THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



incisam, are exquisitely beautiful, and, 

 like the species, thrive to perfection 

 in a well-kept case. 



23. Viride. — This light green 

 and elegantly tufted fern grows 

 luxuriantly in a freely ventilated 

 case. It is extremely beautiful and 

 of somewhat rapid growth when en- 

 couraged. Like others of its class it 

 ought to be elevated above the sur- 

 face, both because of its hatred of 

 stagnant moisture, and for the sake 

 of its appearance. The mixture we 

 use for this fern consists of peat and 

 silver sand freely intermixed with 

 hearthstone broken to the size of 

 hazel nuts. Hearthstone and Bath 

 brick are two invaluable materials in 

 fern-growing, and especially for 

 raising ferns from spores. In \he 

 " Handbook of British Ferns," by 

 Mr. Moore, p. 188, he says of this 

 fern : — " On a pile of damp stones, 

 under a bell-glass kept from the sun, 

 it forms a lovely little window or 

 parlour ornament." 



24. Adiantum nigrum. — This is a 

 most beautiful fern when grown in 

 the case, but lose3 much of its beauty 

 when neglected. When protected 

 with glass its neat fronds have a 

 brightness and gloss of the same 

 description as Asplenium bulbiferum, 

 and the growth is rapid and luxuriant. 

 In the open air fernery it thrives if 

 planted in a sheltered, shady nook, 

 where from May to September it 

 should be sprinkled with water 

 daily. The soil should be peaty, 

 and the position well drained. It 

 will grow well in a heap of the small 

 dust and siftings of broken potsherds, 

 and is occasionally met with on ruins 

 where it has little else to live upon 

 than decaying brick, stone, or tile. 

 Acutum is a charming variety for 

 cases ; it has dense, leafy, rich look- 

 ing fronds, in form nearly deltoid, 

 the pinnte being deltoid also, and the 

 indusium is white. Oxyphyllum has 

 oval lance-shaped fronds which have 

 a shiny appearance ; it is a valuable 

 variety for cases and pot-culture. 

 Wariegatum is a really variegated 

 form of obtusatum, the fronds being 

 blotched and striped with white. It 

 is very rare, and hence expensive. 

 A spurious kind, in which the varie- 



gation is the result of the attacks of 

 insects, is sometimes substituted 

 for it. 



25. Ruta muraria rarely succeeds 

 in cases. In the open air rockery it 

 is easily grown if planted in a heap of 

 mixed peat and broken bricks. I 

 fixed a tiny offset in a crevice of 

 one of the piers of an old brick wall 

 in my garden, and it soon made a 

 fine plant, having had no attention at 

 all. It disappeared suddenly ; I 

 suppose it stuck to somebody's 

 fingers ! 



26. Germanicum. — This has no 

 beauty when treated as a single 

 specimen, but when judiciously 

 placed on a ledge of rock in a fern 

 case, its peculiar, almost thread-like 

 outlines and bronze colour render it 

 very acceptable. It is a rather 

 difficult fern to cultivate, and will 

 have a better chance in the fern case 

 than anywhere. The soil should 

 consist of equal parts peat, and 

 bricks or tiles broken to the size of 

 peas. Plant it with the crown 

 visibly above the surface; never wet 

 the crown, and during winter give 

 air occasionally, and at the same 

 time keep the case in a warm room. 

 It is an interesting fern to grow by 

 itself in a pan with a bell-glass over. 

 Raise the soil in the pan in the form 

 of a cone or mound, and during 

 winter take care to remove the glass 

 occasionally, wipe it dry, and re- 

 place it. 



27. Eburneum (Athyrium oxyphyl- 

 lum of Moore). — A fine fern for the 

 centre of a case or for pot culture in 

 a cool house or for a greenhouse 

 rockery. It has purple stipes and 

 rachis, fronds long, triangular, nearly 

 thrice-divided, glossy, purplish green, 

 one and a half to two feet high. Any 

 good fern soil will suit it, and it re- 

 quires no particular care to develop 

 its beautiful characters. 



28. Attenuation. — Acharming com- 

 panion to Camptosorus rhizophyllus. 

 The fronds are prostrate, once- 

 divided, leathery, dark green, and 

 produce young plants at their ter- 

 mination, as in the species j ust named. 

 Being of minute growth, it is best 

 planted in a cocoa-nut husk or shell, 

 or in a pocket in a miniature rockery. 



