T?ie irai'dlan or li'ern Case. 269 



also in this house, in a bearing condition, their tops bending over with the weight of 

 fruit. A large cinnamon tree is also growing here, as well as oranges and lemons. 

 A smaller house baclc of this palmery is devoted to those wonderfully curious and 

 sweet-smelling plants, known as orchids. We saw beautiful butterfly orchids and 

 many air-plants, clinging to bits of wood suspended in the room. Each side of the 

 palm-house is a large house for grapes. The southern grapery was full of large and 

 delicious clusters of the white sweet-water grape and the black grape. One vine 

 held no less than two hundred pounds. In the other grape-house the vines are later, 

 so that grapes may be had fresh the year round. Beneath the ground there are 

 extensive vaults for raising mushrooms. A large house is devoted to the growing of 

 pine-apples, many of which are now in a bearing condition. Some of the delicious 

 fruit is nearly ripe. Other hot-houses are filled with ferns, foliage plants, roses of 

 various kinds, strawberries, etc. Last winter over one hundred tons of coal were 

 consumed for the purpose of heating the hot-houses alone. 



Connecting the greenhouses with the mansion is a rose-walk, probably the largest 

 and finest in America. A great variety of twining roses have been trained over a 

 handsome open-work archway, which is so arranged that it can be illuminated by night 

 by gas. When the roses are in bloom, nothing more beautiful can be imagined. Mr. 

 Barlow is evidently fond of flowers, for his extensive grounds are filled with them. 

 A large flower garden at one end of the house has been laid out in the English style, 

 the beds bordered with box, and each one filled with some choice variety of flowers. 

 We observed in one part of the grounds over one hundred varieties of new standard 

 roses, recently brought from England, which had been planted this spring. Many 

 other points of interest, as the statuary, fountains, groves, etc., might be mentioned 

 but they are common to all well-kept lawns. 



The Wardian or Fern Case. 



Mend hy Mm. H. M. T^eivis, before the Mail i. ho it. llortieidtiirnl Soeietij. 



HOW often we hear persons say: "I know that I shall never succeed in growino- 

 fine healthy house plants. The leaves grow small and turn yellow before they 

 fairly develop, and my plants seldom or never blossom." To such unfortunate per- 

 sons I would heartily recommend the fernery. 



Persons using gas and furnaces often find the use of them a great detriment to the 

 free bloom and healthy growth of plants, and find th: fern case a never-ending source 

 of pleasure when understood and managed successfully. 



The Wardian or Ward case was invented by a Mr. Ward of England, and known 

 about 1840. Its first public appearance was made at the World's Fair in 1851. 



If any one wishes for an elegant and expensive case, it can be obtained by sending 

 to almost any of the large cities for it. One mounted upon a rustic table, with niches 

 or brackets, for growing any ivy or choice flower, is very beautiful. Almost all sizes 

 and shapes can be found; or one can be ordered at horne and made at a cabinet or 

 tin shop. Perhaps you can make one yourself, with help from the hired man, that 

 will please you most of all, out of a cheese or other box, covered over with strips of 

 bark, acorns or lichens tacked or glued upon the outside and varnished. Arrange 



