428 



PLANT-HOUSES. 



the invention of Mr Saul of Lancas- 

 ter — a name well known, from his many 

 and excellent contributions to the horti- 

 cultural periodicals, extending now over 

 many years. It was published in the 

 second volume of the "Magazine of 

 Botany," and described as follows : 

 "The very high state of perfection to 

 which casting in iron has arrived is 

 taken advantage of for ornamental pur- 

 poses. The present flower-stand is worthy 

 of notice, and will not be very expen- 

 sive. There are four movable baskets, 

 a a a a, which move round on the rod b, 

 and may be placed any height and any 

 figure that may please the possessor, to 

 suit the situation in which it is to be 

 placed. The rod b moves up and down in 

 the pillar c, till the branch rests at the 

 top of the pillar at d. The branch e is 

 movable, and may be taken off the rod, so 

 that the brackets may be slipped off at 

 the top, leaving only one or two, accord- 

 ing to the number of plants intended to 

 be placed thereon. The stand is bronzed, 

 which gives it an elegant appearance, 

 either fit for a drawing-room or any other 

 place. The bottom / is made of different 

 kinds of orna- 

 ments, to suit 

 the taste of the 

 purchaser. The 

 pots g g are 

 merely placed 

 to show that 

 they rest on 

 the leaves fixed 

 at the ends of 

 the brackets." 



Fig. 592 is 

 another speci- 

 men of a flower- 

 basket upon a 

 stand, with 

 basketwork of 

 brass enclosing 

 a shallow vessel 

 for the reception of water. The form is 

 elliptical, and, as an economical arrange- 

 ment, the top may be removed, and re- 



placed with the top of a circular or ellip- 

 tical table. 



The amateur propagating-box is exem- 

 plified by the annexed diagram, fig. 593. 



They are much used in Denmark by 

 those who have no regular greenhouse, 

 pit, or frame, and are both ornamental 

 and useful, and seem to attract the same 

 attention the Wardian cases do in the 

 drawing-room in this country. The case 

 here represented is 3 feet long, 15 inches 

 wide, 1 foot high in front, and 18 inches 

 high at the back ; the sides are formed of 

 boards, and painted. The top is covered 

 with glass, and the whole elevated to a 

 convenient height upon a stand. The 

 bottom is covered with drainage, over 

 which is a stratum of moss, one of sand, 

 and a third of mould. The cuttings are 

 made and planted in the usual manner, 

 for it is for the propagation of cuttings 

 that these cases are intended. The whole 

 is well watered and the glass shut down, 

 and afterwards managed exactly as War- 

 dian cases are with us. With us a species 

 of cultivation of the already formed plant 

 affords the gratification, but the Danish 

 ladies take the subject up a step earlier, 

 and produce the perfect plant from the 

 cutting or slip — each in their way equally 

 gratified with their success, and of course 

 equally annoyed should failure ensue. 



The form of this kind of propagating- 

 box may be varied, and elegant and or- 

 namental forms may be indulged in. 



