2 62 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
October, 1910 
In the OCTOBER 
SCRIBNER 
Cascorra, The First Cuban Siege 
General Frederick Funston describes his 
first experiences with the Cuban Insurgent 
troops under fire. These articles are a re¬ 
markable and fascinating contribution to the 
literature of adventure. 
An Impression of the King’s Funeral by 
Madame Waddington. The author, who was for 
years a friend of the late King Edward, had very special oppor¬ 
tunities of witnessing all the ceremonies attending the funeral. 
A charming and most interesting contri¬ 
bution to American literary history is the 
Correspondence of Washington Irving and 
John Howard Payne, edited by Thatcher 
T. Payne Luquer. The first letters, written mostly by Irving 
from London and Paris to his friend Payne, show how generous, 
thoughtful, and helpful Irving was in aiding Payne in his work. 
The Real African by Herbert Ward, one 
of Stanley’s Lieutenants. Impressions of the Congo black 
people by one who has lived among them and learned to like them. 
Illustrated with a very remarkable series of sculptures by the author. 
On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine by 
John Fox, Jr. A visit by the author to the scenes of one 
of his most delightful stories. 
Who Follow the Flag. — A Poem — by 
Henry van Dyke. 
$3.00 a year; 25 cents a number 
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS, NEW YORK 
Picturesque English Cottages 
and their Doorway Gardens 
By P. H. Ditchfield, M.A., F.S.A., F.R.G.H. 
With a preface by Ralph Adams Cram. 
There is no more picturesque and charming phase of 
architecture in all the ages than the small English cot¬ 
tage with its inevitable garden. Mr. Ditchfield tells 
something of the historical side of this evolution of the 
cottage, describes methods of construction, the various 
types of roofs and chimneys, the designs and the flowers 
of the garden, the whole enlivened with interesting 
little bits of folk-lore. The book is full of inspiration 
for the home builder. 
A limited edition of 2,000 numbered copies, printed 
on heavy plate paper and bound in boards, half ooze 
leather. 
112 pages, 147 illustrations. Price, $ 2.00 postpaid. 
McBride, Winston & Co., Publishers, 449 Fourth Ave., New York City 
whole. A “gray day” is best to go for 
Ferns. In another basket carry home a 
quantity of the wood’s soil to use in the 
planting. Your receptacles should be all 
ready to place the Ferns in at once. Holes 
are punctured in the bottom for drainage 
and a layer of pebbles and bits of charcoal 
are laid in, then the plant and the filling 
in of soil. The charcoal is important, as 
it not only tends to preserve the freshness 
of the soil, but imparts to the Fern fronds 
a beautiful brilliant green. Water with 
fine spray. 
For the first few days after transplant¬ 
ing, the Ferns should be placed in a cool 
window where they may have light and 
air but no sunlight. Do not forget to wa¬ 
ter them often, as the soil should be kept 
moist like that of the woodland. 
When grouping your specimens for a 
“fernery,” place the larger ones in the 
center to give symmetrical appearance. 
One fern-grower arranges her Ferns in 
different ways, grouping a variety to¬ 
gether using the Holly Fern, the hardier 
species of Pteris, Maidenhair Ferns, the 
Boston variety, and Asparagus plumosa 
and Asparagus Sprengeri, two other love¬ 
ly green plants that are useful for home 
decoration and that may be treated in the 
same way as Ferns. 
A decided novelty that the Fern grow¬ 
er has many calls for, is a “Fern ball.” It 
is made of florist’s wire netting, of a wide 
mesh, lined with fine moss from which 
peep out the curled fronds of the young 
Ferns — Boston Ferns being used. The 
inside of the ball is closely packed with 
the woodland soil, which is kept moist. 
Like everything else on the market 
that is a ready seller in the floral line, the 
natural attractiveness of the Ferns and 
ferneries may be greatly added to by the 
receptacles that contain them. So it is 
a part of our fern-grower’s stock in trade 
to see to it that she has all the little nov¬ 
elties prepared in advance for her spring 
trade, and in order to have no delay she 
starts in with this part of the work in the 
fall, gathering in Birch bark and other 
bark that she sees possibilities in. Some¬ 
times this bark is beautifully lichened, but 
if not, lichens found clinging to rocks are 
removed, and with a drop of glue are soon 
transferred to the tree bark. The plain 
cigar-box and tin receptacle is then trans¬ 
formed into a charming affair with this 
beautiful covering of nature. Hewn-out 
logs are used. Twigs are joined in log- 
cabin or quail-trap style to cover other re¬ 
ceptacles. She often has orders from 
special customers to cover the Fern recep¬ 
tacle with crepe paper with frilled edge to 
harmonize with the room’s furnishing it 
is intended for. Sometimes silver or 
china receptacles are used. 
Grease Bands Around Fruit Trees 
G OOD, practical fruit growers need 
not to ask the object of having 
broad bands of paper round the stems of 
fruit trees, but the inexperienced are of- 
In writing to advertisers please mention House and Garden. 
