Himalayas,” a striking example of this kind. “To show the effects of protection and culture, Xanthochymus dulcis may be adduced as a remarkable instance. This tree, which is found only in the southern parts of India, and which would not live in the more exposed climate of Saharanpore, exists as a large tree in the garden of the King of Delhi; but here, surrounded by the numerous buildings within the lofty palace wall, in the midst of almost a forest of trees, with perpetual irrigation from a branch of the canal which flows through the garden, an artificial climate is produced, which enables a plant even so sensible of cold as one of the Guttiferæ, to flourish in the open air of Delhi, where it is highly prized, and reported to have milk thrown over its roots, as well as its fruit protected from plunder by a guard of soldiers." The comparative stillness of the atmosphere surrounding a plant thus sheltered, has, doubtless, its effect in enabling it to bear the cold. Supposing ourselves in a hot and dry country, let us see what may be done by surrounding our plants with glass, and lowering the temperature, if requisite, by means of the evaporation of water from the external surface. We shall be enabled in this manner, as with the wand of a magician, to turn a desert into a paradise. Such cases cannot be better described than by

the beautiful description of the palm groves given by Desfontaines in his "Flora Atlantica."

"These palm-groves, being impervious to the sun's rays, afford a hospitable shade both to man and other animals, in a region which would otherwise be intolerable from the intense heat. And under this shelter, the orange, the lemon, the pomegranate, the olive, the almond and the vine grow in wild luxuriance, producing, notwithstanding they are so shaded, the most delicious fruit. And here, while the eyes are fed with the endless variety of flowers which deck these sylvan scenes, the ears are at the same time ravished with the melodious notes of numerous birds, which are attracted to these groves by the cool springs and the food which they there find."

There are many other situations where these cases would be useful, as on ship-board, or where there exists a necessity for economizing water, as in the island of Ascension.

In very cold countries too it is of great moment to make the best use of the little sun they possess, and to protect the plants from searching winds. The cabbages of Iceland and Labrador would surely exceed their present size of one or two inches in diameter, if thus protected.

As to the cases themselves

they admit of

almost endless diversity of shape and size, from

a wide-mouthed quart bottle to a building as large as the Crystal Palace, the larger indeed the better. The earlier cases were rude and inelegant, when contrasted with those of my friend Mr. Cooke, who exerted his artistic taste in making them ornamental as well as useful. Many had the opportunity of seeing the difference when exhibited in Hyde Park, but drawings are added to enable all to choose for themselves.* It is always desirable to have an opening in the bottom, as some plants are the better for occasional watering, and in the event of slugs getting into the mould, they may be destroyed by washing the earth with lime-water, which has thus a means of escape. Many cellular and flowerless plants will go on for a very long period without any fresh supply of water. I have now a bottle which was in the Exhibition, containing a fern or two with some mosses, which are in perfect health, and yet have not received any fresh water for eighteen years, and I believe it would be quite possible to fill a case with Palms and Ferns (placing it in a position where it would always obtain sufficient light and heat) that would not require any water for fifty or a hundred years.

* A stand for ferns, manufactured in terra çotta, by Mr. Doulton, of Lambeth, is worthy of notice, the corners of the stand representing the Lepidendron, and the sides ornamented with antediluvian ferns.

Numerous plants require to be well supplied with water up to the period of inflorescence, and when the flowering is over, to be kept nearly dry. This is easily effected by removing the lid, or opening the door of the case, and allowing the superfluous moisture to evaporate. It is a very common but erroneous impression, that great knowledge of botany is required before any successful attempts at the cultivation of plants in closed cases can be made; now, it must be obvious, from all that has been said, that whether the plant be grown in a case, or in the open air, its natural condition must be fulfilled to insure success. Again, many complain that the enclosed plants frequently become mouldy; this may arise either from cold, want of light, redundant moisture, or a combination of these causes, producing diminished vital action, or else from the natural decay of the plant. It is very interesting to watch the progress of this. The moment a plant begins to decay, it is no longer of any use; and the small parasitical fungi, commonly called moulds, are some of the means employed by Nature in removing that which would otherwise be an incumbrance,—" Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?"

To conclude this part of my subject with a few general observations. The advantages of the

close method of growing plants consist mainly in the power we possess of freeing or sifting the air from extraneous matters, of imitating the natural condition of all plants, as far as the climate we are living in will enable us to do, and of maintaining this condition for indefinite periods, free from disturbing causes. The plants are, of course, preserved from excess or deficiency of moisture, and owing to the perfectly quiet condition of the atmosphere with which they are surrounded, are able, like man, to bear extremes of temperature with impunity, which under ordinary exposure would destroy them. The experiments of Sir C. Blagden, and others, in heated ovens, are well known, and the performances of Chaubert are familiar to most of my readers. In these instances the immunity is owing to the aqueous exhalations from the surface of the body remaining undisturbed, and thus acting as a protecting shield. In like manner the Trichomanes lived for three years in a window with a southern aspect, exposed continually to a heat, which, without the protection afforded by the glass, would have destroyed it in a single day. With respect to cold, the concurrent testimony of all arctic voyagers proves, that no inconvenience is felt, provided the air be perfectly still, even if the thermometer