546 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



being planted near the edge and allowed to hang down in 

 a careless manner. Ficus repens, the beautiful new 7^ radicans 

 variegata, green and variegated Tradescantia, and Saxifraga sar- 

 vientosa, are among the best adapted for that purpose. 



Ferns on Cork. — Many are the ways in which Virgin cork 

 may be used, and often with the greatest advantage ; but per- 

 haps the prettiest arrangement made with that material consists 

 in the making of artificial trees of various dimensions, by firmly 

 binding or tying pieces of cork bark together, allowing little 



spaces here and there 

 to be left open, so that 

 the hollow parts may 

 be filled with a com- 

 post suitable to the 

 Ferns used. Many 

 Ferns will grow under 

 such conditions, but it 

 is particularly Davallias, 

 Nephrolepis, and Platy- 

 ceriums — as may be 

 seen by Fig. 342, of 

 P. IVillinckii — which 

 luxuriate under this 

 treatment. 



Dead Tree-Ferns. 

 — It frequently happens that 

 in an importation of Tree- 

 Fern stems, some reach their 

 destination in bad condition, 

 and even completely dead. 

 When such is the case these 

 stems may easily be utilised 

 with advantage ; a good-sized 

 plant may be inserted in the 

 top, and the sides may 

 be planted with seedlings, 

 which eventually take pos- 

 session of the entire surface. 

 Many species of Ferns suc- 

 ceed well under these conditions, but the best adapted for 

 the purpose are those which, in their natural state, are found 

 growing in a similar way, such as Nephrolepis, Davallias, Poly- 

 podiums, trailing Acrostichums, and Oleandras. The watering of 

 these ornamented Tree-Fern stems (Fig. 343), to be effective, 

 must be done from the top ; and during the growing season the 

 waterings must be copious and frequent, being gradually 

 discontinued as the winter season comes. 



Fig. 343. — Method of Utilising 

 Stem of Dead Tree-Fern. 



