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FERN EXPERIENCES. 

 W. B. Cranfield. 



I am conscious of having no important facts or discoveries 

 to record, so needs must generalise, in the hope that 

 some chance remark may prove interesting if not instruc- 

 tive. In a collection gathered from many sources, items 

 of interest occasionally crop up, such as the development 

 of a tiny offset or seedling received from a friend, a fresh 

 break in a batch of seedlings, and generally grubbing 

 around is a source of recreation and mild excitement in 

 the absence of hunting facilities. Every season most of 

 us resolve to raise fewer batches of spores, but I fear, as 

 is probably the case with many others, the resolution ends 

 there. An experiment which may prove of interest is a 

 fairly large lot of youngsters raised from Moly's Pol. 

 ang. dccompositum splendens, the reputed parent of the 

 Jones and Fox plumoso divisilohe section. The parent, 

 or reputed parent, passed into my possession with the 

 late Mr. Moly's collection, and when removing it from 

 Charmouth the finder was most insistent that great care 

 should be taken of it as he regarded it as historic. Time 

 alone will demonstrate the accuracy or fallacy of the 

 legend — at present, I can only say there is some diversity 

 apparent in the youngsters. Another sowing from the 

 Polystichum acideatnm foliosum (found by myself at Barn- 

 staple after the meeting in August, 19 12) has given me one 

 crested plant, the others all being alike as two peas, 

 evidently following the parental form. From time to time 

 notes have appeared in the Gazette on fern hunting, and 

 Mr. Roberts' article on his experiences suggests that his 

 want of success may arise from failure to recognise 

 variation in very small plants.''' In this stage a very keen 



* Mr. Roberts has, however, been fortunate in finding P. viilg. 

 Rohertsii, as a very small specimen, and we have a promising form of 

 Asplenium discovered by him as a tiny seedling. — Ed. 



