26 
The Fern Garden. 
CHAPTER VL 
FERNS IN POTS. 
ET us now make another advance in practice. 
Ferns are beautiful objects when well grown as 
pot plants. To grow them well in pots de- 
mands more care and skill than growing them in the 
rockery, because there they, for the most part, take 
care of themselves. But pot plants are at all times 
more dependent on the cultivator, and must have con- 
stant attention. If you fail at first do not be dis- 
couraged, for the practice is attended with but few 
difficulties. Begin with a few of the commonest, and 
do not make a rush at rare varieties, until you have 
got your hand and your mind in the work. It is a 
great secret of success in cultivating any particular 
class of plants to get used to them . 
There is a whole volume of philosophy in the last 
sentence, and it applies directly and peculiarly to the 
subject now before us. Whoever hopes to succeed in 
fern growing must first grow a few in order to get 
used to them, and having got used to them opera- 
tions may be extended and money may be spent 
with some prospect of remuneration; but whoever 
attempts too much at first will find that effort and 
money and hope and enthusiasm have been wasted, 
for disappointments in the early stages of a pursuit 
