IVardian Cases. 



341 



WARDIAN CASES. — No. II. 



CONSTRUCTION. 

 By James L. Little, Jun., Bajston, Mass. 



The principle upon which a case should be constructed are these. 1. 

 Have no apparatus or arrangement for drainage. 2. Make your case air- 

 tight as possible, allowing for no ventilation. 



These are simple rules* and may seem to some to mean nothing ; but 

 they cover the whole ground, and, if you wish success to be the result of your 

 labors, follow them. It must be understood that any opinions or directions 



Rectangular Wakdian Cask. 



given here for the construction or management of Wardian cases, are the re- 

 sult of experience, and relate only to them as proper and successful articles 

 in which to cultivate /^/-«i-, and not other plants of an ornamental kind ; as 

 it is the opinion of the writer that cases constructed on different principles 

 from those of the Wardian case are necessary for their culture. Let us 

 look at the first rule given for making a case, and ask. Why should we pro- 

 vide no drainage ? It is unnecessary, and the reason is this : we have no 

 ventilation. If we have no ventilation, or give no access to the air from 

 outside, we keep the atmosphere in our case constantly charged with mois- 

 ture, provided we water our plants well at the start. Now, what do ferns 



