30I 



will emphasise the new type, produciDg it in more marked 

 lines. It is in this way that many of the finest forms 

 extant have been obtained, though many of the natural 

 "sports" as found have been splendid from the outset. 

 The conscientious student of our British Ferns mindful of 

 these facts can find in every form an absorbing fund of 

 interest in its past pedigree and also its future possibilities 

 and if by a happy chance he has a series of spore sowings 

 in progress, involving such attempts at improvement, his 

 will be a peculiar mind indeed which will not be distracted 

 from war worries while he is inspecting a promising brood 

 of some hundreds, and is detecting here and there the 

 indications of future greatness. 



A further source of interest of almost equally absorbing 

 character for those who are fortunate enough to possess a 

 collection of fine forms under glass, is found in the study 

 of these seedling ferns, which under such conditions arise 

 spontaneously in the pots and pans containing specimen 

 plants. Naturally every season myriads of spores are 

 scattered broadcast from the adult ferns, and given the 

 favouring close conditions of culture, yield numerous 

 varieties, so as to form a veritable hunting ground in 

 one's own premises. 



The large majority of such ''strays " will be found even 

 in the best collections to be of little or no value, since there 

 are certain strains, particularly of Lady ferns, which are 

 not only peculiarly irregular in the offspring they produce, 

 but that offspring is so abundant and so assertive as to 

 become veritable weeds only meritmg the usual weed fate. 

 Here and there, however, prizes crop up derived from the 

 best forms, and as these show their character more or less 

 clearly while still young, careful study and extraction of 

 such, and their transference to special pots or pans to 

 encourage development, is bound in time to increase tne 

 collection with advantage. Under such circumstances we 



