The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-10-21
Gor nnu,tg Readtrs.
FLRNERIES, FOR SMALL PEOPLE

FERNERIES, FOR SMALL PEOPLE.
WANT to tell all the boys and girls
who are fortunate enough to live in the
country how they can find some work that
will be play too. OF course, you all like
work when it isn't too hard, and play,
whether it is hard or not, and if you can
work and play together you will like to
know how it is done.
You want basket, as large as you can
conveniently carry, with paper nicely
folded inside to keep the dirt from doing
any harm and it would be well to take
| small trowel, unless you are so careless
that you will lose it, in which case you
must dig with your fingers, because they
are fastened on, and you cannot forget to
take them home. If you have long
walk you need a luncheon, and you
might as well have one in any case. Go
to the pleasantest woods you know, where
there are tall trees and soft MOSES and
perhaps, a little brook running over the
stones; and don't stone the frogs, if you
see any; they have quite as good right
there as you have. Before you begin to
dig it would be wise to eat your luncheon,
then that will be out of the way, and you
will feel more like going to work. First,
you want some rich earth the best has
dark-brown color, and you will be likely
to find it under maple or oak. If the
first place you open has only light, sandy
or clayey soil, don't say THAT must do;
place, and another, till you find the best
kind You do not need great deal; if
you each fill your basket quarter full
that will be enough.
Then you must look out Tor mosse".
Take all the pretty ones you can find, eX-
cept the kind that looks like tiny, green
star and is so delightfully."- soft to jump on :;
the little stars shut up in the house, and
look as if they had gone to sleep. Be sure
to get variety, and to pick out all the
bits Of dirt, pine-needles, etc. this takes
a good while, and it Is pleasanter to do it
out in the fragrant, sunny woods than in
the house; besides, mother will not like
to have you bring so much dirt into her
neat rooms.
After the MOSES are clean you must get
the prettiest vines, leaves and berries to
put with them, and be very careful to dig
up the roots, for the poor things will die
if you do not, and you want your ferneries
to live. l think you will be surprised to
find so many different shades of green and
bright berries and graceful little vines hid
ing about under the trees; the more you
get the better, especially of scarlet ber-
ries.
After you have all these things put in
the ferns; they must come last, because
you cannot put anything on them, in the
basket, without breaking the delicate
leaves. In some places you can find sew
eral varieties, and you should take the
smallest specimens of each kind, unless
they are very small indeed, because you
will not have room to arrange large ones ;
besides, you will have more trouble in car
| yIus Iaigv IeaveS wlUnOuJ breaking them
If you are near a brook when your
basket is full you may sprinkle the ferns
a little, then they must be taken home as
soon as possible. Try which of you can
walk fastest without breaking leaf on
the way; that will be something like run
ming race with a book on ones head !;
you have to be very careful. Your pretty
things will live all night if you put them
in pans full of water, but they look better
when they are arranged at once. You
will not enjoy them half as much if you
tease somebody to take care of them as
you will if you do it all yourself 1t is
not Of the least importance if you have not
nice fernery, with glass case, to hold
your treasures; anything that has a hol-
low and will hold water will do, any glass
dish, a soup-plate, even a saucer, tin
pan, if you paint it; shell is very pretty,
but will not often hold much.
Put in earth enough to cover the bottom
of the dish thickly and to make a little
mound in the middle, then plant your
fern-roots, taking care that each one has
earth all about it, but do not press down
the mold too hard on the tender little
things, and do not try to put many in one
dish, for they cannot grow well when they
are crowded. Lay the MOSES gently over
the earth and push the roots of your vines
and little plants down through the moss
till they reach the soil. When they are all
in order sprinkle the whole affair, pour in
as much water as the dish will hold, and
put it where everybody can see ii.
Probably you have earth and roots
enough to make several ferneries. Re-
member the sick people, who cannot go
out to see these beautiful things; wouldn't
you like to make some of them glad every
day through the long winter by a pres
ent?
If you want to make money, you can
take your ferneries to the nearest city and
sell them. Prices vary in the different
places, but you can always get enough to
pay you for your work, especially as it is
such pleasant work. l would rather do it
than not; wouldn't you?-E. E. Neuman,
in Christian Union.