176 



These are really very easily made and are practically ever- 

 lasting. 



Figs. 4 and 5 shews a capital window box made with 

 the narrow ridge slates, and also the mode of constructing 

 troughs on walls or in frames with the same material, 

 though here, of course, the larger ordinary slates can also 

 be used in like manner, a shews the wall, b a row of strong 

 nails driven in at every slate length, c a row of strong 

 galvanized hooks at the same distance, and d shews the 

 position of the holes for the overlapped slates, where con- 

 nection is made with copper wire by passing it through 

 and over the hooks as shewn. Overlapping is not essential 

 with the narrow ridge slates, nor absolutely so with the 

 larger ones if care be taken to suspend them evenly so 

 that the edges fairly meet. Such troughs are extremely 

 handy, and can be made to occupy wall room with fine 

 effect. Needless to say the ridge slates are also well fitted 

 for flat shelves, laid on galvanized angle iron brackets. 



With the ridge slates, removable suspended troughs can 

 be constructed on the principle of the window boxes, 

 triangular ends and central stiffeners being inserted and 

 wired as already described. Suspension is effected by 

 means of nails in the wall, passing through the holes 

 which are already provided in the slates. In all these 

 contrivances good drainage should be supplied by pieces 

 of broken bricks or pots, as in the troughs the shape tends 

 to tight packing of the soil, which of coarse should be a 

 light and open compost. C. T. D. 



OUR WONDERFUL NATIVE FERNS (contimied). 



In any case, to whatever cause the great pre-eminence of 

 Great Britain in beautiful fern sports may be due, its 

 existence cannot be challenged, as is evidenced by the latest 

 issued general descriptive list of Mr. E. J. Lowe, F.R.S., 

 " British Ferns" (i8gi),in which nearly 2,000 varieties are 

 classified and described, of which over 1,100 were found 



