PREFACE. 
—++— 
ERNS are now in great demand for cultiva- 
tion in greenhouses, dwelling-houses, and 
out-door ferneries; also for decoration on 
special occasions and for cutting. Amateurs 
in every position of life are taking interest 
in, and are desirous of cultivating, these 
plants. Thé demand for information as to the 
best kinds to procure, and the proper way to treat 
them, is so great, that this treatise has been prepared, 
and it is sent forth in the hope that it may help all its 
readers to obtain the best results in their efforts to cul- 
tivate these beautiful plants. 
The aim of the author has been to give simple and clear 
instructions — avoiding, as far as possible, technical 
phraseology—and to supply all necessary information, 
interspersing here and there such remarks as it is hoped 
may add to the interest and benefit of perusal. 
It is not intended for the book to count as a botanical 
or scientific production, but simply as a practical guide. 
The various subjects are necessarily treated briefly, but 
as the information given is the result of twenty-five 
years’ experience in the cultivation of Ferns, and in the 
daily study of their requirements, the writer trusts that 
the remarks, though brief, may prove lucid enough even 
for the most inexperienced amateur to understand and 
profit by. 
JOHN BIRKENHEAD. 
Sale, May, 1892. 
