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THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



soil in order to change the whole furniture at one lift, on the plan I 

 proposed in "Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," for the simple 

 reason that it is a fixture. 



A, trough containing soil for ferns ; B, reservoir for hot water ; C, opening for filling reservoir; D, 

 air pipe ; E,tap to draw off water from reservoir; F, tap to draw off drainage water from 

 soil ; G, stratum of crocks for drainage. 



Wow, how do I propose to remedy these defects ? If I were to 

 carry out the schemes figured above, I would go to the expense of having 

 all the metal work in copper well tinned ; it would be expensive, but 

 would last for ever. A should be a trough for soil, resting on a ledge 

 all round the outside wooden casing, and admitting of being lifted out 

 at any time. For the lifting there should be a ring attached on each 

 of the four sides. In the centre of this I would insert a pipe, F, for 

 escape of drainage, and this very simple process makes an end of the 

 principal difficulty. The bottom of the trough rnight slope down every 

 way to the pipe, F, which would render its action more effectual. For 

 the communication of heat I would have a space, T>, allowing a depth of 

 twojnches at least under the bottom of the trough, and additional spaces 

 under the sloping ends of the trough. By increasing the quantity of 

 water so as to fill the ends as well as the bottom, a maximum of heat 

 would be obtained. Isow to fill this reservoir need not be so ridiculous 

 an affair as it is at present ; my idea of the matter is to have a whole 

 side of the wooden frame removable at a touch, so that we could get to 

 the reservoir and fill it with as much ease as one might fill a washing- 

 tub. I have shown a removable portion only of the end C. I must 

 leave it to the imagination of the inventive reader to work out this 

 point. I think 1 should have no difficulty in opening the side of the 

 case so as to pour water into the reservoir with some speed from a large 

 can, instead of dribbling it in as now in a way that suggests that fern- 

 grew ers ought to live for ever if only for the sake of keeping their 

 cases warm. 



