The Fernery at the Fireside. 47 



charcoal, and the siftings of broken pots, varying from 

 the size of a hazel-nut to that of a pea, with plenty of 

 silver-sand. I never measure the ingredients of any 

 compost, hut the beginner may like to be saved from 

 doubt, and therefore let the proportions be taken as 

 follows : — Peat three parts, silver-sand one part, broken 

 charcoal and crock- siftings one part. This compost 

 should be broken up and mixed with the hand, and 

 should be in a free lumpy state. Ferns will never 

 prosper if the compost is sifted, but a little of the 

 finest of it should be put aside to dres,s the surface 

 with when the planting is completed. Now, take a 

 can of boiling water, and water the soil till you have 

 supplied enough to rise to the top of the drainage. 

 The water should be poured into the centre first to 

 warm the soil gradually; poured against the glass 

 suddenly it may shatter it. I have used the boiling 

 water now for many years on every occasion of planting 

 a fern case, and have not yet had one accident. With 

 a little caution there is no risk. The use of the boiling 

 water is to destroy every insect that may have escaped 

 your eye when breaking up the peat. It will not only 

 do that, but kill their eggs also, and equally make an 

 end of the seeds of weeds and the mycelium of fungi ; 

 all of which are enemies better got rid of at first than 

 to be hunted for when their ravages become a source of 

 alarm. The over cautious may of course scald or bake 

 the materials before filling the pan ; in that case they 

 must not be put in the pan until nearly dry again. 



When the pan is nearly cold the ferns may be 

 planted, and the process of planting will consolidate 



