46 
CHOICE BRITISH FERNS. 
roots, sucli as porous earthenware furnishes; it is also liable, 
in time, to harbour woodlice. Apart from these drawbacks, it 
is so easily manipulated, and, when well arranged, has so rustic 
an appearance, that it can hardly be dispensed with where 
considerable space has to be covered. 
In selecting cork for basket or pocket-making purposes, the 
large, tubular pieces should be chosen, as these, if soaked for 
some time in water, can be forced open, sawn with a coarse 
rip saw or cut with a wet knife into lengths, and being kept 
open by the insertion here and there of a stick, only require a 
flat piece wired on as a bottom to form a neat receptacle 
Fig. 8.— Removable Slate and Cork Wall-pocket. 
with little trouble — the wall itself, to which it can be attached 
by wire, forming the back. Large baskets can be made by 
judiciously wiring curved pieces together; gaps can be left 
to accommodate small plants. 
A useful removable wall-pocket of this class can be con- 
structed by wiring a curved piece of cork on to a common 
roofing-slate, as indicated by Fig. 8, the bottom being formed 
by a projecting curved piece, forming a sort of small trough 
in front, which will hold some small Ferns, others of which 
can be planted with advantage in holes made in the larger 
piece for the purpose. If the bottom edge of the slate rests 
