The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-10-15
The Autumn woods.

Ferns become every year more popu
lar for purposes of household decoration
Growing or cut, freshly gathered OF
pressed, the uses to which they are ap
1 piled are numberless. It is safe pla1
to gather them whenever you can ge
them, but those who can choose theil
time to do SO usually prefer August OF
early September, since at this time the
lferns are in full maturity and have moi
yet begun to fade.
In going fern hunting it is wise to take
large book, such as an atlas or music
laportfolio along in which to lay the more
| delicate specimens as soon as they are
| gathered; the commoner varieties-such
as the ordinary baacken bush, the evec.
green fern-may be easily taken home
| to be pressed, by wrap ing them IN
newspaper with a wet fold around the
stems to keep them from willing. Those
which are to be dug up, roofs and all
for transplanting should be placed as
carefully as possible in baskeo.
At the close of every excursion the
ferns which are to be pressed should
without loss of time be transferred to
the drying paper. Seated at con-
venient table the collector begins her
work, her pile-of ferns at one side of her
and her paper at another. Plenty os
paper and two flat, smooth boards are
the materials required. Books on the
subject advise stout blotting paper, but
strong, soft newspapers, such as the
Times for instance, make an excellent
substitute AZ FAR less cost. Number one
board is I'D down; on this several sheets
of paper-the more the better if
paper is plentiful-and on them the fern
is laid out as nearly as possible in the
natural position, any twisting into shape
which the fronds would not have as
sumed in life being avoided. Over it q
single sheet of paper is laid, and while
with the right hand the plant is being
spread out, with the left the paper is be-
ing simultaneously smoothed over it.
Immediately few more sheets are laid
over it, and the process repeated with ad-
ditions specimens u1til the pile is suf-
ficiently high; then it is topped with the
second boa d and the bundle deposited
with forty or fifty pound weight on the
top of all. Bricks make good weights,
and they can be SO distributed as to
make the pressure bear equally on all
parts at once; but any weight-a large
stone, for instance-will do very well or
you may put the boards under your
trunk. IF great many ferns are to be
dried, another set of boards and papers
may be used, but one is sufficient for
quite number. Next day the collector
must change her papers. The pile is re-
versed, and the top board laid down on
the table, with sheet or two of dry pa
per on the top of it. Then the half-limp
aattened fern is carefully transferred to
it, and the process repeated until the
whole of Yesterdays gatherings are once
more in dry sheets, and the weight on
top of them again. The damp paper is
then laid out in the sun or suspended on
cord in the kitchen or other warm
place to dry, and in short time is ready
for use. How often the changing OF pa
pers must be repeated, depends on the
number Of sheets that are lnterposed be-
tween each plant, the state of the wea-
ther, the dryness of the room or the
thickness of the fern leaves themselves;
but, as a rule, half dozen times are
sufficient, and, if need be, the last two
or three times may have an interval OF
two or even three days between them.
Ii the plants make the paper bulge out, a
sheet or two of stout pasteboard inter-
posed here and there will smoth down
their asperities and secure better dried
specimens. In any case, little patience
and neat-handedness are necessary to Sc
cure choice specimens, and the ferns
should not be taken ol5t OF the press until
sure they are well dried The best test
of their being thoroughly dry is to gently
bend back little bit of the, frond. If it
is flexible, then sif is better Ia, give it
another turn of tie drying pres& IL, on
the contrary. it freaks, III thsAFap has
been exffaeted from IT By the cophined
pressnraMf tonea and the absorbing
power III sf{% 3 - an ai then side Of the
speoinAds f$T = q 1fsfer them to q large
book an e9 them there until ready to
use the3 Small ferns may be pressed
betV,k2 6 3eayes of book by tying q
striH found the volume to keep it
tight but it is important in such
case u Is Che ferns should be dry, and
the book must be opened and examined
from day to day to avoid injury both to
the volume and to the ferns.
As already intimated, anyone with q
large supply of pressed ferns has an
almost limitless fund upon which to
draw for household decoration. Window
transparencies and fire screens are made
by framing the ferns, artistically grouped
between two sheets of plate-glass. The
side-lights to hall door may be prettily
| ornamented in the same way, only for
| this purpose, in order to obstruct the
| view. it is well to fasten the fern on fine
white net. Bright hued flowers, such as
| pansies, morning glories, scarlet sage,
etc., add much to the beauty of such
| transparencies and may be successfully
dried between sheets of cotton waddine
placed between wooden boards.
] A cluster of ferns pinned on a lace cur.
| tain where it falls apart has very happy
effect, and we have seen pretty window
cornices made of garland of ferns and
| autumn leaves The maiden-hair ferr
looks extremely well arranged in small
basket, with q few dried bits OF crimson
coxcomb or bachelors buttons. Indeed
the uses to which they may be applied u
limited only by the taste and skill OF ths
| decorator.
When q fernery is contemplated the
/ ferns should be carefully dug up and
| transp1anted in soil as nearly as possible
like that in which they originally grew
As q rule, ferns require abundant
moisture and cool shade, and the exer
else Of little ingenuity will soon pro
vide these requirements for even varied
i collection. With the help of q few
pieces of furnace Stag or other fantastic
material, . rockery can be erected in tht
dreariest city back yard. Sand-not sea
but river nd-should be first strewI