102 FERNS 



anomodon dotted with tiny rosettes of a 

 darker green is very beautiful. 



All manner of lichens relieve the intense 

 green of mosses by their limited allowance 

 of colour. Sheets of very young walking 

 leaf, such as one finds at the base of cliffs, may 

 also be used for carpeting. They are sure 

 to grow, and the fresh colour of the new 

 fronds is cheering indeed in midwinter. 



In the care of an indoor rockery extremes 

 must be avoided. An excess of moisture 

 is as disastrous as the lack of it. An angle- 

 necked rubber plant-sprinkler is the only 

 apparatus which will reach all points and can 

 be regulated at will. The ferns in shallow 

 crevices should be watered every day, pre- 

 ferably at night — never when the sun is upon 

 them. The drip from the rock usually keeps 

 the growth on the tray moist enough, but 

 all-over showering is occasionally necessary. 



Strong light is preferable to direct exposure 

 to the sun's rays from any direction. One 

 very successful rockery that I have in mind 

 flourished for years in a north window. 



