El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-04-24
The Family Tree


d AsING a Boston fern Is great
n gamble. The Boston fern Is the
usurper Of the place once &C
oupied by the rubber plant. II
family has only one plant now, It IS
a Boston fern. It Is considered more
artistic than ths rubber plant. and
more cultured than the red geranium
IN a tomato can that once expressed
the households sense OF beauty. The
Boston fern owes Its social position
to the fact that it is hard 70 XIII II
has been bred % thrive on almost
any treatment, neglect, OF over low
ing, next 10 no water at al or floods
that would embarraEs frog ol1z-
ing east window OF dark and dr1tty
hall shelf And Il does thrive for
some time. Il lives and is beautiful
and graceful and sends out happy
new fronds- 1t will live on itself
without any special care or SYM
patty. Il viii thrive for q long
time, unless II go dry too long or un-
less the frost catches IT. Frost viii
lovely fronds turn brown ana the
leaves drop of and the plant that
was happy one day VIII be torlorn
the next. Prolonged thirst viii
blight Il and kill Il in time, as VIII
the too blazing sunshine or pro-
Ionged residence IN the dark Places
one can buy a new Boston fern
when the old one goes shabby but
that is no special credit 70 the house
while succeeding with ferns and
flowers always Is credit TO any
establishment. big or little. Con-
trariwise q dying plant is more or
less OF a reproach. And there you
are for keeping a Boston fern grow
ing and happy and even and bright
and fresh, is Just about as much
a iHa| -
Persian kitten II likes 20 90 in the
parlOr 70 be q decoration and hear
folks talk, but Il has to recuperate
il q window where II can look out
and sun itself. It hates the wind and
cannot abide the biting cold Nor
Is hot: L must have shaded sunshine
Il must have its drink when Il Is
thirsty, but cannot abide having
water poured in the pot every morn
ing whether Il Is thirsty OF not Il
must be asked every morning with
an investigating poke into its pot
whether Il wants a drink or not II
likes TO be comfortably tight In It's
pot and cannot give It's attention 20
growing II the pot be too large, out
Il cannot bear one that pinches- u
needs the soil forked Up lightly with
a fork, but not too deeply. It loves
TO stand in the rain II the wind does
not blow. and IL likes 70 wade around
IN the bath tub with q devoted friend
snrinkliug Its leaves with her
fingers, but Il hates TO take its luck
out in the garden with the outdoor
plants. II likes 70 be turned In the
window every few days 50 that All
of its fronds reach the light and sun
shine, and Il likes TO be Strengthened
out and trimmed OF dead leaves and
bits OF broken leaves or stems.
With all this or most all OF this.
a BOSTON fern grows Tat and big and
is a beautiful. luxuriant plant OF
fresh green and lovely curves Be-
tween this and the few dead, han
dead, dying and discouraged new
stalks that Il pines away to IN some
houses, there are all degrees OF
prosperity. The gamble in keeping
a Boston fern Is like that In start
q ing a dairy, whether one viii or viii
not keep It I'D. A big Boston fern
[ that has been In the family year
after year Is q matter OF Just pride
/ It shows conscience and devotion a
/ prosperous Boston fern does not
make a happy family nor does
/ shabby one indicate a wrecked one
but the ferns fortunes go with the
3 family's 20 some extent. perhaps
F The fern tells the family's fortune
about as truly as a ouija-just about
as truly. One must not draw toe
much OF n conclusion The only SAFE
3 attempt to tell fortunes by the Bos'
ton fern is that a prosperous PLAN
3 indicates a prosperous home
Z. Nee S.