The Fascination of Flowers [ 337 



brown covers have shriveled into irregular scrolls but still cling 

 to the ferns. 



Fronds and Frondlike Foliage: Not all fronds are fertile. The in- 

 fertile ones those without the fruit dots are much prettier. 

 Coming back to the fertile fronds, the brown spots are not always 

 recognized as being covers of spore cases; many people take them 

 for fungus growths. Another cause for confusion is that Queen 

 Anne's lace and other plants with frondlike foliage look enough 

 like ferns to be mistaken .for them. A good test in case of doubt is 

 to examine the center of the plant to see if the leaves are rolled 

 into a coil. If they are, you are almost certainly looking at a fern. 



How to Make Fern Prints 



You can press fern fronds by using the methods described for 

 flowering plants (page 332) . A child will also enjoy making blue 

 prints of fronds, and here is how it is done: 



You can buy sheets of blueprint paper in any store which sells 

 artists' supplies. Keep the paper in the dark at all times; the 

 safest course is to keep it rolled and wrapped up in other paper. 

 You will also need a picture frame with a glass and tight-fitting 

 cardboard back. Then you can cut the blueprint paper into 

 sheets the size of the picture frame always being careful to avoid 

 exposing the blueprint paper to light. 



Finally, take two shallow pans, each somewhat larger than your 

 sheets of blueprint paper, fill them half full with cool water, 

 and add a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide to one of the pans of 

 water. Now your equipment is complete. 



PRINTING THE FRONDS 



A bright sunny day is best but not essential for your 

 blueprinting operations. Working in a dimly lighted room, place 

 the picture frame, glass down, on a table and remove the card- 

 board back. Place the ferns on the glass, and lay over them a sheet 

 of blueprint paper with its greenish-blue side down, against the 

 ferns. (Fronds that have been pressed for a day or two may give 

 better prints than those freshly picked.) 



