FERNS 



367 



As soon as the first good frost has finished the flowers in the 

 garden, the first empty dishes to be filled with small ferns start to 

 come in, and they will keep on coming all Winter long until away 

 after Easter. For a fern dish always makes an attractive decora- 

 tion for the center of the dining room table. While some of our 

 good patrons will make such a dish last all Winter, these are the 

 exception; usually from six to eight weeks finishes the best of 

 them, and that means an order to refill with new plants. 



These ferns, to be most useful, should by October be in 2- or 

 2j/2-in. pots. As such they are also most useful during the Christ- 

 mas rush for the filling of small baskets in connection with Roman 

 Hyacinths, Primroses and other flowering stock. If kept shifted, 

 practically all the varieties we use will grow into fine large speci- 

 mens in 5- and 6-in. pots by the following Fall. Cyrtomium Roch- 

 fordianum, known as the Holly Fern, is a good example of this sort 

 of stock. 



Fig. 158. A PALM AND FERN ARRANGEMENT. Around Christmas especially, 

 made-up plant arrangements are much in demand. A 5-in. Kentia or Areca sur- 

 rounded by Boston Ferns may be preferred by many to a tender Begonia or short- 

 lived Poinsettia pan 



