FERNS 



wine color with light, 

 thin scales. The leafy 

 part is of a yellowish 

 green. Another mass of 

 buds has a tawny pink 

 hue. A third kind be- 

 longs to a fern having 

 a delicate frond. The 

 crosiers are slender and 

 the stems are covered 

 with a bluish bloom. The 

 uncoiling leaves are of 

 a dull-red color. These 

 ferns give a touch of 

 l)rightness to the spring 

 woods. 



One of our poets 



has written the following Hnes about the fern at this 



season : 



''Have ye e'er watched it budding, 



With each stem and leaf wrapped small. 

 Coiled up within each other 

 Like n rounrl and hairy ball? 



Have ye watched that ball unfolding, 



Each closely nestling curl. 

 Its fair and feathery leaflets 



Their spreading forms unfurl? 



24 



" The Green and Graceful Fern, 

 How Beautiful it is." 



