THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 19 
126 
whole well together by frequent turnings and mixings. 
It then presented an open, light appearance, and any 
one at all acquainted with Lycopods would have said 
they were sure to thrive in it. 
Wardian cases have, or should have, a box to rest 
upon, six or seven inches deep. This is generally made 
of zinc; very ornamental ones are cased with mahogany, 
and have four feet of the same material. I have seen 
one made in the gothic style, with pointed windows, or 
rather roof, and glazed with diamond-squared glass. It 
was intended to stand in the hall of a mansion, or 
rather castle, built in that style. It was a A r ery noble 
case, and cost fifty guineas. Whether the plants grow 
well in it or no, I never learnt, but L think they could 
not fail, especially if planted with Ferns or Lycopodiums. 
This box should have a thin layer of drainage over 
the bottom. If that is not cased with wood, this drain¬ 
age should be of some light material, or it would bulge 
it. I generally used pumice-stone, which is both porous 
and light, and the roots of the plants seemed to like it 
much, for they clung to it and penetrated into the 
hollows abundantly. Upon this drainage place as much 
of the compost as will allow room for the balls of earth 
when the plants are turned out of their pots. 
The glass covering should, in all cases, be moveable, 
in order that the planting may be properly and con¬ 
veniently performed. Place the tall growers in the 
centre, and the low ones on each side and ends, press 
the soil gently to each plant, and give a good watering; 
then allow them to stand without the cover for two or 
three hours, till the foliage is quite dry, and the surface 
of the soil partially so ; replace the glass, and set the 
case in the place it is appointed for. 
As these plants are mostly from warm climates, the 
case should stand in winter in a heated apartment. 
The heat need not exceed 50° or 55° during the night, 
nor more than 00° during the day. In summer they 
are sure to be warm enough, even without artificial ' 
heat. They require very little attention, and but sel¬ 
dom watering. Should they appear to grow fast and 
weak, give plenty of air, but as this will carry off the 
confined moisture, they will require a little more 
water, just sufficient to keep the soil moderately moist. 
Occasionally allow the surface to become dry, and then 
stir up the soil slightly between the plants, but be 
careful not to disturb the roots. Take this opportunity 
to pluck up all weeds that may appear, and to remove 
every appearance of mould and every decayed leaf. 
Should any plant appear to grow too fast, so as to over¬ 
shadow its neighbours, prune such into proper bounds, 
and should any die, replace them immediately. 
By attending to these particulars in due time, the 
plants may be kept alive and healthy for at least 
twelve months. Wardian Cases are most useful in large, 
smoky towns, and the plants will grow well in such a 
situation, because the glass shade protects them from 
the baleful influence of smoke. The following are a 
few additional species to the list already published in 
| The Cottage Gardener. 
| Lycopodium plumosum (Feathery Lycopodium).—A 
i beautiful species, with the branches and foliage arranged 
flat, something like a feather. 
Lycopodium umbrosum (Shade-loving Lycopodium).— 
This species is also very handsome, the fronds rise up 
straight, and then spread out flat sideways; one frond 
spreading out one way, and another the contrary. It is 
well worthy of cultivation. 
Lycopodium Wildenovii (Wildenovv’s Lycopodium).— 
Very dark green finely divided foliage. One of the 
handsomest of the whole genus. It is remarkable for 
not putting forth roots above the soil. It must be in¬ 
creased either by cuttings or division. 
T. Appleby. 
THE EVILS OF TILLING GROUND WHEN 
IN A WET STATE. 
Although it would be preposterous to say that rain 
does not convey a vast amount of fertilizing matter to 
ground in tillage, yet there are certain periods in which 
the latter is not in a condition to benefit by this 
'‘natural top-dressing;” for, although it be true that 
rain can hardly come wrong to vegetation which is purely 
in a state of nature, yet, as many of the productions we 
hold in most estimation, are in themselves the results of 
more or less of artificial treatment, we may be excused 
for regarding them as differing much from other tliiugs 
purely in a state of nature, or, rather, of wildness. 
Now, as the rain falls in equal quantities both on the 
cultivated and uncultivated ground, as well as on the 
crops that each are producing, it behoves us to enquire 
under what conditions we are to place the cultivated 
portion, to enable it to derive all the benefit it can from 
tliis source of fertility, as well as to preserve it from j 
such injuries as its altered circumstances from its i 
original wildness has rendered it liable to. In this ! 
respect it is somewhat difficult to do always all that is ! 
requisite; because, with all the prophetic lmowledgo 
that Moore, Murphy, and others have endeavoured to 
instil into us, we are not yet in a condition to foretell, 
with anything like certainty, what sort of weather the 
ensuing day is likely to exhibit, consequently, we are not 
in that position for making our arrangements to miti¬ 
gate the evil, or increase the good, which a copious rain 
usually imparts. But though our ignorance of coming 
events may form an excuse for our deficiency in the 
proper precautions, it affords no apology for our doing 
what is positively wrong; besides which, a little obser¬ 
vation of the passing changes of temperature, &c., 
coupled with a little instructive knowledge derived from 
other sources, gives some parties a something more than 
’ “ hap hazard” way of judging of what “tomorrow,” is 
going to bring forth. 
Now, in the cultivation of the soil, it is not saying 
too much to affirm, that very often there is a positive 
injury done by an operation being performed at the 
wrong time, or in an improper manner, and in nothing 
is this more manifest than in digging ground when it is 
saturated with wet. In this condition it is, in the first 
instance, compressed by the feet of the workman tread¬ 
ing over every inch of it, and the spade or other tool 
finishes the work of consolidation, by turning up the 
lumps of prepared dough or mortar in such a way as to 
give each that glazed appearance which prevents the 
ingress of air, and compels what evaporation does take 
place, to do so by the half-sealed-up channels, which are 
all but proof to its receiving any fertilizing agent in 
return. 
There are some soils which may, without any great J 
mischief, be worked at all times; but there are, others ! 
which, by their composition, must be treated with more 
caution, and to them we now draw attention, especially 
as they are the more numerous, if not also the most j 
useful, soils we have. True, they will in time recover, 
but their recovery is a matter of time, and if it occurs at 
a season when such delay cannot be afforded, the evil 
becomes the more apparent. We know there are many 
garden soils of a kind that ought not to be meddled j 
with when wet, and to such of our younger friends as 
have such soils to manage, we urge on them not to 
attempt it, and more especially so neither in spring 
or summer; for, though it will do harm at other seasons j 
as well, yet at these the delay necessary to bring the j 
soils round again into tilth cannot be spared without 
an uncalled for loss of the best portion of the growing j 
season. We, therefore, say, wait a day or two, and 
take the. advantage of such fine days as do occur to | 
turn up your ground; and though, with the scanty ; 
