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Watering Plants witk the Atmosphheric Garden Pot. [Book II.

vessel and its contents were then raised, and the latter discharged atpleasnre by removing the finger.

As this was the ancient garden pot of the Greeks, Pliny probably re-fers to it when he speaks of ‘ sprinkling’ water, oil, vinegar, &c. on plantsand roots.“ It appears to have been continued in use for such purposesin Europe , through the middle ages ; and to a limited extent up to the 17thand 18th centuries. b Figures of it are, however, rarely to be met witk,for it seems to have been nearly forgotten when the discovery of Torri-celli revivedthe old discussions on a vacuum; and though Boyle and othersthen occasionally referred to it, few, we believe, gave its figure. c Mont-faucon speaks of examining an ancient ‘ watering stick,’ and also a‘ sprinkling pot,’ but unfortunately he has not described either. d Ofa great number of old philosophical Works timtwe have examined for the purpose of obtaining afigure, we met with it only in Fludd’s works. Theannexedcut is from his De Naturae Simia seu Tech-nica macrocosmi historia.’ Oppenheim, 1618, p. 473.The mode of using it is too obvious to require expla-nation. It was pushed into water in the position re-presented; the liquid entered through the openingsin the bottom, driving the air out of the small orificeat the top; and when it was filled, the person usingit placed his finger or thumb on the orifice and thenmoved the vessel over the plants, &c. he wished towater; discharging the contents by raising the finger.

No. 69. Ancient Watering Pot.

The application of this instrument as a ‘ garden pot’ may sometimes befound portrayed in devices, rebuses, vignettes, &c. of old printers. Inthe title page of Godwin’s Annals of Henry VIII , Edward VI , andMary, (a thin latin folio published in 1616) it is represented. No. 70 is acopy. There is a similar engraving on the title page of a volume onfarming, &c. entitled ‘ Maison Rustique,’ translated from the French , andpublished in London by John Islip, the same year.

No. 70. Watering plants with the Atraospheric Sprinkling Pot.

Independently of the sprinkling- pot, the cut is interesting as exhibiting

a Nat. Hist, xvii, 11 and 28 ; xix, 12; and xv, 17. b Dictionnaire De Trfevoux, Art.Arrosoir. c Boyle’s Philosophical works, by Shaw r I,on. 1725. Vol. ii, pp. 140, 144.d Italian Diary, Lon. 1725, 295.

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