15 



-I 



serious set-off against a chronicle of success. Doubtless my 

 little plants pined for their native air, at any rate they 

 refused to respond to my blandishments. A very good 

 reproduction of this little fern may be found on page 89 of 

 "The Book of British Ferns." 



Avery closely allied Fern — the Rusty-back Fern, or scaly 

 Spleenwort — (Asplenium Cetevach or C.officinavum) does very 

 well next door, so to speak, to the beautiful incisum. 



I have two specimens in similar sized pots, one from 

 Monmouthshire and one from Middlesex, and but for the 

 labels I could not distinguish between them. That this 

 fern has a Middlesex habitat is, I hope and believe, known 

 to very few. These plants are potted in similar compost 

 to the phunose spleenwovt, with a liberal addition of limestone 

 chips. 



Of all the Ferns T am acquainted with, my fancy goes to 

 the true British Maidenhair [Adiantum CapiUus-venevis) and 

 its varieties. I am particularly partial to one known as 

 imhvicatiim, a name sufficiently indicative of its overlapping 

 pinnae, and more or less plumose character. 



It appeals to me further, because I have two or three 

 interesting plants which were raised from spores ten years 

 ago. 



Oh ! how the time flies ! The fact that this Fern some- 

 times produces sovi was emphasized in i8gg, when a 

 correspondence was being conducted in Tlie Gavdenevs' 

 Chronicle, concerning its non-fertility. Mr. Druery main- 

 tained the contrary — and Mr. Druery was right. The 

 results on my rockery are proofs positive of its fertile 

 character, and although the summer growths are some- 

 times marred by winter's chills it still persists. As a 

 matter of fact, all the Maidenhairs require a warmer 

 temperature than a cold house affords. 



This Fern is particularly responsive to a little heat — 

 hence, I have come across it once or twice in good con- 

 dition in warm greenhouses. 



I have also in association with this a slight variety from 



