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this and the manuring I attribute the splendid growth 

 that resulted, and the very few losses of plants sustained. 



Mr. Druery, Dr. Stansfield, Mr. T. E. Henwood and 

 others who have kindly paid me a visit, expressed them- 

 selves as much impressed with my collection and the 

 growth attained in the few months that the plants have 

 been in their present position. I know there is a great 

 divergence of opinion about the use of stimulants lor 

 P'erns, but judging from the results in my garden and also 

 previously at Furness Abbey, where I used spent hops 

 freely — but which, unfortunately, I cannot procure here — 

 I am convinced Ferns will do well and luxuriate under a 

 generous treatment. 



I now come to the glass, where I positively had to hack 

 my way through the rampant rubbish that had taken 

 possession of the houses. I actually had to dig out four 

 ash trees, three of which had reached the top glass. 

 Unfortunately, the houses were not structurally fitted for 

 beds, as in the case of Mr. Kenwood's at Reading. So it 

 had to be pots, and pots it is. The houses were thoroughly 

 cleaned out, an apricot tree absolutely smothered with scale, 

 dug up and burnt, and other rubbish followed the same fate 

 in due course. New shelves were fitted, the staging covered 

 with corrugated iron, and this thickly coated with silver 

 sand, the pots being placed upon this as they were filled. 

 All the species were carefully studied as regards the 

 compost given to them, and bone meal formed one of the 

 staple manures. Quickly three houses were filled with 

 Polypodmms mainly, but Asplenia, Blechmuns, the better 

 Athyrmms, choice Scolopendviiuns, ditto Polystichums, Gracil- 

 limiim Druevy making a noble specimen. ]\Iy new P, 

 Dryopteris phimosum, etc., are well represented. 



Then came the turn of my sporelings, of which I had a 

 goodly number. A peach border was treated to a heavy 

 dressing of six inches of fine compost, and into this a large 



