Where The Red Fern Grows Free Download
Sung Gorius
Both Rawls and Billy grew up in a poor family in the Ozarks, where the family's farm provided all of their food and other necessities. The author spent much of his time exploring the woods with his dogs, and would later be inspired to write about these adventures. Just like at the end of Where the Red Fern Grows, Rawls and his family eventually had to move away from the Ozarks in an attempt to find better fortune elsewhere, even if he was very sad to leave the land behind.
Where the Red Fern Grows is told from the perspective of Billy. This makes it a first-person narrative. This particular style of writing can help to draw the reader into the story, as it feels almost as if they are living through the action themselves. The narrator refers to himself as "I" throughout the book, and the reader can put themselves in his shoes as the events unfold. The reader sees everything that happens through Billy's eyes, and can therefore feel the things he feels, from excitement over buying his coonhounds to his devastation of eventually losing them to the swelling of his heart when he sees the beautiful (and perhaps, he thinks, even angelic) red fern that grows between their graves at the end of the story.
One of the reasons that Where the Red Fern Grows is so popular is that it pulls the reader into the story and makes him feel a part of it. The way that Wilson Rawls does this is by using first-person narrative. First-Person Narrative is a writing style where the narrator of the story relates it from his own point of view, referring to himself as 'I'.
I had saved tomato sauce cans for a few weeks, cut up a burlap bag and stamped little red ferns on tags. Each child received their own little can with chocolate gold coins to remember their day by. So sweet!
Nothing is handed to Billy. He works hard as a trapper for two years before he has enough money to buy a pair of coon dogs. The part where he trains his dogs, Big Dan and Little Ann, is my favorite. The tenderness, empathy and love between him and his dogs, and the dogs for each other, is almost magical.
The kids were captivated by the Ozarks and we spent time looking at pictures online and dreaming up family vacations. Google images was visited often, inquiring about blue tic hounds, a brace and bit, and the actual red fern. Sadly, our local garden stores did not have any. We did skip over some of the graphic language about the death of Ruben, for the little ears. I will never forget our whole family jumping up and cheering together when Little Ann trees THREE coons in the same tree!
Instead of growing from seed like most flowering plants, ferns come from a single spore. Spores become gametophytes, which produce male gametes and an egg structure. When fertilized, the gametophyte generates a sporophyte (the fern plant).
Spores are born in a spore case (sporangia or sori) on fertile fronds (sporophylls). The case contains many individual spores and is usually found on the underside of a leaf (frond) or on separate stalks. The photograph in Figure 1 shows spore cases on the underside of the leaves (pinnae) of a holly-leaf fern. Inexperienced gardeners often become concerned over these fruiting bodies and assume their plants are infested with unusual insects such as scales.
The reproduction of ferns from spores is different from other plants because there is an in-between stem (asexual stage). The individual spore is extremely small and germinates into a flat leaf-like body called a prothallium. The sexual stage comes next. Sexual organs develop on the underside of the prothallium, and fertilization occurs. Depending on the kind of fern, it may take two to six months after fertilization for the first fronds to appear.
Usually, gardeners and greenhouse producers don't reproduce indoor ferns from spores. Most indoor ferns are separated into several pieces by root division. Details for both are given under the sections "Dividing" and "Potting."
Even though most ferns used for indoor culture are native to the tropics or subtropics, they for the most part prefer a cool temperature and a high level of moisture in the air (humidity). In the woodlands or tropics, ferns are found under rather dense canopies of trees or large woody plants. Some species are native to rather dry climates that have periods of heavy rainfall. Usually these periods of rainfall occur during hot weather, thus providing a cooling effect.
Room temperatures that are comfortable for human beings are usually a bit warm for many ferns. Nighttime temperatures for ferns should be on the cool side, preferably below 60F. Daytime temperatures should not be above 72 and preferably cooler.
When ferns are grown outdoors during summer, they should be located in the cooler areas of the garden, usually in deep shade or on the north side of the house or a garden structure. Never expose ferns to full sun in summer.
