1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
27 
Plants for Wardian Cases. 
M. 0. W„ Toledo , 0. —What plants are best 
adapted to use in Wardian cases, apart from 
ferns and lycopodiums ? I know of none except 
Peperomias. 
Ans. —There is quite a variety of 
beautiful foliage plants suitable for use 
in a Wardian case, though they are not 
very often seen except in choice con¬ 
servatory collections. The most famil¬ 
iar and least delicate of these are the 
Fittonias. They have ovate leaves two 
to three inches long, and a close, pros¬ 
trate habit. The leaves are green, 
beautifully and distinctly netted in con¬ 
trasting color. F. argyroneura is netted 
with white, F. Pearcei with bright coral 
pink. These plants will grow in an 
ordinary warm greenhouse, but they 
are particularly suited to the case, and 
make a fine contrast with ferns and 
mosses. More beautiful still, but more 
delicate, are the Sonerilas and Berto- 
lonias, and their offspring, the bi¬ 
generic hybrid Bertonerilas, produced 
of late years by French and Bel¬ 
gian hybridizers. These plants are re¬ 
markable for the brilliant and varied 
colors of their foliage, which ex¬ 
hibits all shades of magenta, crimson, 
bronzy red, deep green, and green- 
bronze, varied sometimes by spots and 
stripes of silver. They are most beauti¬ 
ful plants, and well suited in size and 
habit, as well as coloring, for the 
Wardian case ; they are, however, deli¬ 
cate subjects, and a chill or draft would 
prove fatal. Even in a warm green¬ 
house they are very often kept in a case. 
Less delicate, and very attractive, are 
some of the low-growing Marantas, their 
showy leaves barred with stripes of vel¬ 
vety black, white, or coral. Some look 
as if artificially painted, the coloring is 
so regular and vivid. The varieties 
Massangeana and Kerchoveana are very 
often used by florists in fern pans, and 
they will be found eminently useful in 
the Wardian case, spreading through the 
ferns in graceful fashion. The plumy 
little palm, Cocos Weddeliana, is also 
used as a center for Wardian cases, and 
the brilliantly colored stove climber, 
Cissus discolor, is occasionally employed. 
Some of the small and delicate growing 
caladiums, such as the beautiful C. argy- 
rites, white leaves veined with green, 
are sometimes used in a case, but being 
deciduous, they do not give permanent 
effect. Very good effects are obtained 
by using some of the Rex begonias ; the 
variety Louis Chretien, its foliage suf¬ 
fused with rich crimson over the usual 
Rex markings, being handsome and sat¬ 
isfactory. 
The Fern Case. 
A recent query regarding Wardian 
cases suggests some notes on these pretty 
indoors conservatories. Some years ago 
a fern case was a frequent drawingroom 
ornament, but it is now generally set 
aside to make room for palms or other 
foliage plants in jardinieres. There is, 
however, something very attractive 
about a well-managed fern case, and, 
with its aid, we can grow specimens too 
delicate for the warm, dry air of our 
living rooms. Indeed, there are some 
ferns so delicate that, even in the close, 
moist air of a warm greenhouse, they 
must be protected by a glass shade, as, 
for example, the Filmy ferns of Austra¬ 
lasia, or, in a lesser degree, the plumy, 
lace-like Killarney fern of the Irish 
lakes. 
The simplest form of fern case is a 
bell-glass fitting over a large flower pot, 
but the popular type is a rectangular 
glass case, like an aquarium with a lid. 
It is more convenient for filling or at¬ 
tending to the plants when either side is 
hinged to form a door. The box to con¬ 
tain the soil is six inches deep, and lined 
with zinc. The outside of this box is 
often covered with ornamental rustic 
work, or tiles. Before putting in the 
soil, drainage is provided for by a layer, 
three inches deep, of broken potsherds 
or clean cinders. The space is then filled 
up with a compost formed of peat, clean, 
sharp sand and finely broken charcoal. 
If one has no greenhouse, the ferns 
should be planted in midsummer ; they 
then have a chance to take hold before 
cold weather, but when the case may be 
kept in a greenhouse until established, 
the time of planting is not of much 
moment. 
