FERN WINDOWS. 
187 
in it for ventilation. Amongst some of the middle 
classes the rooms in the basements of houses— 
when the basements are below the garden level— 
are often used as sitting-rooms. In such cases 
the utilization of the half-lighted windows and 
window-sills for growing Ferns will be very de¬ 
sirable, for the reason that so large a portion of 
the time of the family is spent in these downstair 
rooms. 
Coming to the ground level of a house we shall 
often find shady windows looking down upon the 
area courtyard or garden. By adjusting to the 
outside of such windows a small glass-covered 
framework, projecting over the area or garden, a 
little Fern-house could be established, that would 
be pleasant not only from inside but from outside of 
the house. Perhaps higher up in a house a win¬ 
dow might be found looking out, say from the 
landing of the stairs upon leads, whereon perhaps 
the water-cistern is placed. The leads are sure to 
be provided with a sink for disposing of rain¬ 
water, or the waste water from the cistern. Upon 
the leads a Fern rockery may be easily constructed, 
and, without difficulty, the waste water of the 
