102 THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL 



eties are too sensitive to the extremes of tempera- 

 ture and the dry air commonly found in living rooms, 

 and even the hardiest should occasionally be left out 

 of doors for a few days in order to recuperate dissi- 

 pated vigor. If house ferns could be put outside 

 every night their house life would be lengthened al- 

 most indefinitely. Occasionally they should be 

 sprayed, and to leave them outside for a time when 

 the rain is falling cannot fail of benefit. 



One who has a fine collection of house ferns and 

 a few palms has found a very novel and successful 

 way of keeping them in first-class condition. About 

 once a week she places them in the bathroom, fills 

 the tub with water made as hot as possible, closes all 

 doors and windows and leaves the plants in this 

 steam bath for three or four hours. Then the win- 

 dows are gradually opened so as not to cool the 

 plants too quickly, and when the bathroom has come 

 down to normal temperature the plants are removed. 

 This treatment renders washing of the leaves un- 

 necessary, nor have any of these plants been attacked 

 by scale or other pests. 



For a house fern the maidenhair most common in 

 our nurseries and florists' establishments, Adiantum 

 cuneatum, easily holds first place, though not so 

 hardy for the house as are the sword ferns and a 

 few others. 



Asplenium nidus avis, bird's nest fern, is a very 

 handsome species with broad leaves. The mid-rib 

 is black in color, with a foliage otherwise of a golden 

 cast; a very desirable species for conservatories or 

 indoor decoration, being quite distinct from all other 

 ferns. 



Cyrtomium falcatum, the holly fern, is an elegant 

 hardy species, with broad palmate fronds of a deep 



