50 



THE AQUARIUM, JANUARY, 1893. 



course the tropical species will not 

 withstand oar winter, but must be pro- 

 tected the same as other tropical plants, 

 but they can be allowed to remain in a 

 neglected corner until required again 

 for the lawn or show house. The *S'. 

 sinensis is of very easy culture ; it 

 may be grown either way, in water, moss 

 or soil. If treated like the Chinese 

 narcissus — grown in a bowl of water — 

 it makes a very graceful and attractive 

 specimen within a few weeks after it 

 is planted. 



THE TERRARIUM OR FERN 



CASE. 



Every one who has had experience 

 with the glass shade fernery or the 

 Wardian case, will have found that 

 they give very little or no satisfaction. 

 The history of the Wardian case dates 

 back to 1839, when a gentleman by the 

 name of Ward, of London, first noticed 

 accidentally the growth of vegetation 

 under a closed glass. He had placed 

 the chrysalis of an insect, with some 

 mould, in a glass bottle and covered it 

 over. A short time afterward, as he 

 describes it, " a speck or two of vege- 

 tation appeared on the. surface of the 

 mould, and to his surprise turned out 

 to be a fern and a grass. His interest 

 was awakened ; he placed the bottle in 

 a favorable situation and found that 

 the plants continued to grow and main- 

 tain a healthy appearance." This was 

 the first idea of the Wardian case, and 

 a very good one, to preserve the plants 

 for the scientist for a short time. But 

 when it comes to practical use for the 

 amateur, who wishes to see the various 

 ferns and ornamental foliage plants 

 put forth their beautiful leaves, it is a 

 failure. He will do well if he preserves 

 the old leaves the plants already have 



when introduced into the case, the new 

 growth will be slender and sickly look- 

 ing. But suppose the plants are in a 

 fair condition, they are concealed under 

 the sweating glass shade, like gold fish 

 are in a globe filled with muddy water. 

 Is it not but half the jileasure of growing 

 plants, when you can not work 'round 

 them, pick away a leaf you don't like, 

 and train another one in a desired 

 direction ? All this is prevented when 

 your plants are in a closed case whether 

 it is a round or a square one. 



In constructing a practical fern case, 

 or terrarium, as we shall call it in 

 contradistinction to an aquarium, we 

 were guided by the following points, 

 1. Plants, with few exceptions, must 

 be protected against sudden changes of 

 temperature, draught, dust, and too 

 dry an atmosphere. 3. They must be 

 supplied with fresh air and moisture, 

 both to their roots and over their foli- 

 age. Our case is constructed as. 

 follows: 



An oblong wooden base is lined with 

 a zinc pan three inches deep, with a. 

 hole in the centre for drainage. The 

 top glass, which is adjustable for venr 

 tilation, isin a frame, and this is sup- 

 ported at each corner by a thin iron 

 rod, twelve inches or more, over the 

 bottom part. The glass on the sides 

 and ends is loosely fastened, without 

 ptitty, in the grooves between top and 

 bottom. The good fitting edges of the 

 glass still admit a slight circulation of 

 air. The glass that forms the front 

 can be slid up through the top, thus 

 forming a handy door. 



To admit circulation of the warm 

 room atmosphere, the whole case is 

 raised by four two-inch balls, which 

 serve as legs, over the surface of the 

 table. This simple structure furnishes 

 all the necessary protection most plants 

 need. 



