THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



212 



form a protecting ridge for tlic frame and 

 tray, and this serves not only to keep them 

 ill place, but gives a finish to this part, and 

 bides the lamp case. The flooring upon 

 •which the tray rests is covered witli coarse 

 flannel, Tvhich, bsing a non-conductor, 

 keeps in the heat. Beneath the centre, 

 and just below the bottom of the tank 

 (indeed it rests upon them), are two bars 

 of iron, an inch wide, and one-eighth of an 

 inch thick; these hold the case which con- 

 tains the lamp, which I shall describe here- 

 after, My stand, as 3'ou will perceive by 

 the accompanying sketch, is between three 

 and four feet high, which I have found the 

 most convenient height, and this arrange- 

 ment allows nie to have a shelf at the 

 bottom, about ten inches from the ground, 

 upon which I place the cuttings, seeds, etc., 

 to harden off before they are removed to 

 the greenhouse, etc. Tlie whole is upon 

 castors, that it may be easily removed from 

 room to room ; and when not used as a 

 forcing case, the upper part may be taken 

 away, and iu summer it serves as a stand 

 for flowers, either iu the room or green- 

 house. 



Zinc Seed Pans, Figs. 4 and 5, seven 

 and a-half inches square, four inches high. 

 E gives a view of the bottom, iu which 



Fia.5. 



small holes, about an eighth of an inch in 

 diameter, are pierced for the drainage. I 

 liave adopted these in my case, and fiud 

 them to answer admirably. My case takes 

 eight of the above size, which, being square, 

 and all of the same size, I can shift them 

 from place to place, as the seeds come up 

 and require more light ; and by placing 

 glass on the top each one becomes almost 

 hermetically sealed, and I can place other 

 pots with cuttings etc., upon them. 



FIG.G. 



■^ I would here mention a contrivance 

 which I have for making my case as 

 useful as possible, by means of which I 

 can fill it up to the top. I have two 



skeleton wire stands, which, being rather 

 less than half the length of the case, and 

 two inches lower, stand against the back, 

 and form shelves upon which I place the 

 pots to be hardened off, removing them 

 from the bottom to the upper shelf. They 

 are of this form (Fig. 6). 



The square zinc pans go between the 

 legs in the lower part. Glass is placed on 

 the shelves, and pots stand upon these, 

 so that I have a little stand upon each 

 shelf, on which the plants are placed, and 

 have the greatest possible light. 



I come now to speak of the lamp and 

 its boz. 



The accompanying sketches give the 

 exact shape and proportions of each, Figs. 

 7 and 8. I have had much trouble with 

 the lamp, but I have now brought it to act 

 with precision, and at small cost, I find a 

 gallon of colza oil lasts me more than six 

 weeks, and this when I have the frame in 

 full action. The tube which receives the 

 cotton is three-quarters of an inch long, and 

 one-quarter wide. It is desirable not to 

 have the cotton too tight, but sufficiently 

 so not to slip through. The rim at a. 

 Fig. 7, unscrews, the tube is taken out, 

 and the cotton fixed in it, as in Fig. 9 ; it is 

 then replaced. The rim at c is next un- 

 screwed, and the oil poured in until it 

 reaches the bottom of the supply tube; it is 

 then replaced. The whole is then ready 

 for lighting. The cotton, to burn well, 

 should not be more than one-eighth of an 

 inch high. My lamp requires trimming 

 twice a-day — the first thing in the morn- 

 ing and the last tiling at night. By trim- 

 ming, I mean the cotton simjjly crrt with a 

 pair of lamp scissors, and then raised with 

 a pin the right height. It is then fit for 

 lighting. I give it oil once a-day, although 

 it would go longer without. If there 

 should be the least appearance of smoke, 

 either the cotton is not cut straight, or it is 

 too high, and must be lowered at once. 

 The case is made of zinc. One strip of 

 zinc about five inches wide forms the 

 bottom, the two ends, and the pieces bent 

 over at a a, Fig. 11, which rest upon the 

 iron bars in the wooden stand, just under 

 the tank. The side, b, is fixed with rivets ; 

 the door, c, is hung on hinges, these being 

 made of zinc and riveted. The object in 

 not having any part of this soldered, is to 

 guard against any accident, and especially 

 at niglit, when the lamp is left burning. 

 Thus, should a cone of lampblack be 

 formed, and become ignited, it would pro- 

 duce sufficient heat to melt the solder, 

 the lamp would fall out, and the frame 

 be ignited. I know this to be possible, as 

 sitch an accident (short of burning the 



