148 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



Fur the New England Farmer. 

 A NEW PROPAGATING CASE. 



I have 1:0 doubt that many of the readers of the 

 Farmer have often wished that they had facilities 

 for propagating plants and flowers where bottom 

 heat is necessary, such as starting very early to- 

 mato, cabbage and lettuce plants, striking cuttings 

 of grajjcs, roses, &c., and starting early plants for 

 the flower-garden. But to start the former very 

 early, or to strike cuttings successfully, requires a 

 gentle bottom heat, and an atmosphere completely 

 under our control. The few who are fortunate 

 cnougli to possess hot-houses, have, of course, all 

 the facilities for such purposes; but of the many 

 who would like now and then to propagate a few 

 plants or flowers for their own use, or pleasure, 

 not one in one hundred have either hot-houses, or 

 even hot-beds. And then the latter, (hot-beds,) 

 are really troublesome and expensive aff"au"s, and 

 but few can afford either the time consumed in 

 making and tending them, or the expense of op- 

 ei'ating them. 



For the possible benefit of these many, I pro- 

 pose to give a description of a small propagating 

 case I had made for my own use, and which is 

 now in successful operation. 



It may be briefly described as a box, 33 inches ] 

 long, 18 inches wide, 18 inches high in front, and 

 24 inches high at the back. Twelve inches above 

 the bottom, we placed a zinc pan, or tray, two 

 inches deep, and as large as the case would admit 

 of. This pan rests on cleats, nailed to the inside 

 of the case. On the under side of this zinc pan, 

 we soldered the oval shaped co])per bottom of a 

 common cooking-stove wash-boiler, such as may 

 be found at almost any tinsmith's. (Sheet iron, 

 copper, or tin, may be used instead, if more con- 

 venient.) This forms a sort of boiler, about fif- 

 teen inches long, six inches wide, and two inches 

 deep. It is filled through a tube, from the u])per 

 side. F(n- convenience, this tube should be about 

 six inches long, and one-half or three-fourths of 

 an inch in diameter. On the top of the case, we 



simply lay two squares of glass. To prevent the 

 glass from sliding off", the upper edge of the case 

 is halved. The boiler is filled with water, a com- 

 mon fluid lamp is filled with alcohol, and placed 

 under the copper boiler, (burning fluid will answer, 

 but is less clean, and is rather offensive to the 

 smell,) the zinc pan is covered one inch deep with 

 clean sand, the pots (smallest size flower-pots) 

 containing the seeds, or cuttings, are placed on 

 the sand, a small thermometer is hung inside the 

 case, the glass is laid on, and the miniature hot- 

 house is in full operation. It should be placed 

 near a window, where it can receive the benefit of 

 the sun during the day. The thermometer should 

 not be allowed to go below 50°, nor above 60° at 

 night, but may rise to 70°, and even 80°, in the 

 middle of the day. Care should be taken to ven- 

 tilate well in the day time. This is done by rais- 

 ing the back edge of one or both panes of glass, 

 according to circumstances. With these very 

 general hints as to temperature and ventilation, 

 there need be no difficulty in managing such a 

 case successfully. 



I have found that a steady flame, tkree-fourths 

 of an inch high, from a single tube of a common 

 fluid lamp, is amply sufficient for ordinary winter 

 weather. (The larger the lamp, 

 the less trouble in filling it.) 

 ^ ^^^ ^^y ^^^^ ^^ usually placed, 



~^^*^ "^ Avhen in operation, at the kitch- 



en window. It looks well 

 enough, howe'^er, to grace the 

 windows of the sitting-room, 

 or even parlor. Such a case 

 should be made of well-sea- 

 soned wood, be dovetailed to- 

 gether and thoroughly painted 

 inside and outside. If the win- 

 dow be high, the case will need 

 legs — or it may be placed on a 

 table — so as to bring the pots 

 near the glass. The lower half 

 of the back of the case is 

 hinged, for convenience of 

 managing the lamp. My first 

 case Avas but 12 inches deep at 

 the back, and 6 inches in front, 

 and the lamp had no protec- 

 tion against drafts of air. This 

 was found to be troublesome, 

 and I was obliged to box in the 

 lamp. Now all the heat is 

 saved, the lamp is secure, and 

 the extra room is convenient 

 for storing spare pots. Sec. 



A« the boiler is placed in the centre of the case, 

 it will readily be seen that that part will be the 

 warmest. This is taken advantage of, by appro- 

 priating it to the use of such pots as need the most 

 bottom heat, gradually removing them toward the 

 edges as they need to be "hardened off'." _ If the 

 case is divided into two parts, by a partition, one 

 part can be used, at pleasure, for this hardening 

 off process, preparatory to placing the plants in 

 the ground, or elsewhere. 



Tliese cases can be made of any size or style de- 

 sired. They are neater, easier operated, and cost 

 less than the ordinary hot-bed. The one above 

 described, though placed in a room where the fire 

 is never kept over night, and seldom even in the 

 evening, consumes but one gallon of alcohol per 



