Home › The Parlor And Library › Plant-Case Bottom

Plant-Case Bottom

It is well known that many plants, as ferns, orchids, etc., do best in a close, moist atmosphere; at least they will not thrive in a dry or changeable one, and so Tom promised, when he went away from home, that some day they should have a better case than the one originally improvised. In time it came, and with it the plants to fill it. The stand was of mahogany, lined with zinc and strengthened with brass. The top was of brass and French glass; the panels were painted by Anna. Now, plants cannot be kept healthy at all times in a room without occasional fumigation to destroy insects. Perhaps you would like to see their fumigator. Simple enough, is it not, as shown in the illustration? A muslin cover draped over a wire frame, a little tin box, if you like, for the burning tobacco, a tube leading under the cloth and another tube for blowing to keep up combustion and drive out the smoke. XIV. Ingenious and Useful.

WHILE on the subject of simple things, here is another of Sarah's ingenious contrivances, a water-cooler.