334 
recuperate them. Should such an accident 
happen, remove the injured fronds and keep 
the plant in as good a condition as possible 
until the following spring, when new growth 
will be made. 
The best small ferns for the home are 
found among the spider ferns (Pteris). 
The fronds are once divided, the divisions 
being long and narrow and pointed. 
One of the best of the spider ferns is 
P. Cretica, which grows nearly a foot high. 
The stalks are straw colored and the 
foliage is dark green in the type, but there 
are several varieties, some of which have 
white markings. 
Another spider fern very commonly grown 
is P. serrulata, which differs in not being such 
a strong grower; also, the stalks are brown and 
the edges of the pinne are toothed like a 
saw. Like Cretica, this has many forms, 
most of which are more or less distorted and 
to which such Latin names as cristata, cris- 
tata variegata, densa, etc., have been given. 
The best variegated fern for the window 
garden is Pieris argyrea. ‘This is a some- 
what stronger grower than those already 
mentioned, but its chief feature is a broad 
white band down the middle of each pinne. 
All the pteris are used more for fern dishes 
than for specimen plants, and are admirably 
suited to the purpose. 
One of the shield ferns (Polystichum 
angulare) somewhat resembles the sword 
ferns. The fronds are from one to two feet 
long and rather narrow. The pinne differ 
from those of the sword ferns in that they 
are triangular rather than oblong. This 
fern seems to withstand the unfavorable 
conditions of the house admirably. . Mr. 
W. H. Taplin, in the American Gardening 
for March 10, 1900, reports having known 
a specimen which flourished in a window 
garden for ten years. 
The hare’s foot fern (Polypodium) is 
always interesting because of its rhizomes. 
These rest on the ground and are densely 
covered with long, coarse, yellow hairs. 
Sooner or later these hang over the edge of 
the pot and bear a strong resemblance to a 
rabbit’s or hare’s foot, hence the name. 
Another interesting fern is Davallia 
bullata. ‘This is usually seen in the form 
of fern balls, but is equally at home in a pot 
One of the slender spider ferns (P. serru- 
lata) much used for table decoration 
itil cists ahs ehs 
THE (GAR DEN 
The only hardy fern that approaches the grace- 
fulness of the tender greenhouse “ Farleyense’’ is 
Adiantum Capillus- Veneris, var. imbricatumn 
or on a sphagnum covered board. As a 
fern ball this fern is particularly interesting. 
The balls are composed of the creeping 
stems wrapped around sphagnum moss, 
and are received in this country in December 
and January, all that is needed to start 
them into growth being a thorough soaking 
in water. Place them in a light window, 
preferably a north one. 
There are four factors 
cultivation of house ferns: 
(1) In the coldest weather the tempera- 
ture in which ferns are growing ought never 
to go below 55° at night. A raise of 
temperature during the day of 10° or 15° 
is sufficient and surely no living room should 
be above 70°. A north window, or any 
window which has lots of light and but little 
or no direct sunlight, will suit ferns; the sun 
injures the delicate fronds. 
(2) Ferns do not like a heavy soil; one 
composed of four parts of sandy loam, one 
part sand and one part manure will give 
good results. For most of the ferns a little 
leaf mold may be added, but I would not 
add any to the soil in which the sword ferns 
are to be grown. Pack the soil fairly firm 
about the roots but do not make it hard. 
The soil in which ferns are growing must 
never become dry, neither must it become 
water logged. It is a common assumption 
in successful 
that because ferns grow naturally in damp 
SMM aici 
MAGAZINE 
Juuy, 1908 
places they cannot be over watered, but 
while soil in which ferns thrive outdoors may 
be very damp it is always well drained and 
aérated. 
(3) Keep the roots of the ferns cool. 
This can be easily done by placing the pots 
in jardiniéres or vases and packing damp 
sphagnum moss about them. If you want 
to use the plant for table or other decoration, 
it can be removed from the box, used in the 
decoration, and returned when the occasion 
is over. 
(4) Keep the leaves of the ferns clean. 
This is best done by syringing them with 
clear water on all bright days. If done on 
dull days, there is some danger of the fronds 
turning black. 
Insects are often very troublesome to ferns, 
especially in a dry atmosphere. 
Thrips are small, slender, brown or black 
insects, about one-fourth of an inch long, 
which eat the epidermis of the leaves. They 
are easily controlled by any of the commonly 
used contact insecticides, or by Paris green — 
one teaspoonful to twelve parts of water. 
The red spider is a very small red mite 
which can scarcely be seen by the naked 
eye and which lives on the undersides of the 
leaves. But its presence can be readily 
recognized by numerous minute yellow 
spots on the upper sides. Like the aphis 
(to which it ranks next in destructiveness), 
the red spider subsists on the plant’s juices. 
It thrives in a hot, dry atmosphere and its 
presence is a sure sign of insufficient 
humidity. The conditions ordinarily found in 
living-rooms are very favorable for this pest. 
The remedy is obvious: Syringe the plants 
with water, applying it on the under sides of 
the leaves and with considerable force, be- 
cause the spider is protected behind a web. 
The mealy bug looks like a small tuft 
of white cotton and is found on the under- 
side of the frond and in the joints. A strong 
stream of water will usually wash it off; 
but if that fails use kerosene emulsion or 
fir-tree oil, which must be diluted according 
to the directions on the package and applied 
as a spray or with a feather. Alcohol has 
also been successfully used where there are 
only a few mealy bugs. With a feather or 
small stick put one drop on each bug and 
he will immediately succumb. 
The silver leaf spider fern (Pteris argyr ea) hes a graceful spreading habit 
and is the only variegated fern for the home 
The Cretan spider fern (P. cretica), the most’ 
adaptable of all the house ferns 
