FERNY COMBES. 
109 
your trip ; some little addition at least to your ob- 
jects of interest. Let us take out our Herbarium. 
We cannot boast of numbers, but each specimen 
is perfect of its kind, and almost as green as when 
they grew in their beautiful country homes. They 
have no flowers, it is true, but they have form. 
“ But I can’t always be taking out my fern book, 
and I don’t see how they can make my room 
prettier !” 
“Hot the dried leaves certainly; but do you not 
know that you may have living plants at very little 
expense ?” 
Ton reply, “ Flowers won’t grow in town rooms : 
only last year I spent I know not how much on 
geraniums and other flowers, and they all died 
when the frost set in. I don’t think ferns would 
fare better.” 
I know by experience that what you say is true 
as far as flowers are concerned, but you may have 
your pretty friends the ferns green and bright all 
the winter through in your sitting-room, only you 
must keep them from the impure air, and shield 
them in part from the changes of temperature to 
which a sitting-room is liable. H you live in a 
large town, you may for a couple of shillings buy a 
a bell-glass sufficiently large to cover seven or eight 
pots ; in the country the glass will cost half as 
