GLASS CASES. 995 
GLASTONBURY THORN. 
and do not require taking up if they 
can be kept dry during winter. The 
best mode of doing this is by fixing 
a frame with sashes over them, as 
this allows of giving them air when 
fine. When grown in pots, the soil 
should be very sandy loam, enrich- 
ed with decayed leaves, and the 
bulbs should be kept entirely with- 
out water, from the time the leaves 
decay in autumn, till they begin to 
grow the following spring. Many 
cultivators take the bulbs out of 
their pots every September, and re- 
new the soil; but others only take 
them up every third year. At Spof- 
forth, Yorkshire, where the soil is a 
rich yellow loam, there are clumps 
of Gladioli, which have been left 
undisturbed in the open ground for 
more than twenty years, and which 
flower magnificently every summer. 
The only protectien given, is cover- 
ing the clump in autumn two or 
three inches thick with dry leaves, 
which are swept up from the neigh- 
bouring shrubbery, formed into a 
heap, rising highest in the centre, 
and sloping down on every side. 
Similar treatment is given to beds 
of Scarlet Gladioli in the garden at 
Blair Adam in Scotland, which are 
the most splendid flower-beds I have 
ever seen. 
Guass Cases are of two kinds, 
those which are intended to cover 
plants in the open air, and those 
which are used for covering plants | 
in rooms, or on the outside of win- 
dows, balconies, &c. Glass cases 
for the open air may be made of 
any convenient size or form, so as | 
to cover the plants to be protected ; 
and sometimes they are glazed on 
every side, though at others they 
are placed against a wall, and only 
glazed in front and at the ends. 
The frame-work may be of wood, 
or of iron or zinc, so contrived as to 
separate into pieces, and join to- 
gether in any temporary manner, | 
in order that the gardener may be 
able to admit air, or to remove the 
case entirely, at pleasure. A com- 
mon hand-glass may be designated 
the smallest description of glass 
cases, and a portable greenhouse 
the largest. Glass cases for rooms 
consist of two parts, a body or box, 
contaiming the mould and plants, 
and a hand-glass, or glazed case, 
for placing over it. This case, 
which may be square or oblong, 
two feet wide and fgur or five feet 
long, should fit into a groove in the 
box containing the plants; and the 
plants, when planted and watered, 
will require no more attention for 
several weeks, or even months, ac- 
cording to the kind intended to be 
grown. Hyacinths planted in such 
a case in November, and placed in 
a room, will require no attention, 
except perhaps a little water, till 
they have done flowering in the 
following March. Ferns and Cacti 
will require no attention for a year ; 
but plants which come soon into 
flower, such as China Roses, or in- 
deed any plants which are coming 
into flower when planted, require to 
be removed when they have done 
flowering, and to be replaced by 
others. The glazed frames for such 
eases should be of mahogany or 
metal, and of neat and accurate 
workmanship; and plate or Ger- 
man glass ought to be employed. 
Excellent plans for such cases will 
be found in the Gardeners’ Maga- 
zine for 1839 and 1840. 
Guastonsury THorn.—A variety 
of the common MHawihorn, that 
blossoms about Christmas. The 
legend is, that Joseph of Arimathea 
having struck his staff into the 
ground to indicate where Glaston- 
bury Abbey was to be built, prayed, 
that if he had fixed on the right 
place, the Holy Virgin would give 
him a sign of her approval, when 
instantly the staff (which was a 
branch of hawthorn) struck root, 
and shot forth leaves, flowers, and 
