MAKING A FERNERY 161 



shot." Back came a letter. "Dear sir, I have 

 examined your horse, and see no reason why he 

 should be shot. Please explain." In the greatest 

 haste the terrified owner replied, "It is a mistake. 

 Please shoe my horse ! " 



Having finished my long fernery, to the great 

 improvement of that south wall, and all being done 

 in that direction ready for the cold weather, I have 

 now turned my thoughts to the leaf-mould corner, 

 at the junction of the south and west walls. We 

 have always agreed that that would be an ideal 

 place for ferns, but it seemed rather a stupendous 

 undertaking, owing to the absence of any rubbish 

 wherewith to raise it above the front semicircular 

 row, which has had ferns for four years. Now that 

 the stables have been rebuilt, there is a quantity 

 of suitable material lying there which requires 

 removing, in order to tidy up the stable compound. 



"At last, therefore," I said, "we will make a 

 fernery in the corner." 



The first thing to be done was to remove all 

 the stored leaves from many garden sweepings out 

 near by on to the grass. On the top were simply 

 lately dried leaves, and these were placed in a 



