THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN aUIDE. 



39 



of December, compelled me to defer it till 

 after the turn of Christmas, and with this 

 1st of February a description of the Wal- 

 tonian case appears in good time to be use- 

 ful to all parties, whether possessors of 

 cases, or intending purchasers, or makers 

 of them. Lest any mistakes should arise 

 through associating two different things 

 together, let it be understood at once that 

 Waltonian and Wardian cases have no ne- 

 cessary i-elationship, one to the other. The 

 first is simply a portable pit, so portable, 

 that it may be placed in a drawing-room 

 or bed-room, intending for projiagating 

 only, and of no possible use for any other 

 purpose ; but a Wardian case is a green- 

 house in little, size and shape of little con- 

 sequence, so long as it is pleasing to the 

 eye, adapted to the habits of the plants 



pits ; by hot- water flues, tan, and dung-heat 

 in propagating houses ; by surplus heat 

 from forcing pits, and others well esta- 

 blished and well understood. Those who 

 possess the facilities for propagating on 

 the orthodox plan, have no need for Wal- 

 tonian cases. To such they would be mere 

 toys ; but to people who want only a few 

 hundred plants for bedding, and some 

 scores of annuals for the borders, it is the 

 most useful invention of this more than 

 half-gone century, because it will do what- 

 ever is done by dung-pits, hot-water tanks, 

 etc., on a large scale, and do it too in pre- 

 cisely the same manner ; and the only dif- 

 ference between a Waltonian case and a 

 propagating house is as to extent only. 

 Bottom-heat completely under your con- 

 trol, with no occasion to stir from the 



grown in it, and aliowingof veutiiaLion. The 

 plants with which a Wardian case is fur- 

 nished may remain in it for seven years, or 

 even for a life-time, with no other attention 

 than the necessary watering, trimming, etc., 

 so far as the principle of the Wardian case 

 is concerned ; but in a Waltonian case all 

 that can be said as to the length of time 

 the plants stay in it is this, the sooner 

 they come out the hetter ; all we want the 

 case for is to get roots either from seeds or 

 cuttings, and, as soon as we have obtained 

 roots, the plants must have less heat, less 

 moisture, and more light, or they will 

 spindle and blanch, as if intended for 

 salads. 



The ordinary methods of starting seeds 

 and striking cuttings are by dung-heat in 



fu'eside, no mess, no litter, no reasonable 

 excuse for failure, room for from thu'ty to 

 fifty pots at a time to enjoy that heat, and 

 the only cost, a shilling or fifteen pence a- 

 week for oil. Such are the advantages 

 which the Waltonian case offers to ama- 

 teurs ; to which may be added, that who- 

 ever desires to understand the mystery of 

 propagating, should begin with a Wal- 

 tonian case, which is the most instructive 

 of all the contrivances resorted to by the 

 gardener. 



There are at least three names to be 

 mentioned in connection with the Wal- 

 tonian case : first, Mr, Walton, the in- 

 ventor ; secondly, Mr. Beaton, the im- 

 prover; and thirdly, Mr. West, of Vic- 

 toria Road, Kingston, the manufacturer, 



