 
Thimbles and thumbs : any size under three inches diameter at the 
top. 
Width of top 
in inches. 
Depth in 
inches. 
Old name. 
Three-inch pot . 
3 
4 
60 s 
Five-inch. 
5 
5 
48s 
Six-inch . 
6 
6 
32s 
Eight-inch. 
8 
8 
24s 
Nine-inch . 
9 
9 
16 s 
Eleven-inch . 
11 
10 
12s 
Twelve-inch . 
13 
11 
8s 
Thirteen-inch. 
13 
12 
6s 
Fifteen-inch . 
15 
13 
4s 
Eighteen-inch .\... 
18 
14 
2s 
In addition to the above, there is a description of 
flower-pots called uprights, which are used for grow¬ 
ing bulbous plants, the roots of which do not spread 
laterally but perpendicularly. They are deeper in 
proportion to their width than common flower-pots, 
and may be thus particularised— 
Top width 
in inches. 
Depth in 
inches. 
Upright 15-inch 
(Old upright l6s) 
15 
16 
Used for growing 7, or a large mass of 
Gladioli, and third-sized bulbs of Ja¬ 
pan lilies ; for ordinary-sized Alstrm- 
merias j and for large tubers of Tro- 
poeolum tricolorum and its allies. 
Upright 8-inch 
(Old upright 24s) 
8 
10 
For 5 Hyacinths, Narcissi, or strong 
early tulips, like Golden Standard and 
Rex ruborum. 
Upright 6-inch 
(Old upright 32s) 
6 
7 
For 3 Hyacinths, or Narcissi, and for 1 
strong Gladiolus, Auricula, &c. 
Upright 6-inch 
(Old upright 48s) 
6 
For single Hyacinths, or Narcissi; for 
6 Ixias or Crocuses ; and for 4 dwarf 
early Tulips, such as the Van Houte. 
For sizes larger than 15-inch it is needless to have 
any pots but those of the usual proportions. 
Having thus disposed of the sizes, we may next 
consider the facilities for drainage with which they 
should be formed. All the sizes less than the 
11-inch need not have any other than the usual flat 
bottom, with one hole in it; but all above that size 
ought to have three holes through the side, level 
with the bottom, and not in the bottom itself, as is 
usually met with. This is not only for giving greater 
facility to the drainage, but for letting in air more 
freely amongst the crocks at the bottom. Mr. Beaton 
brought another improvement into use, namely, 
pushing up the bottom of large pots while the clay 
is soft, so as to take the form of the bottoms of com¬ 
mon wine bottles. In the largest pots this elevation 
of the bottom should not be more than two inches 
from the line of the bottom’s level. The benefit is 
facilitating the drainage still more, and with much 
less crocks, so that there can be more soil for the 
roots to pasture in. To facilitate the drainage, the 
pots are sometimes made to stand upon three small 
feet, but the same object is quite as well secured by 
other forms, of which we shall give drawings in our 
next number, and without the same liability to be 
broken off, which render footed flower-pots so objec¬ 
tionable. 
In our next notice we shall proceed to consider 
the material of which pots are made, and to give 
drawings of various forms. 
THE ERUIT-GAKDEN. 
Fruit Forcing—the Strawberry. — Having in 
previous papers dweltmuch on first principles, which 
indeed must be considered the key to all successful 
culture, we must now begin to descend to details, 
for many minutiae remain to be explained, which, 
although referable to such principles, may be con¬ 
sidered mere rule-of-thumb work. 
The Strawberry. —We wrote upon this subject 
at page 39, as far as throwing out a few general sug¬ 
gestions, and we will now proceed with the routine, 
first offering some observations, as a further guide to 
those who are undecided as to what plan to adopt. 
In the first place, we advise the amateur to be 
moderate in his aims, as to obtaining strawberries 
particularly early. It is well known that strawberry¬ 
forcing before Christmas is a very up-hill affair. This 
is owing to two unfavourable points,—the one, and 
that the principal, the comparative absence of sun¬ 
light; the other, the want to the plant of a sufficient 
period of rest since its last growing time, which rest, 
as we have before observed, engenders a more lively 
vital action—a principle which has been aptly termed 
“ excitability.” 
As to the absence of light, it must by this time be 
quite obvious to every amateur (who has taken an 
interest in the explanation of principles repeat¬ 
edly given in The Cottage Gardener), that an 
increase of heat, without a corresponding proportion 
of light, must end in unproductive results, not only 
with the strawberry, but with most other fruits. 
We would here pause, and endeavour to draw the 
inexperienced amateur’s attention to the necessity of 
carefully distinguishing between a system of forcing, 
where elaboration of sap> as well as development of 
, parts is necessary, and forcing in which mere deve- 
i lopment alone is the end sought. As an instance of 
' the former, we may quote all our fruits; of the latter, 
such plants as the sea-kale, asparagus, &c. &c. 
Many persons introduce their strawberry-pots to 
