298 THE VLOliAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



never once flowered, although it had been in the case for some years. 

 Doubtle&s the confined space had prevented it setting flower-buds, 

 but it was a beautiful plant, even without flower. 



Of the many plants that can be grown with advantage in 

 conjunction with ferns, the Traclescantia zebrina is among the very 

 best. It has a low creeping growth, with smallish oval-pointed 

 leaves, which clothe the stem in pairs, each leaf being prettily silver- 

 grey, green, and brown striped, and having small pinkish flowers at 

 their axils. It cannot fail to be a favourite with all who grow it. 

 The Calla Ethiopian, with its large handsome green leaves and white 

 trumpet-shaped flowers, makes a grand centre-piece ; and the smaller 

 growing Caladiums, with their gorgeously coloured leaves, give a 

 charming diversity to the whole arrangement. The feathery palm- 

 like foliage of the JBamhusa looks very pretty, rising rigidly among 

 the ferns, which they seem to rival in gracefulness. The pretty 

 silver variegated stove grass, Panicwn variegatum, is another little 

 gem ; a little bit planted out in the rockwork soon grows away. A 

 plant of the variegated coltsfoot grass, DactyUs glomerata, is a nice 

 companion for it. The ivy-leaved Geraniums, green and variegated, 

 and Lobelias, and several other plants, all thrive under the same 

 treatment given to ferns and mosses, and help to make up a truly 

 grand case of plants. 



All the wild British ferns described in a former paper do well 

 in a Wardian case in your room. The most desirable greenhouse 

 ferns to grow in conjunction with them besides the ones previously 

 described, are the following. The figures following their names 

 do not represent their full natural development, but rather the 

 length they generally attain when under cultivation in a closed 

 glazed case. They are nearly all evergreen. 



-Vi Tophorus hispidus .... 6 to 12 inches. 



Adiautum cuueatum . ... 6 „ 12 ,, 



„ reniforme .... 4 ,, 8 ,, 



Asplenium flabellifolium . . . 12 „ 18 „ 



Blechnum occidentale .... 12 „ 18 „ 



Campyloneuron repeus . . . 5 „ 10 „ 



Cystopteris bulbifera .... 10 „ 12 ,, 



Davallia parvula 5 „ 



Lomaria Glermanii 9 ,, 



„ gibba 6 „ 18 „ 



Lygodium japonicum (climbing) 



Platycerium alicorne .... 6 „ 18 ,, 



Wo )dsia obtusa. 



The proper position for a Wardian case is where the suu cannot 

 reach it, a few minutes' strong sunshine being enough to shrivel up 

 the tender fronds of the ferns. They should always be kept cool 

 and moist, during the summer especially. This can be done by 

 shading them if the light is strong, and giving them a vapoury 

 sprinkling now and then during the day, and leaving the top of the 

 case loose, so that a gentle circulation of air may be kept up, 

 allowing just a little more ventilation during night hours in summer 



