148 THE FLOBAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



spongy texture. Daodia lunvlata and caudata are of small growth, and 

 serve well with Lomaria lanceolata and L. spicant, to fill up with green, 

 tufts between ferns of very distinct and striking appearance. In the 

 centre of the case, but on the side opposite to the view here given, and 

 hence hidden by the Platycerium, a plant of JPhlebodium sporodocarpum 

 made a fine effect; it is one of the most distinct and beautiful, and 

 easily managed, of all Wardian case ferns, but it does not like cocoa-nut, 

 and must always have a nice peaty mixture. Polypodium phegopteris 

 and rugulosum, Campyloneurum phyllitidis , Adiantum formosum, peda- 

 tum, and tenellam, have all done well in this case, but, strange to say, 

 several nice varieties of Scolopendrmm vulgare got covered with thrip, 

 and had to be removed, though a priori, the damp, shade, and coolness 

 of the case seemed exactly the proper conditions for them. 



I hud almost forgotten to tell you of one very important point in 

 determining the success of these cases. It is that they should be con- 

 structed so as to move about easily, which allows of occasionally turning 

 them quite round and giving those previously farthest from the light a 

 larger share of it for a season. I know not how Mr. Gray makes the 

 cases in respect to legs, for I have not to my certain knowledge ever 

 seen one of his cases. Those made for me by the previous maker were 

 very unsatisfactorily mounted, and I had them fitted by a skilful car- 

 penter with a deep skirting frame all round, and stout legs with large 

 brass castors. The consequence is that they move about at a touch, 



and my w , I mean my lady companion in fern-growing — wheels 



them about with as much ease as Atlas and Hercules* used in classic 

 times to play at marbles with the planets. It is no small matter to 

 be compelled to let a case stand as a fixture when a suiall shift to vary 

 the light upon it may make all the difference between the life and death 

 of some precious pet, or have the alternative of bringing the whole 

 affair to the grouud with a crash. Tou can only obtain these cases of 

 Gray, that is to say, on Miss Maling's plan, and as one of the most 

 respectable men in the trade, I have no doubt he sends them out 

 respectably ; but unless you know for certain what you are to have, 

 order the body only, and let your own carpenter do all the rest, and if 

 any difficulty come to me for a drawing of the frame on which to place 

 it. If spared tdl next month, I hope to employ a few hours in prepar- 

 ing a full li>t of all the ferns I have grown in glass cases, and attach to 

 the name of each a few particulars of its history, uses, habits, and 

 requirements. 



"While writing this paper, a large parcel of ferns for some planting I 

 am now engaged in has come from Mr. Sim, of Foots Cray. He has 

 sent with them, at his own risk, " three superb varieties, well worthy 

 of greenhouse care for a season in order to give them a lift in growth." 

 These are Polystichum annulare v. grandiceps, the lower lobes rounded, 

 and regularly and deeply toothed, the upper lobes dividing into toothed 

 rosettes or crowns — a very distinct and fine fern ; Lastreafilix-mas v. 

 grandiceps, the pinna? terminating in toothed crests, and the fronds 

 crowned with curled, crowded, deeply-toothed clustering pinna? (this 

 will probably rival that superb variety cristata) ; Athyrium-jUix-fcemina 



* Do not forget, to niy disparagement, that Hercules did once bear the world 

 upon his shoulders. 



