The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-06-04 00:00:00

clgr'lPUltulal alai Rpartintitural

COLUMN,

In our report of the Liverpool Floral and Horticultural
Exhibition we alluded to an elegant miniatureconservatory,
fitted for an ornamental stand in the drawing-room ; it
was upon the principle of the Wardian case, and was the
manufacture of Messrs. Charles D. Young and Co., and
the plants with which it was stocked were furnished by
Messrs. Henderson and Brown, of Oxton-hill Nursery.
We again draw attention to this miniature stove, because
we believe the merits of the system upon which it is con-
structed are not duly appreciated.
Thousands of persons are passionately fond cf plants,
but are prevented from enjoying the pleasures of a garden
by their residence in cities and towns ; we see this taste,
for want of a better opportunity, develop itself in the cul-
tivation of a few window plants, those sources of endless
vexation and disappointment; others have not have even
this gratification, being deterred by the trouble and ma-
nifold objections of this kind of cultivation. Is it not
strange then that the various elegant contrivances for in-
door plant-growing have been so little used ?
Some fourteen or fifteen years back, Mr. Ward, an
eminent surgeon, residing in Welbeck-square, in a dense-
ly-populated part of London, was annoyed by the want of
means in that locality for cultivating a few favourite plants.
He turned his attention to the subject, and discovered
that the great drawback to the culture of window plants
was the want of moisture in the atmosphere of a dwelling-
room, the evil of which is greatly increased by the
accumulation of dust on the leaves. It is true, with ex-
treme care, many persons succeed in growing very fair
specimens of window plants, but they are the exceptions.
Mr. Ward, after numerous experiments, found that
many plants grew very well under a bell glass, in which
was plenty of moisture, and from which the external air
was excluded. Proceeding upon this discovery, he had
constructed a miniature greenhouse, the framing of which
was of metal ; this was tightly glazed, and placed in a
metal pan deep enough to hold the soil, with a good quan-
tity of drainage, which was first placed in the bottom,
leaving room for the case to rest round the edges ; upon
the drainage was placed the soil, and the plants were
planted in it. In this miniature greenhouse it was found
that not only did the plants thrive, but also that many
plants which, under other circumstances, require a much
higher temperature, grew luxuriantly. Thus then the
means are in every persons hands for cultivating in a satis-
factory manner a great variety of choice plants, for the
Wardian Case can be made so as to be within the means
of every amateur. Since we saw the homely working mo-
del of Mr. Ward, and we were amongst the first who had
the privilege, an infinite variety of designs and elegant
adaptations have been produced in the metropolis and
elsewhere ; but they were very little known in Liverpool,
and we think Messrs. C. D. Young and Co. are the first
who have made them for sale in this town. The design
shown at the Corn Exchange was a neat one, and
made to fit an elegant flower stand, such as would hold
half a dozen flower-pots. In this limited space were
growing from fifteen to twenty plants as freely and as full
of health as if in their native climate; and there might
have been six times that number, without crowding, if
they had been chosen for the purpose of having a greater
number. We suppose it to be fully understood that the
`Verdian Case is not adapted for the culture of every
plant, even though sufficiently small : those which succeed
best are the ferns, amongst which are some of the most
beautifully-graceful forms in the vegetable kingdom ; the
Lycopodiums, the Orchidacete, Sarracenias, whose curious
pitcher-shaped leaves are amongst the wonders of the
vegetable kingdom, the Dionea, or Venus flytrap, another
vegetable phenomenon, a few of the cacti and Euphorbias,
several of the saxifrages, and other small growing alpines ;
and doubtless a little inquiry will extend this list to seve-
ral hundreds of beautiful and curious plants, all available.
Such plants as geraniums, fuchsias, heaths, and similar
plants could not be grown with any success in Wardian
Cases, and therefore they should not be introduced.
We have said enough to show that an elegant addition
may be made to the luxuries of the drawing-room ; and,
whether in torn or country, the amateur may increase his
means of enjoyment by having, either winter or summer,
a collection of plants in his sitting apartment.

CORRESPONDENCE

To the Horticultural Editor of the Standard,

SlR,—Should not a collection of " stove and green-
house" plants contain, of necessity, stove plants?—
[They certainly should. HORT. EDIT.]
The collection of eight, which obtained the 2nd prize
at the late show, were all greenhouse.

I am also of opinion that heaths and azaleas should be
excluded from these collections, along with the other
things for which separate classes are open.
I am, sir, &c. B.