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the choice specimens were completely overgrown. The 

 task completed, the resources of Charmouth were not equal 

 to supplying crates and cases in which to pack the speci- 

 mens, and I had to go to Lyme for china crates and 

 cases in which to pack the ferns. A quantity of apparently 

 dead crowns were packed in sacks, a local trolly was engaged, 

 and a railway truck chartered, which in due course 

 arrived at Enfield, In a weak moQient I decided to pot 

 the whole lot, as being the simplest method of dealing with 

 them, but although from time to time I have started on 

 some tough propositions, I can safely say that this was, in the 

 slang of the day, the frozen limit. Hundreds of pots 

 varying in size from large 48 to 12 in., were filled and 

 carried on hand-barrows distances varying from 70 to 

 100 yards, and stood in rows on either side of walks 

 through a spinny bordering the garden. The task 

 accomplished, the Editor was invited to inspect the 

 result, and whilst revelling in some of the specimens, did not 

 enthuse over the handiwork, pointing out that in many 

 cases sufficient of the aged caudices had not been 

 removed, and expressing doubts as to whether many 

 would survive the ordeal, having regard to their weak 

 condition. Permanent quarters having been prepared 

 during the winter, the following spring they were planted 

 out, thus receiving a double check. In the result a few of 

 the most robust started with vigour, some made feeble 

 growth, a frond or two only appearing, and in the majority 

 of cases no sign of life was visible. After repeated 

 consultations it was decided that nothing short of drastic 

 surgical operations would save or prolong life, and once 

 •decided on it was carried into effect without delay. 



The crowns were dug up, and with strong knives the old 

 bases were cut away until signs of life were found in the 

 caudex ; in many cases crowns 12 inches round were 

 reduced to the size of a champagne cork, the fragment thus 

 obtained was inserted in a thumb pot plunged in a bed of 

 cocoa fibre and covered with a small glass tumbler, and 



