BOMBAY FERNERIES. 165 



the beauty of the plant, or he will in nine eases out of ten make the 

 supports so course and untidy that they cannot fail to beau eyesore. 

 Other operations may occasionally occur in Ferneries, such as pruning, 

 pinching, etc., but they are of such rare occurrence, that they need 

 not be referred to here. 



The arrangement and grouping of the plants in the Fernery, and 

 their use for embellishment of drawing-rooms, etc., are works well 

 calculated to demonstrate the individual taste of the operator, and 

 for the correct performance of which no fixed rules can be laid down. 

 As general principles it may however be observed that strict regu- 

 larity should generally be avoided, though symmetry is desirable; 

 that the individual plants in a group should be sufficiently distin- 

 guishable as to each form a separate object of attraction, without 

 being so conspicuous as to detract the attention from the entire 

 group ; that no plants contrasting widely in habit or foliage should 

 be placed in close proximity to each other, that no naturally low- 

 growing plants should be so raised above others of taller growing 

 habit as to assume the appearance of an unnatural habit, and that all 

 pots should be as far as possible concealed. 



Regarding the plants generally cultivated in Bombay Ferneries, 

 I shall try in the following sketch to point out those that are most 

 distinctive and most desirable. It has already been remarked that 

 all pillars and posts should be covered with creepers, when possible. 

 The selection for this purpose is fairly varied and great, so it is easy 

 to produce a striking and highly decorative effect. Of all creepers, 

 none is more ornamental, nor more grateful for the shelter offered 

 it by the Fernery, than the beautiful Vitis {Cissus) discolor, which 

 when clothing the pillars from bottom to top with its magnificent 

 velvet-like dark purple elegant leaves, densely blotched with silver- 

 patches and when appending its younger dark red shoots as grace- 

 ful garlands and lovely festoons between the woodwork of the roof, 

 is a truly magnificent object. A beautiful and striking contrast to 

 this is the feathery climbing Selaginella laevigata (sometimes 

 called S. uncinata or S. Willdenowii) in which the horizontal grace- 

 fully drooping fronds vary in colour from the loveliest emerald-green 

 to a beautiful metallic lustrous blue. Bignonia Ruezlii, with small 

 purple leaves, charmingly netted with rose, violet or white, and 



