The Fern House. 



35 



looks west, letter C north ; the garden-walk passes by 

 the side of the house along the line A, and past the gap 

 B ; and as long as that remains a gap, it is abominably 

 ugly. It is twelve years ago since I filled up the gap B 

 with a lean-to greenhouse, with the slope of the roof 

 looking west, and the door on the side which looks 

 north. Fig. 1 is the back wall of the house, fig. 2 the 



end wall, fig. 3 the door, fig. 4 the front. This was at 

 first used as a small show-house, for, being easy of 

 access, always in sight, and in a shady position, it served 

 the double purpose of displaying a few good things in 

 a place where it was convenient to see them, and also, 

 by reason of its cool, shady position, keeping them 

 longer in perfection than they would have remained in 



