olla

On top of the counter were three clay jars or ollas. Two of them were empty but the third was covered with the tin lid from a lardpail and the lid was notched to accommodate the handle of an enameled tin dipper.

An olla (which literally means “pot”) is a round, unglazed terra cotta clay pot with a long neck that you fill with water and bury next to your plants. It irrigates in the ground.