The Fern House 
HIS room contains a landscape suggestive of the carboniferous 
age. In the center is a lagoon, fed by rills from an artificial 
spring and a miniature waterfall. The lagoon is surrounded 
by miniature cliffs and meadows. The rockwork, constructed by a 
Belgian genius, is of Ohio tufa, an exceedingly porous rock that is 
well suited to the purpose for which it is used here. 
The lagoon is planted only with such aquatics as best contribute 
to the landscape effect desired. The West Parks’ great collection of 
aquatics is displayed in the lagoons and ponds that make up the natural- 
ist Aquatic Gardens west of the Rose Garden in Humboldt Park; in 
the two large water basins in Garfield Park; and in the large water 
basin in Douglas Park. The collection displayed in the gardens and 
basins includes several hundred water lilies, representing 38 species, 
and an excellent collection of our native aquatics. The lilies shown 
include both hardy and tropical water lilies. One section of the Hum- 
boldt gardens is devoted to the sacred Lotus of the Orient, and as 
many as 100 to 200 flowers may be seen in bloom there at one time. 
The basins in Garfield and Douglas Parks are planted with tropical 
water lilies, both day and night bloomers. Some of the finest speci- 
mens displayed are hybrids that were originated in the West Parks. 
One of the most interesting specimens displayed is the new water 
lily developed in the Garfield basins and named August Koch, in honor 
of its originator. This water lily has the peculiarity of producing 
new plants on the leaves, at the end of the petiole. 
The chief emphasis in the Fern House is on tropical ferns, tree 
ferns, and fern allies, and on Cycads. The room presents an unsur- 
passed study in greens, with a bit of color from the water lilies, the 
water hyacinths, and the few flowering plants grouped along the edge 
of the lagoon. The tropical vines, planted to hide the columns of the 
building, grow unusually well in this room. 
Several hundred species are shown here. All of them are natives 
of tropical or subtropical regions. A few ferns, such as the walking 
fern and one species of maidenhair fern, belong to the same species 
as the ferns of our local woods; but the specimens shown were collected 
from tropical woods. Repeated attempts have been made to grow 
specimens collected locally; but such attempts have always resulted 
in failure. 
Most of the plants in this room are of interest to the layman 
only as they contribute to the total effect—just as parts of the pic- 
ture. A few, however, such as the following, are of general interest: 
Adiatum, or MAIDENHAIR FERN, a genus that comprises about 100 
species, all of which are tropical except the two species found locally. 
This is generally held to be the loveliest of all ferns. The Conserva- 
tory has a collection representing 20 species from all parts of the 
tropical world. 
Alpinia nutans, or SHELL FLower, a native of the East Indies, belongs 
to the Zingiberaceae, the family to which ginger belongs. This is 
