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a handsome piece of furniture, but an expensive one ; so 

 expensive, perhaps, as to deter many from possessing a 

 fernery. This need not be, for at home a case can be 

 made just as serviceable, and having some advantages 

 even over the expensive ones. 



Procure from your carpenter a good pine board, of the 

 dimensions you may wish, for the base of your structure, 

 which by the way should be about one-third longer than 

 wide. Next obtain a suitable moulding, black walnut is 

 the best, and fit it around the base board as if it was a 

 picture frame on end. Next have a zinc pan made to fit 

 closely inside of this, coming up to the top of the mould- 

 ing; do not have any turned over edge or ring to the 

 pan, as' they are of no use, neither should the pan be made 

 first, as it is difficult to make a neat box to fit outside it. 

 Have the pan painted on the inside with a good coat of 

 tar, as the delicate roots of the plants dislike to come in 

 contact with a metal surface. Next comes the glass, and 

 here is where most persons fail. Be sure the glass is 

 inside the pan, and never have the pan inside the glass, 

 for the moisture collecting on the glass runs down outside 

 the pan to the woodwork, rotting it, and very likely 

 between the moulding and base board on to the table or 

 what else the case rests on, causing much trouble ; also, 

 in watering, the glass directs the water in like manner, 

 with the same, if not worse, results. 



A good proportion for the glass is to have it as high 

 above the base as the case is wide, and it should go to the 

 bottom of the pan ; have the corners true and the top 

 level, that the plate of glass which covers the top, and 

 which should be one-fourth of an inch larger all around, 

 shall be even. With common flour paste attach narrow 

 strips of cloth up over the corner angles on the outside 

 and but only an inch or so down the inside from the top. 





