WARDIAN CASES AND FERNERIES. 37 



sides fourteen inches high, the ends solid, and the inside faced 

 with mirrors. You will readily see that I introduced the mirrors 

 to double the effect, and render the whole more beautiful. Upon 

 this sash was a top ten inches high, sloping on the two sides, which 

 fitted to and was kept in place by an inch moulding. This top 

 could be removed to reach the plants, or tilted up a little if venti- 

 lation was desired. One of these cases I devoted to native plants, 

 the other to exotics. I made man}' trips to the woods and my 

 case of natives was soon in a prosperous condition. I filled it 

 with all sorts of plants that happened in my way, among which I 

 remember the blood-root, hepatica, trailing arbutus, pitcher-plant, 

 13'copodium, MitclieUa repens, Polypodium vulgare, and Adiantum 

 pedatinn. All these did remarkably well, but I found when winter 

 came that many of them dropped off to sleep, and the curtain fell 

 for the season. 



In the centre of the tropical case a Dieffenbachia picta was- 

 planted ; in one end Maranta zehrina, and at the other, Anan- 

 assa sativa var. These three plants, with some l^'copodium and 

 a few small ferns, soon filled the case, and it was quite successful. 

 Some of the smaller plants had to be removed, as they did not 

 thrive with the others. By the end of the summer the Maranta 

 had quite outgrown its quarters, and had to be replaced with a. 

 smaller plant, and the same was the case with the Dieffenbachia. 

 The latter seemed quite at home, each new leaf as it appeared 

 becoming more beautiful, till the white spots had nearly crowded 

 out the green, making a fine contrast with the 3faranta on one 

 side and the Ananassa on the other. This plant (Dieffenbachia 

 picta) has never failed me, and I deem it one of the very best 

 case plants. I noticed particularly the peculiar marking of the 

 foliage coming out much more distinctly and beautifully than in a 

 greenhouse. I cut this down when it had grown so large as to 

 crowd the case, making a new plant from the top. The Ananassa 

 proved itself a valuable acquisition, coming out in a beautiful rosy 

 pink — a perfect blaze of color. This was more distinct and brighter 

 than I htftve ever seen it since. As the winter approached, bring- 

 ing its season of rest, the color faded to its ordinary hue. The 

 next spring it again started with its rosy tint, and during the 

 season fruited, and that was the end of it. 



Having had such good success with these cases, I thought I 

 would trj' one on a larger scale. The plan was soon in the hands 



