84 



a thin trunk, say, of a foot in diameter only, rising several 

 hundred feet, as with the Sequoias aforesaid. 



Practically, however, when such a fern falls for the 

 reason given, it is still as much alive as ever. It has not 

 died of old age, as do trees proper, and if, with man's 

 assistance, the top foot or two be removed, leaving the 

 crown intact, and be replanted so as to bring the crown 

 again near the soil, it will certainly start afresh, and re- 

 establish itself for another long career. It is, indeed, quite 

 probable, though we have no personal knowledge that it is 

 so, that in the congenial fern paradise of the Antipodes and 

 other favoured regions, the fallen monarchs of the fern 

 forest often do acquire a fresh lease if these crowns in 

 falling come into close contact with the leafy debris 

 covering the soil in which they grow, and so enable a fresh 

 start to be made. These remarks involve a valuable hint 

 to those who grow Tree-ferns, viz. that the trunks require 

 to be constantly moistened and kept humid, since once 

 thoroughly dried the feeding roots of the fronds above 

 would perish, and the fern probably be killed. 



Amongst our native species we have none which, un- 

 assisted, will form a rising trunk, but with assistance, 

 Lastrea psetcdo-mas var. cvistata, appropriately called the 

 *' King of the Male Ferns," will do so, and we have a 

 specimen some thirty years old which has a well-developed 

 trunk nearly 2 feet high. We have said that assistance is 

 required, and that is of two kinds. First of all, the species 

 has a habit of producing young plants from the frond 

 bases, and these must be persistently removed as they 

 appear, otherwise a bush of moderately sized plants is 

 produced, but when removed the main plant, invigorated 

 by non-competition with its assertive offspring, gradually 

 rises, and in time loses this prolific habit. The second aid 

 is afforded by watering the trunk as above indicated, to 

 encourage the aerial root formation. The specimen we 

 have in view as we write, though, of course, small as 



