ON FERNS. 



545 



Hanging-Baskets. — One of the ■ most popular fancy ways of 

 growing Ferns is in suspended baskets. These may be of various 

 shapes and made of different materials, either galvanised or painted 

 wire, wood, or bamboo cane, or even terracotta, such as are 

 generally used for growing orchids. Individual taste must decide 

 the kind to be used, as the baskets have very little influence on 

 the growth of the Ferns ; but it is generally acknowledged 

 that the plain galvanised ones, with stiff suspending wires, as 

 shown in Fig. 341, representing Polypodium sub-auriculatum, are 

 the most useful. Baskets should be made up every spring, 

 for, unless they are of a particularly large size, the great 

 amount of water given to them during the previous season 

 has rendered the soil so very poor that there is very little, if 

 any, nourishment left in it for the Ferns the following year. 

 These baskets should be lined with living moss, which, being 

 firmly pressed against the wires, is sufficient to retain the 

 soil, in which the Ferns should be planted a little below 

 the surface of the wire so as to leave sufficient room for 

 the water to penetrate the whole ball. In planting a 

 hanging-basket the Ferns in the centre should be lower than 

 those on the sides, to allow the water to run through the 

 soil ; when planted too high, the difficulties in keeping the 

 baskets in 

 good order are 

 greatly in- 

 creased, where- 

 as when filled 

 as directed, 

 ordinary water- 

 ings, with oc- 

 casional dip- 

 pings, will be 

 found quite 

 sufficient to 

 keep the plants 

 in good condi- 

 tion at the 

 roots. One also 

 sometimes sees 

 baskets manu- 

 factured of 

 cork bark, 

 which are very 

 ornamental 



and rustic. These should be treated as stated above, but of course 

 they do not require any lining of moss. The general appear- 

 ance of hanging-baskets of any description is greatly increased 

 by the introduction of a few foliage plants of drooping habit 



Fig. 342. — Platycerium Willinckii. 



2 N 



