THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 235 



T. tunicata is also good ; but the prettiest-growing palm for cases is 

 the beautiful Leopoldiana pulclira. I am not sufficiently acquainted 

 with it yet, to speak positively about its doing in a case, but it is so 

 extremely beautiful, that notwithstanding its being rather expensive, 

 I should advise its having a fair trial. There are several others that 

 are adapted for growing in cases, but to name them would only con- 

 fuse beginners, and give them the trouble of selecting. I have 

 named the best, and it would be better to have two of one first-rate 

 kind than to have one bad sort and one good one. 



I shall not go into the cultural treatment at any length, for my 

 instructions upon this point are sufficiently clear in the paper upon 

 the general treatment of these plants, which appeared a few months 

 back. I shall content myself with offering a few remarks whick 

 directly bear upon growing them in cases. It is necessary to have 

 a little air on at all times, excepting when the room in which the 

 case is placed is being sw^ept and dusted. To have air on whilst this 

 is being done simply serves the purpose of the plants getting 

 smothered with dust, and requiring the foliage to be washed over to 

 cleanse it. The foliage gets dusty plenty soon enough, without this 

 being done, therefore I recommend the case to be closed up, and 

 made perfectly dust-proof. During hot weather the plants will 

 require more air than in cold and dull weather, just the same as 

 plants in the greenhouse. The largest size pot admissible in the case 

 is a five-inch, therefore the plants must be kept to that. When they 

 outgrow it, shift them into a larger size, and remove to the sitting- 

 room window or greenhouse, and replace with a smaller plant. Plunge 

 the pots in cocoa-fibre refuse, to hide their unsightly appearance. 

 Too much importance cannot be attached to keeping the foliage 

 clean. When covered with dust, the plants not only have a dirty 

 and disreputable appearance, but it is highly injurious to their 

 health. They must have water when they require it, and not 

 oftener, for a too liberal suppl3^ will destroy the roots. When 

 the soil in the pots feels dry, give sufficient to moisten it right through, 

 and leave them alone until they get dry again. 



In conclusion, I must not forget to mention a plan which my 

 in-door gardener adopts for making her case as beautiful as possible. 

 She has some zinc trays or boxes made, three inches wide, four at 

 the back, and one in front, a drainage of small crocks is placed over 

 the bottom, and then filled up with light sandy soil ; and the sloping 

 surface, after being made thoroughly firm, jjlanted with Lycopodium 

 denticulata. AA^ith ordinary care in watering, so as not to wash the 

 soil out of its place, this soon makes a beautiful edging. AVhen it 

 gets shabby, nothing farther is necessary beyond trimming it off, 

 and sprinkling the surface with sand, when it will soon break up as 

 fresh and green as ever. The length of the trays is, of course, in 

 proportion to the size of the case, and are made portable, to lift in 

 and out when required. 



