February, 1911 
system is established in which the natural processes go on 
quite independently of the outside world. The moist exhala- 
tions from the mosses settle on the glass of the shade and 
trickle down to the vegetation again, thus keeping every- 
thing in a perfectly healthy condition. Of course the shade 
should always be kept in position save on those occasions 
when it is desired to examine the little garden. After a 
few weeks it will be found that the moss will grow most 
luxuriantly, sending out bright green shoots more vividly 
colored than those usually found under natural conditions. 
Success with the simple moss garden will probably give 
Planting the moss in the prepared bed 
rise to a desire for something’more elaborate. Most people 
must have been charmed with the miniature gardens pre- 
pared by the skillful Japanese artists; these are beyond the 
skill of the western horticulturist but with the aid of a 
case such as that described above it is possible to design 
something nearly as clever. For this purpose will be 
required a rather large stand with a shade of appropriate 
size. The floor of the stand must be covered with pebbles 
and soil and the setting for the garden must be supplied 
with small pieces of rock disposed in such a way as fancy 
dictates. In one part one may form a little mountain, while 
with a small saucer or some such receptacle it is possible to 
devise a miniature lake. It is quite easy to hide the true 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 63 
nature of the object by piling stones round the border and 
sprinkling sand over the floor of the pool. When all the 
framework, so to speak, of the landscape has been designed 
it is time to put in the plants. 
It is not at all a difficult matter to cover the little garden 
with verdure. Only small ferns should be selected but 
these if tucked away in the rock crevices will grow luxuri- 
antly. Here and there pieces of some low growing mosses 
may be placed on the level country and these in a very short 
while will cover’ the surface with a green carpet. The 
spores of the mosses which will be freely produced in the 
A pretty little moss and fern garden 
moist atmosphere will float about, settling in all manner of 
places, and giving rise to the vegetation on the slopes of the 
little mountain. As time goes on the fern growth may be- 
come too great and it may be necessary to clear away some 
of the plants and to substitute smaller ones. This will not be 
a difficult thing to do, for after the garden has been running 
for some while baby ferns will begin to appear in all sorts 
of unexpected places and these can be taken up and put in 
the place of their overgrown parents. One very satisfac- 
tory feature of this gardening under glass shades is that 
practically everything one puts in will grow, a circumstance 
which does not always fall to the lot of horticulturists in 
in other directions. 
Flower Preservation 
How the Transitory Beauty of Flowers may be Obtained 
NE of the most distressing sides to botan- 
ical study is the transitory beauty of 
flowers. Those who have felt that the 
usual method of preserving plants by pres- 
sure between paper is unsatisfactory, will 
be interested to Jearn of a German treat- 
ment, whereby it is declared that many 
kinds of flowers may be dried so that they retain a good 
deal of their natural form and color. 
The flowers should be gathered as soon as the blossom 
has fully opened. It is important that they should be quite 
dry, and in order to free them from drops of rain or dew 
they may, with advantage, be suspended head downward 
for a few hours in a warm apartment. It is well to begin 
with some simple form of flower. 
A large strongly made box of wood, or better still, one 
made of tin will be necessary, and a sufficient amount of 
sand must be used to fill it. If possible, the sand should be 
of the kind known as “‘silver,” which is ordinarily very fine. 
The best that can be procured will be found to be far 
from clean, and it must be thoroughly washed. A bowl 
of fresh water must be obtained, and the sand poured into 
it. Much of the dirt will float on the surface, and this 
may be thrown away, clean water being added. At least 
a dozen times the sand should be washed, however, until 
nothing remains but the pure white crystals. The clean 
sand may now be spread out in a thin layer to dry, and 
when quite dry it should be placed in some thick crock 
vessel and put into a hot oven. There it may well remain 
for some hours until it is so thoroughly warmed through 
that one can scarcely bear to bury the hands in it. 
Next obtain a piece of stout cardboard, such as will easily 
fit into the bottom of the box, mentioned above. Through 
the bottom of this insert a number of long and very strong 
steel pins, one for each of the flowers to be preserved. 
Now get the dry blossoms and press the stalk of each one 
