pots not in use under cover; for by being exposed to the open air they are soon covered with millions of flying seeds of cryptogamous plants, which vegetate the instant, that the pots are moistened.
In the neighbourhood of London, garden pots are made of two shapes, and denominations, viz. upright and flats: they are sold in casts of the following numbers, 60, 48, 32, 24, 16, 12, 8, 4, 2, besides extra sizes: each cast is the same price, and of the cast 60, three sorts are made; thumb 60s, small 60s, large 60s.
When you prepare a pot for use, first place a piece of hollow broken garden pot, with its concave side downwards, over the hole in the bottom; I object to an Oyster shell, though ever so hollow, it being hard, and less porous than unglazed earthern ware. Then proceed to drain it more effectually, by filling it about a third part with smaller pieces of broken tiles or pots. In making these drainings, they should be shaken in a sieve, to take out all the smaller pieces, as well as dust; and by using sieves of different meshes, two or three sorts of drainings suitable to different sized pots, will be obtained with little trouble; for they require to be effectually drained, even when planted in the smallest 60s. The coarse riddlings of the earth in which they are potted, may be used as drainings for very large plants; such refuse is also particularly proper for those species, that require more moisture than others, which the flagging of their leaves in hot sunshine always indicates.
For sowing seeds, the pots called flats are most suitable, of the casts 40 or 38. After draining these, fill them up to about an inch and a half below the top, with moderately fine sifted soil, upon which add about an inch of still finer sifted mould. Then make the surface quite even, with a piece of lath bent, which should be used like a Plasterer's trowel. Observe carefully however to leave the earth as light as possible.
