CHAPTER I. 
FIRST PRINCIPLES CONSIDERED. 
ERNS induct us pleasantly into one of the quietest regions of 
vegetable life, a region in which flowers are unknown, and yet 
where those who love flowers most will least of anywhere miss 
them. The estimation in which ferns are held may be con¬ 
sidered a measure of individual culture, and a reflex of the 
refinements of domestic life. They make no appeal to a superficial taste; they 
demand for the appreciation of their beauty a delicate discernment of their 
