THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 75 



of a convenient size, can be protected from spring frosts by banging 

 branches of fir or evergreens from the ends of the principal branches, 

 and also by hanging nets over the trees. 



In all cases the amateur may be well assured that if the trees 

 are protected in accordance with the suggestions made in the fore- 

 going remarks, the results will be most satisfactory, and inore than 

 compensate for all the labour and expense necessary for affording the 

 trees protection. Considering the amount of labour required to keep 

 the trees in proper order, it is certainly wortb while to protect the 

 bloom and reduce the risk of a total destruction of the crop. 



PAELOUR TABLE EERNS. 



BY MRS. W. n. HANBTTRY. 



NLIKE many of the experienced writers who contribute 

 to the Eloral Would, I cannot tell your readers how 

 to build and furnish large fern-houses ; but I can, 

 perhaps, say something about fern-growing that will be 

 welcome to many of your lady readers. I know that 

 many ladies, like myself, are very fond of having ferns in the parlour, 

 and I know, too, that there is more difficulty in having them in per- 

 fection than those who have not had any experience in the matter 

 would for a moment suppose. When I first began to grow ferns 

 in the living-rooms, I had more failures than I would like to tell of 

 here ; but those failures have not been altogether lost upon me ; 

 and, moreover, I shall be able to tell my readers what to avoid as 

 well as what to do. 



We have two large square cases, which are now nicely filled with 

 ferns, and a number of pans covered with glass sbades. It is of the 

 latter that I should like to speak, because they are within everyone's 

 reach, whilst the larger cases are expensive ; and no one should 

 commence without Mr. Hibberd's " Fern Garden," to advise them 

 upon the way in which the cases should be fitted up and managed. 

 It has been of the utmost value, and if I had had a copy w^ien I 

 first began, a very considerable amount of disappointment and vexa- 

 tion would have been avoided. The cases to which I refer are so 

 attractive, when nicely furnished, that they form admirable orna- 

 ments in any of the rooms where the space can be found for them. 



The pans which I uee vary from nine to fifteen inches in diameter, 

 and are made of terra cotta, and have a rustic appearance. They 

 have a better appearance than the red pans, which cannot be tole- 

 rated indoors, even when decorated with fanciful rims, and stand 

 upon feet, and they are cheaper than anything else that would be 

 suitable for the same purpose. 



In commencing the culture of ferns in these cases, for the 

 parlour-table, it is necessary to select kinds which do not grow too 

 large. Many ladies meet with large-growing ferns in a small state, 

 which have a very pretty appearance, and without ascertaining the 



March. 



