FERNS AND FERNERIES 



urns and others take a place in the pharmacy. Some of the adi- 

 antums (to which belong our common maidenhair) are sup- 

 posed to give relief to various pulmonary disorders, and in 

 Mexico where the "herb doctor" is not entirely relegated 

 to the past, Adiantum tricolepsis is prescribed for chills and 

 fever, under the name "Silantrillo de Pozo." 



Though there is plenty of real estate in California, peo- 

 ple will persist in buying fifty-foot lots and then standing on 

 their absolute rights as to building limits. It seems as if 

 they delight in "elbowing." As a consequence there is but 

 scant space for gardening on many of the city lots, but a 

 bit of green may be had against a sheltered wall, or in a 

 north corner, and ferns can be made very useful in a deco- 

 rative way in a small space. There are creeping ferns and 

 tree ferns; ferns that live in trees, and ferns that live on 

 rocks. They vary in size from species that a tiny coin may 

 cover, to the tall tree-fems of the tropics. Much used in 

 decorating with flowers, they are not really difficult of cul- 

 tivation if a little study of their habits is first made. 



Cultivated ferns that will grow in an out-of-doors fern- 

 ery are Adiantum rhodophyllum, Aspidium bulbiferum, As- 

 plenium bulbiferum, Nephrolepis exaltata, and its variety 

 bosloniensis, a number of the polypodiums. Pteris tremula, 

 and then of course a generous allowance of lycopodium, 

 which is a fern-like moss which may be freely introduced 

 among the ferns indoors or out. 



Now all ferns like about the same treatment in a general 

 sort of way — leaf-mold, loam and silver sand. There 



[63] 



