40 



THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



who Las brought it to perfection. Mr. 

 Walton made the first experiment of ap- 

 plying heat to a small plant-case, with a 

 view to create a portable indoor forcing- 

 pit. An old box was dressed up, with a 

 tray for sand, a boiler of tin, a lamp, and 

 lights over all, so as to look like a common 

 garden-frame. This was set to work, and 

 answered so well, that it became known as 

 the Waxtonian Case ; and subsequently 

 many improvements were made for apply- 

 ing the heat more constantly and efficiently, 

 and now it has the completeness of a very 

 practical invention. 



To describe all the little incidents con- 



which heat is communicated to the plants 

 through a bed of silver-sand, an inch deep, 

 spread evenly over it. 



In the centi'e of the tray is a tube, C, 

 through which vapour escapes into the 

 case, the amount of which can be regu- 

 lated by a cap fitting into it. The tube C 

 is also necessary as a means of filling the 

 boiler A with which it communicates ; 

 and this boiler, when placed in the case, 

 falls exactly over the lamp, and receives 

 its flame in an orifice cut in its under side 

 for that purpose, the hot air of the lamp 

 I cii'culating round the boiler below the 

 I tray B and making its exit by the funnel 



Fig. 1. 



nected with the development' of the idea 

 would be to occupy valuable space to very 

 little purpose ; and I will therefore at once 

 describe tlie case, and the mode of work- 

 ing it. 



The annexed cut represents the Wal- 

 fonian case in its complete form when in 

 operation. It is in reality a two-light box, 

 standing on legs, the framework being of 

 wood, with glass at the front and ends, and 

 a pair of glass sashes, or "lights," laid 

 loosely on the top. Beneath the centre, in 

 the front, is a tin lamp burning colza oil ; 

 and this lamp gives heat to the wafer con- 

 tained in a zinc-boiler placed underneath 

 the plants, the smoke escaping at the back 

 of the case. 



The mode in which the heating appa- 



E, which, when at work, fits over the 

 orifice D in the tray. 



When the pots are removed, it is an 

 easy matter to lift out the whole of the 

 heating apparatus by means of the two 

 handles attached to the zinc tray, and its 

 appearance is that in Fig. 1. The upper 

 tray B B is an inch deep, and in this the 

 sand, an inch deep, is evenly spread all 

 over. The boiler A is double, one por- 

 tion enabling the hot air and smoke of the 

 lamp to circulate around the tank, and 

 escape by means of the flue D. On the 

 vapour-tube C a cap fits to prevent any 

 excessive escape of steam. The boiler 

 holds about two quarts of water. If we 

 turn the tray upside-down, we have the 

 appearance presented in Fig. 2, where F 



Fig. 2. 



ratus is arranged is very simple. When 

 the top-lights are lifted off, and the pots 

 removed, it is an easy matter to lift out the 

 tray and boiler, represented in Fig. 1. 

 This ti-ay is of zinc, and measures 34 

 inches long, by 17 inches broad, and 

 hence contains a working space for plant- 

 culture of 568 square inches, or sufficient 

 for 32 four-inch pots, in eight rows of four 

 each. The tray B B fits into the bottom 

 of the case, and forms the bed on which 

 the pots are placed, and the medium by 



is the boiler, and G the entrance to the 

 hot-air chamber, into which the flame of 

 the lamp enters when the case is at work. 

 Replacing the tray, it will be seen that 

 the hole in the boiler fits over the box 

 which contains the lamp. The flame of 

 the lamp plays upon the inside tank, and 

 the smoke escapes by means of the flue E, 

 which conducts it out through the back of 

 the case, quite away from the plants. 

 Practically speaking, there is very little 

 smoke, and whatever soot forms inside the 



