WARDIAN CASES AND FERNERIES. 137 



planted out in the case, but this, the grand object of the whole, 

 was elevated several inches above the others, showing conspicu- 

 ously its full beauty. An English author says of it, '^ Delicate 

 and fragile, with its semi-transparent fronds, it looks like tufts of 

 the most beautiful sea-weed, plucked from the decorations of a 

 mermaid's ocean home." I have seen larger plants of this species, 

 but none in such fine condition. It was grown in a cool room, 

 near a west window, the light partly obscured by a drawn shade. 

 This plant is just the thing for a large fern shade, as it needs as 

 little air as the SelagineUas, very little light, and a cool situation, 

 and when once established needs but little attention. The filmy 

 ferns are eminently fitted for growing singly in cases by them- 

 selves. The only objection is the expense of many of them, but 

 I would rather have one plant of Todea saperha than dozens of 

 ordinary ferns. 



The great difficulty I have always found in ferneries, is to 

 reach the plants after they have filled, or partly filled the 

 case. It is easy enough to remove the shade ; but to replace 

 it, so that the plants may retain their former position, is not 

 so easy. This is so with regard to delicate ferns ; the fronds 

 will tip about, look out of place, and otherwise mar the arrange- 

 ment. If you could only reach them from the top, all would be 

 remedied very quickly. Frequently I have been forced to allow a 

 large slug to have his own way, rather than disturb the shade 

 when the case was looking finely ; and in many instances, have 

 allowed deca3'ed fronds to remain, rather than run the risk of de- 

 stroying the arrangement by removing the shade. It was almost 

 as much on this account as for ventilation, that I constructed the 

 dome top or ventilated fern case, which is as easily managed as an 

 ordinarj^ Wardiau case. Lifting the dome does not disarrange 

 the plants, as they are all confined within the cylinder, which need 

 never be disturbed for this purpose. This case is constructed as 

 follows : 



The case or stand is of wood, six inches deep, and resting upon 

 three small feet. There is a large opening underneath, covered 

 with a movable slide to admit or exclude the air. It has a zinc 

 pan one-half an inch less all round than the wooden case. This 

 half-inch space is covered all around at the top of the pan, which 

 leaves a fiat surface of zinc, one inch wide, with an outside rim to 

 receive the glass cylinder. This flat surface of zinc is pierced 



