HOUSE, AEEA, AND WINDOW GARDENING. 



15 



places, some in togs, some in woods on the bark of 

 trees, some on damp walls, and on the sides of 

 ditches. The fruits when ripe separate into four 

 valves, and discharge spores and singular spiral fila- 

 ments, which are beautiful microscopic objects. The 

 varied form and structure of the leaves are also well 

 worthy of examination. There would be no difficulty 

 in growing many of these, or, at any rate, in keeping 

 them alive for a long time. Hiccia fluitans is an 

 aquatic member of this order, and is a curious and 

 interesting plant, which is easily kept in an aquarium. 

 These lower orders of plants deserve much more 

 attention at the hands of in-door cultivators than they 

 have hitherto received. 



Xiicliens. — It will probably surprise some ama- 

 teurs to learn that there are certain kinds of plants 

 which can be grown on a window-sill, without pots, 

 pans, or vessels of any kind. Yet this is quite true 

 of many Lichens, especially of those which grow on 

 stones and on wood in dry and exposed situations. 

 These plants are of exceedingly slow growth, and 

 many of them assume very various appearances and 

 characters in their difierent stages. The cultivation 

 of these lowest orders of vegetable life is no new idea ; 

 it was practised successfully thirty years ago in 

 France, at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris ; and to 

 those who possess a microscope the structure and de- 

 velopment of these singular plants will afford, in their 

 examination, instruction and pleasure of no mean 

 order. Those on the bark of living trees are not 

 suitable for our present purpose ; but so numerous 

 are the species growing upon flint and other stones, 

 upon rocks and dead wood, that a diligent collector 

 will have no difficulty in furnishing all his window- 

 sills with sticks and stones, and all his servants with 

 wonder at " whatever good they things can be for." 

 As there are about six hundred and fifty British 

 species, there is plenty to occupy the attention of 

 any one who cares to confine himself to this one 

 group of plants. 



Fungi. — As the classification of this large order of 

 plants is so intricate that experts are not agreed upon 

 some parts of it, it will be better for the majority if 

 we suggest the simpler plan of dividing Fungi into 

 two groups, large and minute, visible and not visible 

 to the naked eye, microscopic and non-microscopic. 



The visible or non-microscopic division may be se- 

 parated into three groups, represented respectively by 

 a Mushroom, a PufE-baU, and a Truffle. These we do 

 not recommend for cultivation, unless perhaps some 

 of the smallest of the Mushroom group, which occa^ 

 sionally come up in a Fern-case, or under a glass 

 shade, and are usually smashed or rubbed off as soon 

 as discovered. If allowed to grow, and watched 



attentively, they will prove to be full of interest, espe- 

 cially U the assistance of the microscope be invoked 

 in the examination of the anatomy and physiology of 

 these plants. 



It is, however, with the minute or microscopic 

 division of Fungi that the in-door cultivator will be 

 most occupied. These are represented by smuts, mil- 

 dews, and moulds. They are generally so small that a 

 " forest " may be grown upon the size of a sixpence. 

 Many of them are found growing in or upon living 

 plants, while a large proportion are only found upon 

 dead or decaying animal and vegetable substances. 

 Their development and mode of fructification are 

 subjects of tile deepest interest, and require for their 

 elucidation the most assiduous attention and the aid 

 of the highest powers of the microscope. It would 

 be almost impossible to search any damp locality 

 without finding some kind of mould or mildew. If 

 a small piece be carefully placed upon the middle of 

 a microscopic slide (a piece of thin glass, three inches 

 long, by one inch wide), and kept under a tumbler on 

 a saucer-f uU of wet moss, it will keep and grow for a 

 considerable time. 



A very good plan is to cut circles out of a piece of 

 cardboard with a punch, such as was used for cutting 

 wads for shot-guns before cartridges and breech- 

 loaders were invented. Then with a smaller punch 

 cut a hole out of the middle of the circle ; this will 

 make a ring of cardboard, which should be stuck on 

 to the middle of a slide, and varnished over. If a 

 dozen or two of slides are prepared in this way, there 

 is always one ready to receive a specimen of a minute 

 Fungus when found. If deeper cells are wanted, 

 several thicknesses of cardboard may be cemented 

 together. Rings of india-rubber must not, on any 

 account, be used for making cells. Glass cells, made 

 bj' cutting short pieces off a thick tube, and grinding 

 the surfaces, are very nice, and easily cleaned. The 

 piece can be cemented to the slide with warm Canada 

 balsam. With contrivances of this kind quite a 

 large collection of microscopic Fungi might be grown 

 under a Fern-shade in a sitting-room. 



Algse. — The "fresh-water thread-like plants which 

 come under this denomination are amongst the most 

 beautiful of microscopic objects, and their life-history 

 is a subject that will well repay attention. 



Each species should be grown in a separate tube of 

 glass, or tall narrow aquarium. A very small piece 

 thrown into a vessel of rain or pond water will soon 

 grow, provided that it is placed where the sun can 

 reach it, for these minute plants wiU not grow with- 

 out sun-light. No mud is necessary for their growth. 

 The green slime often seen in puddles by the road- 

 side is worth collecting and putting into water; a 

 very small piece is sufficient, as it wUl soon grow. 