Growing ferns inside your home is a real challenge. Culture today is not as easy as it was in earlier years. The increased difficulty stems partly from the changes in our lifestyles. As we have become more affluent, fern culture has become more difficult. Before the widespread use of forced air or steam heat, there was usually a cool room where the humidity was a bit higher. Forced air and steam heat tend to dry the air and reduce the humidity below the point where ferns can survive. A humidity level of 30 percent is about as low as most ferns will tolerate. Forty to 50 percent is certainly a more desirable range.
There are several ways to overcome dry air. You can add humidifiers to your home heating system or buy a self-contained electric humidifier. A humidifier will produce not only better environmental conditions for your ferns and other house plants but also a healthier atmosphere for you and your family.
If you don't want to purchase a humidifier, put pots of ferns or other plants in saucers or trays filled with gravel and water. This increases humidity around the plant. Always maintain the water level just below the surface of the gravel so the bottom of the pot won't be standing in water. Some indoor gardeners add charcoal chips to the gravel. This helps keep the water clean and odor free. For best results, replace the gravel periodically or wash it thoroughly at three-month intervals or as algae, etc., start to develop in the water or on the gravel. Sanitation is important in keeping down diseases.
When you grow ferns in decorative tubs, ceramic or cache pots without drainage holes, put an inch of gravel in the bottom of the container. A better approach is to plant the fern in a clay pot and set inside the decorative container. Then put sphagnum moss in the space between the two containers. Keep the moss moist. This helps increase humidity and prevents rapid drying of the soil.
During winter when your heat is on, many ferns need misting. Use an atomizer, plant mister or a plastic spray bottle that gives off a fine mist. Mist the plants early in the morning. Apply enough to moisten the fronds. Ruffled or fluffy (finely textured with dense foliage) ferns are a bit sensitive to too much water on their foliage. Mist these types only when your air is extremely dry. Broader- and thicker-leaved ferns may need daily misting when your heat is on frequently or for long periods.
There is a fern suited to almost any condition found in the average home. For example, holly ferns (Cyrtomium falcatum) grow in low to medium light, while birds nest ferns (Asplenium nidus) grow in low to bright, but not direct, sun. A northern window usually provides ideal light conditions for many types of ferns. You can use a sheer curtain or drape to cut intensity. During summer months, you need to reduce light in eastern or western windows by about 50 percent. Asparagus ferns, which are not ferns but belong to the lily family, require bright light year-round and thrive in direct sunlight. Check the fern varieties section for the specific light requirements of several different types of ferns.
Ideally, an attractive and healthy fern will have just enough room to accommodate the root system with about an inch of space for further growth. Most ferns develop shallow root systems, so shallow pots or pans are best. To maintain the proper balance of root systems and space, some ferns, depending on growth rate, need repotting several times a year.
When you pot, remember that a small fern in a large container looks rather ridiculous and will be more subject to problems because of moisture excesses, etc. Start small ferns in small pots. Shift them to the next size pots as they become crowded.
Inexperienced gardeners repot ferns just as the pots seem to be three-fourths full. However, you should wait until the plant seems to be spilling out of the pot before repotting. Remember that some ferns grow rapidly, while others are extremely slow. In time, you will learn the growth characteristics of the ferns you enjoy.
Years ago, clay pots, wooden boxes or moss baskets were the most popular fern containers. Today, however, many gardeners use plastic pots. Growing plants in plastic pots is a bit different than other containers because moisture and air cannot move through plastic. This means you have to water the plants less often.
If you're repotting old or potbound plants, thoroughly water them to make them easier to remove. Do not try to pull the fern from the pot. Instead, put your fingers between the fronds at the base of the plant. Invert the pot, then tap the rim on a table or hard surface. The plant should come out easily after several firm taps. Shift it to the next pot or divide it.
Often times, ferns such as Boston and sword outgrow their pots; then you have to divide or discard them. When it comes to dividing, ferns can take rather harsh treatment. In some cases, you may have to use considerable force to remove the plant from the pot. Once it's free, use a sharp, long-bladed knife to halve or quarter the root ball. Then, pull each quarter or half apart so you can spread the roots in the new soil. The main requirements after dividing are to water the roots and new soil thoroughly and to provide a humid atmosphere by misting the first few weeks.
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