An Improvement in Garden Pots adapted to every purpose in Plant Cultivation.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 11th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Garden Pots adapted to every purpose in Plant
Cultivation.
I, GEORGE FRY of Hither Green Lane, Lewisham, Kent, Superintendent of Lee
Cemetery, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for object, the manufacture of garden pots which can be
adapted for every purpose in plant cultivation. It can be used as a seed pan, a forcing
pan or pot, a cutting pan or pot, an orchid pot, a pot for chrysanthemums and for
choice specimen plants, and also for seekale and other kinds. In arid weather the
pots can be placed in pans of water, or in shallow ornamental water with immense
advantage to the plants, thereby supplying constant moisture by evaporation &c.
without in any way injuring the roots of the plants.
For the purpose of my invention, I prefer to make the pot of ordinary shape with
a somewhat large hole in the base and with a series of inner steps or shoulders in
the height of the pot, on to which, or on the bottom inner rim, I place shelves, trays,
or partitions, the diameters of which about correspond with the steps or shoulders for
lodging thereon. The shelves, trays, or partitions are perforated for drainage, and as
the plants grow and require more root room, an upper partition can be removed after
temporarily lifting the plant and the plant be re-inserted into now deeper part of
the pot.
The lower shelf can be at such a height as to admit of the pot being partly
immersed in water without the water touching the soil.
The shelves, trays or partitions may be of the same or of various shapes and
perfect drainage can be ensured without the use of broken crocks.
For large pots, the usual side drain holes may be made near the lower part.
Orchids and many other plants as well as seeds and cuttings require a shallow
depth of inould, and for plants cultivated in pots requiring greater depth of mould,
the drain-cup, shelf, or partition can be so adjusted as to secure efficient drainage
and prevent the ingress of worms.
The pots may stand in water for the nourishment and vapour in arid plant
structures during very hot weather, and the lower part may be filled with moss,
charcoal, or other material as agents for the nourishment of the plants.
Dated this 28th day of March 1890
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said George Fry.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Garden Pots adapted to every purpose in Plant
Cultivation.
1, GEORGE FRY of Hither Green Lane, Lewisham, Kent, Superintendent of Lee
Cemetery do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for object the manufacture of garden pots which can be
adapted for every purpose in plant cultivation. It can be used as a seed pan, a
forcing pan or pot a cutting pan or pot, an orchid pot a pot for chrysanthemums
and for choice specimen plants, and also for seakale and other kinds.

page_text: In arid weather the pots can be placed in pans of water, or in shallow ornamentai
water with great advantage to the plants by supplying constant moisture (evaporation)
without in any way injuring the roots of the plants.
For the purpose of my invention and as I represent in the annexed drawings
Figures 1. 2. 3. and 4 in section I prefer to make the pot A of ordinary shape with a
somewhat large hole B in the base C and with a series of inner steps or
shoulders 1. E. F. in the height of the pot, on to which,. or on the bottom inner
rim I place shiftable or movable concave or flat bottoms G H. I or what may be
termed loose and removable bottoms the diameter of which about correspond with the
steps or shoulders for lodging thereon. The bottoms or partitions are perforated
for drainage and as the plants grow and require more root room, an upper bottom
or partition can be removed after temporarily lifting the plant say by the post. J.
a smaller tray or loose bottom can then be inserted into the pot, some fresh mould
put in and the plant be returned into the pot giving the plants a fresh supply of
mould without increasing the size of the pots.
The lower shelf can be at such a height as to admit of the pot being partly
immersed in water without the water touching the soil.
The movable bottom, shelves, trays or partitions may be of the same or of various
shapes and perfect drainage can be ensured without the use of broken crocks.
For large pots the usual side drain holes K may be made near the lower part.
Orchids and many other plants as well as seed and cuttings require a shallow depth
of mould and for plants cultivated in pots requiring greater depth of mould, the
drain cup, shelf or partition can be so adjusted as to secure efficient drainage and
prevent the ingress of worms.
The pots may stand in water for the nourishment and vapour in arid plant
structures during very hot weather and the lower part may be filled with moss,
charcoal, or other material as agents for the nourishment of the plant.
Three different shapes and diameters of removable bottoms or trays are shewn on
the drawings but 1 do not limit myself to those shapes nor to the number of steps or
shoulders in a garden pot.
I purpose supplying three movable bottoms with each pot so that it may be used
for deep rooting plants when arranged as at Figure 1. Moderate rooters like the
camellia and numerous hard wooded, New Holland and Cape plants may have the
movable bottom arranged as at Figure 2. Shallow rooting orchids and ferns may be
grown with the bottom as at Figure 3, no potsherds except one over the central hole
being needed.
The bottom adjusted as at Figure 3 also forms a capital seed pot or pan and can
be placed in waterfeeders or in the open and are rendered absolutely free from the
ingress of worms. Choice orchids can be very advantageously grown and all other
plants of a decorative description. The pots can be placed at any time in miniature
basins, lakes or reservoirs without in any way damaging the plants, in fact, when so
placed a constant supply of moisture is evaporated, at all times conducive to plants
of a succulent nature and when in a free growing state, diminishing very considerably
the application of water by the watering pot process combined with the contrivance J
facilitates the shifting and the examining of the roots of the plants as shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
The improvement in garden pots herein before described consisting of steps or
shoulders on which movable bottoms are placed, substantially as shewn on the annexed
drawings for the purposes set forth.
Dated thin 11th
D
1
1000
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said G. Fry. ·