4s THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



course of time, some building and planting took place a little way 

 off towards the west, and the nice gleam of sunlight that enlivened 

 the house from 2 p.m. till sunset was eifectually blocked out, and 

 the house became unfit for flowering plants. Instead of bringing 

 an action against the neighbour who devoured my sunshine, I 

 brought an action against myself, and the verdict was, that the shady 

 house should be forthwith converted into a fernery. The stages 

 were removed, and in their place a rockery was built upon a very 

 simple plan, and which, considering the smallness of the house, 

 proves delightfully effective, as affording at all seasons a beautiful 

 scene, and very serviceable arrangements for the growth of plants. 

 I employed a skilful bricklayer to do all the solid work, and, under 

 my direction, he faced the back and end walls of the house (1 and 2) 

 with a rugged mass of burrs from the brick-field, rendering it some- 

 what like the interior of a cave. The work was commenced at some 

 little distance from the wall, and gradually brought nearer and 

 nearer as it proceeded upwards, occasional large blocks being firmly 

 cemented to the wall, and strengthened with hold-fasts ; and 

 between the walls and the burrs good loam was rammed in from 

 bottom to top. Next the front wall (4) and the end (3) a low 

 border was formed with a facing of burrs, this border consisting of 

 good loam. ISTo special device for drainage was resorted to, audit has 

 never been wanted; a layer of broken bricks, about six inches deep, was 

 put upon the tiles, and the soil thrown upon this rough bed. There 

 is a trapped sink leading to a drain in one corner of the house, and 

 all superfluous water finds its way there quickly, as the pavement 

 slopes gently to it. The finish of the work I did myself, and it 

 occupied me, at odd times, about four months, the work being 

 essentially amusing, though attended with an occasional abrasion of 

 the knuckles. The task I had was to make the " pockets" — openings 

 for the purpose being left at intervals in the work. I made the 

 " pockets" and planted the ferns at the same time. Some of the 

 larger ones are planted in projecting receptacles, just as the brick- 

 layer left them ; but, generally speaking, I found it the best plan to 

 stuff" the necessary soil into a chink or gap, then place the fern in it, 

 and, lastly, to introduce a piece of burr of suitable size to close ifc in, 

 and this was done with the help of cement. I do not think I can 

 profitably occupy further space with remarks on the formative part 

 of the affair ; details of this kind do not admit of being described 

 minutely ; all I can say in concluding this part of the history is this, 

 that I never did a better job in my life ; and the picture which 

 accompanies this gives but a faint idea of the luxuriousness of the 

 ferns with which the house is furnished, though the perspective is a 

 slight exaggeration. 



It is of the utmost importance, I should say, that the house is 

 not heated. Happily it is remarkably proof against frost, which I 

 attribute to the fact that the back wall (1) forms one side of the draw- 

 ing-room, which is kept at a comfortable temperature all the winter, 

 and of course the wall itself is in winter always warmer than the 

 atmosphere outside the house. That frost does get in, however, is 

 certain ; last winter the thermometer several times indicated five to 

 ten degrees of frost inside, and when the case became in any way 



