129 



enable this to be overcome by sowing the spores at different 

 times. In any case, the field of experiment is large, the 

 difficulties to be overcome but trifling, whilst any results 

 obtained must be valuable, since, even though crossing 

 resulted in failure, the progeny of such good forms as 

 should only be used, would have their commercial value. 



Chas. T. Druery, V.M.H., F.L.S. 



BRITISH FERNS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE. 



By the Rev. E. H. Hawkins. 



I venture to make a contribution to our " Gazette " on the 

 grounds that I have been a fern-lover for forty years, and 

 further for the past thirty-five years I have been a very 

 constant admirer of those wonderful plants collected and 

 bred by the late Colonel Jones, and which are still under 

 the unremitting care of my good friend jNIr. Harris, super- 

 intendent of the Clifton Zoological Gardens. 



I cannot but think there is a great future for British 

 ferns. Fernists have made their peace with florists and 

 gardeners. It is not now a question of flowers versus ferns 

 — "both are best" — and every garden can provide the 

 proper place for each kind of plant. Gardeners, too, have 

 come to this conclusion. " Monstrosities " are dead, they 

 did much harm before they were relegated to the dust 

 heap. Shewn to the uninitiated as things of beauty and 

 of joy, they quenched any incipient desire of possession. 

 There must be no place for the unshapely things, incon- 

 stant even in their ugliness. We have such a glorious 

 heritage from those who have gone before us, plants 

 which, as Dr. Kingsmill jMoore has rightly said, " never 

 fail to obtain a tribute of lasting admiration." 



Just at first the names are a source of terror and of 

 helplessness to the beginner. A little time and patience 

 get over all this — the dictionary, the lexicon, the school- 