The most prevalent fault in fern cul¬ 
ture is over-watering. While they are 
shade and moisture-loving subjects, few 
of them will endure stagnant water at 
the roots, and, in the close confinement 
of a fern case, they are very impatient 
of an excess of moisture. The case 
should be ventilated each day by raising 
the top for the space of an inch or two, 
and leaving it thus for a time. When 
the ferns are under a bell glass, they 
are often ventilated sufficiently by lift¬ 
ing off the glass, wiping it dry, and re¬ 
placing. 
Some of the easiest ferns to grow in a 
case are the Spleenworts (Aspleniums) 
Hart’s-tongue (Scolopendrium), and some 
of the Maiden-hairs. The ground is cov¬ 
ered with trailing Lycopodium, which 
soon makes a thick, green carpet. Some 
of the erect-growing Selaginellas, nearly 
related to the Lycopods, will give an 
excellent effect among the ferns; S. 
Emiliana is very good for this use, and 
there are some attractive variegated 
forms, clear green irregularly barred 
with ivory white. 
Good ferns for a case under ordinary 
conditions, are Asplenium attenuatum, 
A. nitidum; Adiantum assimile, A. cune- 
atum, A. pubescens; Doodia aspera ; 
Lastrea acuminata ; Onychium Japoni- 
cum ; Pteris Cretica, P. Cretica albo- 
lmeata, P. Victoriaa. 
Few insects are likely to infest the 
fern case. Sometimes small snails or 
wood lice appear ; they may be trapped 
by laying a slice of raw potato or cab- 
Beauty. 
MOTHERS .—Be sure to use “ Mrs. Wins¬ 
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while Teething. It is the Best —Adm. 
4 
Beauty’s bane is' 
the fading or falling of 
the hair. Luxuriant ^_ 
tresses are far more to the 
matron than to the maid whose casket 
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Beautiful women will be glad to be 
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bage^in-the) case. j_If aphides- appear, 
carefullyiremove^them^with^a^camel’s- 
hair brush. IPminuteo fungi or mold is 
noticed,-it.is always assign of deficient 
ventilation, and may be corrected by 
greater care in this particular. 
GENERAL NOTES. 
A species of Cut-worm is sometimes 
found quite troublesome to roses under 
glass. During the day, they remain 
hidden under loose soil, but at night 
they do great damage to the foliage of 
young roses. Soot sprinkled thinly all 
over the surface of the bed, to be washed 
down by watering, destroys the insects, 
and seems more effectual than lime or 
tobacco water. 
One of the neatest shrubs for forming 
a hedge is the California privet; it 
makes a very neat, dense-foliaged plant, 
and bears any amount of clipping into 
shape. Another beautiful shrub for the 
same purpose is the Japanese barberry, 
Berberis Thunbergii. This is handsome 
at all seasons, bearing a number of 
coral red berries, which hang on well 
into the winter, if the birds do not 
devour them all. In the autumn the 
foliage turns a bright, deep red. It is 
broad and compact in its growth. 
The Croton has long been regarded 
as one of the handsomest conservatory 
plants, and it is now coming into use for 
house and garden. It is a stout shrubby 
tropical plant, grown solely for its hand¬ 
some foliage ; the flower is insignificant. 
The leaves are usually very richly 
colored, green, bronze, red and yellow, 
and the shape varies greatly in different 
varieties. Some crotons have narrow, 
ribbon-like leaves ; others are strap-like, 
twisted like a cork-screw, rolled up like 
shavings, or fluted into waves along the 
edge. It is only of recent years that the 
crotons have been used in bedding ; in 
a favorable situation they make a piece 
of gorgeous color, but they will not 
stand an exposed place, where they will 
suffer from sweeping wind. They must 
not be planted out before the middle of 
June, and must be taken up before the 
nights become cold in autumn. Indoors, 
a croton makes a fine center for the fern 
pan, though it does not last very long 
under these circumstances ; small plants 
are also very suitable for the Wardian 
ease, and luxuriate in its close, moist 
atmosphere. 
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We have a limited number of the 
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The Rural New-Yorker,-New York. 
Are You Keeping 
cows 
FOR PROFIT 
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