A dictionary of modern gardening - University Library

POT 482 POT
Delamere Forest, in parts where the !
cover fresh sown seeds, where it is deheather
is cut for making besoms. The sirable to insure a permanent moisture
without frequent watering; it also pro-
upper surface of this heath soil is com- ;
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posed of heath leaves and moss, in a duces a darkness favourable to germiraw
or half-decomposed state, and too nation.
fresh for the purposes of potting ; but Bin 13. {One-inch Drainage termed
beneath this, and in contact with the A'b. 1.)— This is composed of about
gray sand, lies a flake of vegetable equal parts of boiled bone, charcoal,
matter full of the roots of heather, pos- and pounded crocks, in lumps averaging
sessing little sand, and compressed by an inch square, and intended to cover
the rough crock placed over the hole of
the weight of centuries. This, when I
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divested of the dirty sand under it, and pots, from No. 32 to No. 16 of the Lonof
the mossy and raw matter on the don sizes inclusive,
surface, is put in bin 3, after being Bin 19. (^Charcoal in large lumps.)—
half-dried. This is used to mix with the potsherds
Bin 4. {Horse Manure, or Old Horse for orchidaceous plants, and when large
Droppings.)—Obtain them before high masses are wanted for very large shifts,
fermentation takes place, and ridge Bin 20. {One-inch boiled Bone.)—
This is used after the manner of No. 19,
them up in the compost yard , three feet I
considered requisite. To the
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in width, three feet in height, and in- }
stantly roof them over (to shut in
when
the above may be added old tan, riddled
gases) with double turves, each over- particularly clean; to be intermixed
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lapping the other: in this way a slight' with or placed over the drainage; for
fermentation takes place, which, being such it answers exceedingly well, not-
withstanding the prejudice against it.
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;
arrested, is beneficial. Rain is at all
times excluded from this in the compost It is very well adapted for annuals in
yard by the roofing. pots, a single crock with a handful or
Bin 5. {Cow Manure.)— This is cow two of old tan over it, provides a safe
droppings placed in a ridge, and roofed,
similarly to the horse-dung, but allowed
to remain to a much greater age ; in
drainage for a season, and withal
rooting medium.— Card. Chron.
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fact, when placed in Bin
Care required.—A principal object to
No. 5, it has be aimed at in potting is complete drainthe
appearance of rich peat, being at! age, for nothing is more injurious to
least two years old. most plants than stagnant water about
Bin 6. {Wood Ashes and Charcoal.) their roots. The drainage is best ef-
—Brush-wood at bottom, covered with fected by filling one-fourth the depth of
all sorts of garden refuse, viz. cabbage the pot with the larger fragments of
stalks, potato haulm, hedge clippings, bones and charcoal mixed in equal proand
in fact weeds and rubbish of all portions; this and the pebbles, woody
kinds, which, when about half-burned, fibres, &c., which are now allowed to
are closed up with soils of any kind, remain in the soil, will remove from it
and kept smouldering for days; when all superfluous water. Dryness in the
the combustion is complete it is sub- centre of the ball of earth is another
jected to a riddle of an inch mesh, and evil to be avoided. Though not usualwhat
comes through is housed in a dry ly suspected, it occurs more often than
state in this bin, the rest belongs to excess of wet, and deprives the roots
bin 19.
Bin 8. {Sharp
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of a large -
proportion of their pasturage.
Sand.)—Coarse river To prevent it, a small rod of iron should
sand ; but every potting-shed should be be thrust through the earth around the
furnished with two kinds, the one very stem occasionally, to allow the water
coarse and the other very fine, both as
sharp as they can be obtained ; the
London propagating sand is an invaluable
article.
Bin 10. {Sphagnum, well scalded.)—
This is chiefly for orchidaceous plants,
and requires to be steeped in boiling
water for some hours previously to being
transferred to this bin, in order to
destroy insects. It is also useful to
poured upon the surface a freer entrance.
Mr. Moore, to efl^ect the same,
says— " Whenever a plant (most particularly
a valuable specimen plant) is
repotted, either in its infancy or in its
maturity, I would introduce a few sticks
of charcoal perpendicularly into the
pot; these should be long enough to
extend from the bottom of the pot to
the top of the soil ; about three might