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ductive system, inducing reversions at one time and 

 adherence to parental type at another. Years ago Mr. 

 Whitwell accidentally raised a number of very dwarf ramo- 

 cristate plants of Lastvca propinqna in a sowing of Blechnum 

 spores, and these were so diverse from any fern in his 

 possession that their genesis has always been a puzzle. 

 On a visit, however, this season to Messrs. H. B. May's 

 nursery we saw a large batch of precisely similar dwarf 

 plants, all of which had originated from a registered sowing 

 of L. pvopinqua crispa, which is neither dwarf nor ramo- 

 cristate, the parental fern not appearing at all. The genesis 

 of Mr. Whitwell's batch is thus established, but why two such 

 diverse batches should appear at long intervals and not at 

 all in the interim is as great a puzzle as the original one, 

 and must apparently depend upon some seasonal influence 

 which only occurs at intervals. These examples, however, 

 lie a little apart from the moral this article is intended to 

 inculcate, viz. that only thorough-bred symmetrical and 

 constant forms and not sub-varieties or defective types, 

 should be used for selective purposes or given names which 

 will leave an impression of value on the minds of fern 

 students. 



Members of the "curio" tribe, unless beautiful as well, 

 should be ignored (except as souvenirs) when found wild. 

 That it is only the best which will engender the best is 

 the motto to be adopted, and whether mentally formulated 

 or not, it embodies the principle that has raised our 

 British Ferns to their present elevation as embracing some 

 of the most beautiful Ferns the world has produced. 

 Half a century ago popular taste for them was, if not 

 killed entirely, rendered entirely dormant, by the 

 exhibition of " monstrosities," whose very defects 

 were made the subject of high encomiums and high 

 prices to fit, while the small comparative number of 

 " thorough-breds " were lost in the crowd. To-day the 

 latter, thanks to enthusiastic collectors and cultivators, are 

 so numerous that the case is entirely reversed, but still we 



