When Appu opened the refrigerator to drink coldwater, he found no water bottles inside. His mother had not refilled the bottles because Appu was just recovering from a sore throat and cough. She told Appu that she would be getting a mud pot as an alternative so that he could have cold yet boiled water which is less harmful.
That evening they went to the market to get a mud pot. While at the shop, Appu heard a man asking for defective pots. Appu was surprised and curious to know why he wanted defective pots. When he asked, he was told that the man was a gardener and he wanted defective pots because they would be cheaper. He would then use these pots to water the plants that need continuous and slow supply of water. Appu accompanied the gardener back to his house.
The gardener made shallow pits at the base of plants and placed the pots in them. He then covered them with soil up till the neck. Once the pot was firmly placed he filled them with water and then closed it with lids. He told Appu that after a few hours, the soil around the pots would become wet. The gardener asked them to come the next day to see the wet soil around the pots.
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The following day, Appu and his mother saw exactly what the gardener had told them. Appu's mother explained to Appu about the presence of plenty of root hairs that could be seen only through a microscope. These root hairs are so delicate and they take time to absorb water from the soil. The gardener said that the water in the pots would seep through the tiny pores in the pot making the soil wet. He also added that if plants are watered with a hose, the force of the water would damage these tender root hairs and at the same time most of the water would sink into the soil as a result of which the roots would not get a continuous supply of water.