Description of Fern-Cases. 
55 
* “The Fern Garden : How to Make, Keep, and Enjoy it; or, Fern Culture made Easy.” 
(W. H. and L. Collingridge, 148 & 149, Aldersgate Street, London, E.C.) 
the one just described. It is, perhaps, hardly worth while describing these in 
detail, as the demands of fashion frequently bring forth new styles, and hence 
' what may be the most popular among them at the present time may, in a few 
years, be superseded by something more elegant and serviceable altogether. 
We therefore counsel those who are desirous of purchasing fern shades or 
stands, to pay a visit to some of the leading dealers in horticultural sundries, 
where they will generally find a good and varied selection to choose from. 
From fern-shades we pass to what we may call boxes, as the next stage of 
ascent in the degrees of excellence. If the cultivation of ferns in the highest 
degree of perfection possible in a case of any kind is the object in view, then 
the rectangular cases which Miss Maling recommended so ably and 
perseveringly are undoubtedly the best. At page 60 of the “Fern Garden”*’ 
is figured the first case of this kind which we furnished, and at page 52 
of the same work the improved stand which we afterwards adopted for 
these cases. They are extremely simple in construction, but might be 
improved nevertheless, especially as to material, for the zinc trough in which 
the soil is placed soon rots away, and then affairs go wrong. However, if we 
take them as we find them, they are worthy of regard, for with reasonable 
care they last a good many years, and there is nothing obtainable in the 
ordinary way to equal them, if the health of the ferns and the display of their 
beauties are the principal objects we have in view. The lower part of this 
case consists of a two-fold trough, the under part of which is periodically filled 
with hot water, and the part immediately over is permanently filled with soil 
and planted with ferns. The upper part consists of five sheets of glass fitted 
into wooden frames; these are not fixed together to form an unalterable box, 
but come together as so many cards in a pack, and when placed in proper 
relative positions to form the glass box are so maintained by means of screws. 
Our plan of managing them is to remove the screws and have hooks and eyes 
fitted by a carpenter • this renders it an easier matter to get at any part of the 
case readily, by taking out the top or one of the sides. As a matter of 
course, the owner of one of these constructions is not bound to supply it with 
hot water, whether by means of a lamp or by periodically changing the 
contents of the water trough. It is a great convenience, in respect of fern 
culture, thus to have command of stove heat for the tender kinds in a fernery 
