Room Culture. 9 



where the name is easily understood ; but what think 

 you of the name of a rather curious plant in its native 

 country amongst the Astecs, Macpalxochitlquahuitl, 

 meaning the hand-flower tree ? 



D W E L L I X G - II O U S E S . 



Boom Culture ; under Glass, <fcc. Whoever knows 

 what disappointment till of late awaited every effort, 

 even of persons in comfortable pecuniary circum- 

 stances, to have a constant supply of a few plants 

 for ornament in the dwelling-house, can appreciate 

 the changes in this direction which our generation 

 has witnessed. Now we are so accustomed to 

 see various plants flourish in closed cases, as almost 

 to forget that our parents were unacquainted with 

 such culture. And though what are called Ward- 

 cases be but modifications of the cap-glass or 

 conservator} 7 , the honour of their introduction into 

 society is attributed to Dr. Ward, who but recently 

 died. 



Amongst pretty little plants not often tried in 

 such places as we now speak of, are varieties of the 

 Piperomia group, with rather showy coreaceous leaves, 

 which contrast well in a case with ferns. These are 

 easily cultivated, and can be grown from single leaves 

 with short leaf-stalk. 



After continued failure of the horticulturist 

 Loddiges in trying to grow the Killarney fern, 

 Trichomanes radicans, the late Baron Fischer, super- 

 intendent of the Czar's botanical establishment at 



