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Show TIN CANS F0K PLANTS , GROW MORc RAPIDLY THAN IN ORDINARY POTS. Oreat Advantage n That It Is Easier to Maintain Nearly Constant Moisture Content Without Rapid Drying of Soil. (Hy E. WILCOX.) t It hns long been obsorvod that many young seedling plants ' grow moro rnptdly nnd with greater vigor in tin cans than in ordinary florist's pots. In order to obtain furthor information infor-mation on this subject and to determine deter-mine tho cnuso of tho difference in growth, a set of experiments wbb carried car-ried out, by tho writer, tho general results of which will bo given hero. Young uniform seedling, woro planted In ten cans and also In ton pots. Flvo of tho cans and flvo of tho pots were coated with paraftlno to eliminate any effect which tho containers contain-ers themselves might havo on plant growth. Tho samo amount of soil was used and tho treatment as to watering wa-tering wns uniform and the same caro was given to each. Tho plants woro as near uniform ns posslblo at tho start. At two months of ago iho plants In two of tho pots moro porous than tho rest woro 2 inches high, those In tho thrco medium porous pots 4 inches, thoso In tho parafllno pots C'h inches, thoso in tho arnfhno tins CU Inches, those In tho untreated tins 7Vi Inches. Tho height and vigor of tho plants showed n regular sorleB of graduations, Increasing in sizo ns tho evaporation from tho container decreased. de-creased. Tho great advantage of using tin cans rather than porous pots seems to rest In tho fact that In tins it is easier to maintain a nearly constant moist-uro moist-uro content without a rapid drying of tho soil about tho growing roots. This results in a moro rapid and vigorous growth. Slnco nearly one-half of tho evaporation from pots takes place through tho slclo of tho pot, tho movement move-ment of this part of water Is necessarily necessar-ily In a horizontal direction. Root growth responds to tho direction of tho water movements In Boll. Therefore, There-fore, tho roots reach the sldo of tho container moro quickly and In greater numbers in pots than In tin cans. Aftfcr watering, tho boII rapidly dries by escape of water through the sldo of tho pot, thus leaving tho young rootlets root-lets too dry. By the shrinkage of the soil away from tho sldo of tho pot In drying, a space Is formed Into which tho water runB upon tho next watering. water-ing. Tho roots nro thus alternately exposed to tho air nnd submerged in I ... V L Growth of Seedlings In Different Containers Con-tainers From Right to Left Very Porous .Pot, Medium Porous Pot, Paraffined Pot, Tin Can. wnter. In tin cans theso conditions do nott occur. No wntor can cscapo through tho tin. Tho moisture content con-tent of tho wholo ball of soil Is uniform uni-form and consequently tho roots distribute dis-tribute themselves uniformly through tho mass. , When UBed In growing plants, tin cans show qulto extenslvo disintegration disintegra-tion within a year. Under tho Influence of oxygen, the soil solution and plant acids, salts of tin, zinc and iron aro formed from tho can nnd solder. Tho growing tips of rootlets como in contact con-tact with the sldo of tho can, and aro in position to absorb these mineral Baits. Naturally tho salts of tho tin and zinc in tin enns must bo in ox-tremo ox-tremo dilution. Under these conditions tin nnd zinc nro known to stimulate plant growth to somo extent. On account of tho flaring tops of pots, they occupy moro space than tins. Tho growth of plants In tins Is faster than In potB, for tho reason thnt a uniform moisture content Is moro easily maintained In tins. We find in practlco that plants in tin enns will thrivo well when watered only every third day, under conditions whero pots requlro watering every day. This brings about an economy In time and labor. |