28 
The Fern Garden . 
and has the fleshy roots of brake intermingled with it, 
all the better. Such loam as this is very abundant, 
indeed it generally prevails where the brake grows 
luxuriantly in the hedgerows. One part thoroughly 
decayed leaf mould, which should be black and gritty, 
free from fungus, and from bits of iron and other rub- 
bish which gardeners too often allow to get mixed up 
with it. One part silver-sand. Mix these ingredients well 
together ; break all lumps to the size of walnuts ; do 
not sift it, and do not on any account endeavour to 
make it fine like dust. Indeed, a compost as fine as dust 
will not grow any plant to perfection. When prepared, 
the sand should be visible throughout the mass, giving 
it a grey hue and a granular appearance. It should 
be only moderately moist, not wet , free from large 
stones, and have a pleasant feel in the hand. Now 
draw to one side a heap of the toughest and largest 
pieces of fibre and loam from the mixture; this we 
shall call rough stuff. Next lay ready for use a small 
heap of green moss, or, if not green, tolerably tough 
and fresh, that is to say, not rotten. Next break up. 
a lot of flower-pots to the size of crown-pieces, and 
another lot to the size of peas. The last job prepara- 
tory to potting is to have new or quite clean pots. If 
they are not clean inside and out, the ferns will not 
thrive, and if they did we should not like them for it. 
The process of potting is very simple, yet it is usually 
badly done by beginners. First place over the hole 
in the pot a picked potsherd, hollow side downwards ; 
then lay, also hollow side downwards, a few pieces all 
round, to cover the bottom of the pot, and then add a 
