The Garden Magazine, September, 1921 



31 



•**&*&!> *a£ 



THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MAIDENHAIR FERN 



Tropical in habitat Adiantum Farleyense needs 

 careful handling with an even, warm temperature 



must have plenty of air and plenty of water, and yet if there is 

 too much moisture in the air, the foliage will turn yellow. It 

 demands an even temperature of from 70 to 75 ° and, as the 

 fronds are very easily injured, needs an abundance of space. All 

 the Adiantums prefer a north window to all other locations, 

 and should be repotted frequently. 



Of late years the Birds'-nest Ferns (known botanically as As- 

 plenium) have come into favor. By some people they are 

 accounted rather hard to handle, and yet no difficulty should be 

 found in growing them if there is ample drainage in the pots. 

 If this point is overlooked the leaves are almost sure to turn 

 yellow. Another mistake sometimes made is allowing water 

 to enter the crown, the result of which is to make the leaves 

 decay at the base. Otherwise the Birds'-nest Fern will thrive 

 in ordinary living room conditions, and is prized for its clean, 

 glossy foliage, and because it is so different in appearance from 

 any other member of the Fern family. No special care as to 

 temperature need be exercised when growing this plant, as it does 

 not mind a night temperature which goes as lowas6o°oreven55°. 



For a Fern which takes but little space, the Holly Fern 

 (cyrtomium) is desirable. While this grows to considerable size, 

 it is especially handsome when small, and for that reason is often 

 used in making up fern-dishes. It is difficult for some people to 

 realize that this attractive plant, with its peculiar holly-shaped 

 leaves, is really a Fern at all. It takes practically the same 

 culture as given for the Birds'-nest Fern. 



While entirely different from the other Ferns commonly 

 cultivated, Cibotium Schiedei and a similar form known as the 

 Regal Fern are very ornamental, and are made distinctive by 

 the light green color of the foliage. These plants are really 

 Tree-ferns in the young stage and before the trunk has devel- 

 oped. Although they are Mexican plants they are related to 

 the Chinese Tree-fern which was famous in olden times under 

 the name of the Scythian Lamb. As grown indoors in their 

 immature state, these Ferns demand an abundance of water, 

 both at the roots and along the stem. Frequent syringing 

 agrees with them and they like full sunlight. 



NO BETTER ornament for the centre of the dining table can 

 be found than a well composed fern-dish. Unless one- is 

 satisfied with a small Birds'-nest Fern, Holly Fern, or members of 

 the Pteris family, it is best to let a florist make it up. The 

 Pteris Ferns are especially valuable for this purpose when small, 

 but must be renewed frequently. In fact, the life of the average 

 fern-dish is necessarily short, although it ought to last longer 



than it ordinarily does. Housekeepers often fail to realize 

 that these little Ferns demand quite as much light, air and mois- 

 ture as any other kind. The only way to keep them growing 

 properly is to remove them from the table between meal hours 

 and place them on a window ledge or in some other position 

 where the}' will get an abundance of light. Indeed, a few 

 hours of sunlight every day will do them more good than harm. 

 It is just as important to have good drainage for these little 

 Ferns as for the larger Boston Ferns, while at the same time 

 water must not stand in the outer dish. 



People who are planning to buy Ferns to grow in the 

 house the coming winter should make their purchases now. 

 This is really more important than appears at first thought. It 

 is impossible to even approximate in the ordinary living room 

 the same winter conditions as are found in the greenhouse. 

 Consequently the sudden and drastic change of environment 

 may mean the early demise of the Fern itself. Moreover, it is 

 difficult to move Ferns in very cold weather without getting 

 them chilled. At this time of the year, on the other hand, con- 

 ditions in the greenhouses do not differ greatly from those in the 

 home, except perhaps that they have rather more moisture, 

 and the plants can be moved from one place to the other now 

 without suffering any setback. 



A LITTLE BIT FROM THE TROPICS 



Only in a suitable greenhouse may such a scene be reconstructed; 

 Australian Tree-fern and Birds'-nest Fern are here growing in comfort 



