Construction of the Wardian Case 
Cases of a great variety of shapes and sizes may be made : 
Dr. Ward experimented witn many different kinds. The small 
window garden commonly made with earth and plants in a gold- 
fish globe covered with a pane of glass, is a Wardian case in 
principle — a fairly tight chamber with sides and roof of glass, 
and containing air of high relative humidity — in fact, a miniature 
greenhouse. 
A Wardian case similar to that in use at the Brooklyn Botanic 
Garden may be made as follows : the framework for holding the 
glass consists of four upright pieces lx 1 x lfiHnches, with grooves 
a quarter of an inch deep on two sides for receiving the glass of 
the sides and ends of the case. The floor is made of matched 
boards about one inch thick, and is perforated with about a 
dozen holes one inch in diameter, at fairlv regular distances 
apart, for ventilation. Before the soil, which consists of equal 
parts of sand, leaf mold and loam, is put in, these holes are 
covered with crock after the method used in potting plants. 
Underneath the floor, at convenient distances apart, two cross 
pieces about one and three-quarter inches wide and an inch thick, 
may be fastened, on which the whole case rests ; so that air freely 
circulates under the body and has access to the holes in the 
bottom. 
The body of the box, which is fastened directly to the uprights 
by lap joints, is 144x21fx6xi inches, outside measure. The 
upper, inner edges of the body boards are rabbeted one-eighth by 
one-eighth inches to receive the glass. These rabbets must be in 
exact line with the grooves in the uprights when assembled. This 
makes it possible to use for the two sides two panes of glass 
10 x 20 inches, and for the ends tw r o pieces 13 x 13 inches, cut at the 
top end to form the gables. The panes used for the roof are 
20 x inches. Four removable wooden pins serve as keys to 
prevent the glass roof from sliding from place. 
It is not necessary to have a peaked roof as in the figure 
(p. 3). A “lean-to” glass roof may be used, or even a flat roof, 
but in the latter case, books or other objects are apt to be laid on 
top, shutting off the light and perhaps breaking the glass. The 
form with peaked roof shown in the illustration has a neat ap- 
pearance, and, moreover, by the use of the wooden pegs which fit 
into holes at the lower ends of the four slanting pieces, the top 
glass panes may either be held tight to the “ ridge pole,’’ or 
lowered an inch or so for ventilation. 
Plants for the Wardian Case 
In the selection of suitable species for the Wardian case, the 
chief points to bear in mind are that they do not become too large 
or grow too rapidly. Also, some plants do not thrive in such a 
moist environment, as, for example, the Geranium, which soon 
becomes affected with mold. In general, the plants must be tough- 
leaved and not prone to mildew. 
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