208 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



of the most ornamental of our hardy 

 species. 



P. aculeatum. — 1 to 2 ft. Should be 

 planted in welhdrained sandy loam, and 

 partly shaded. 



P. a. lobatum. — 1 to 2 ft. Very easily 

 grown, and fit either for ornamental rock- 

 work or pot collections. 



P. a proliferum. — 1 to 2 ft. Prefers to 

 be kept in a moderately shady situation. 



P. lonchitis. — i to lj ft. Of shy growth 

 and tardy increase ; may be kept in good 

 health if potted firmly in well- drained 

 soil, and kept in a cool moist frame. 



Scolopendrium vulgare crispum. — 1 to 



IJft. Barren; cultivated in the hardy 

 fernery or pots ; should be planted where 

 the sun's rays do not reach them. 



S. v. rnultifidum. — 1 to 3 ft. Really 

 elegant, hut not characteristic while small. 

 Must not be exposed to the suu, as it spoils 

 its beauty. 



S. v. polychides (angustifolium). — J to 

 1 ft. Pew ferns surpass this if cultivated 

 in the shade. In greenhouses, watering is 

 necessary in warm weather. 



Woodsia ilvensis. — \ to \ ft. Will 

 thrive in the open fernery in a sheltered 

 spot, but in winter must not be surrounded 

 by stagnant soil. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Directions fok Preparing Skeleton- 

 Leaves, etc. — S. A. B. and others. — 

 Select the finest and most perfect speci- 

 mens, and soak them in a large deep 

 vessel ofrain-water ; place it in a sunny 

 spot or other warm situation, and shake 

 it occasionally, but not sufficient to stir 

 up the contents, as that might iDjure the 

 fibres of the leaves. As the water 

 evaporates, fill up with fresh water 

 again, without changing that which re- 

 mains. Be careful of using any chemi- 

 cal in order to assist decomposition, as 

 you will thereby run great risk of 

 injuring the delicate skeleton, which of 

 course you are anxious to keep quite 

 perfect. But if you are impatient of 

 waiting, a few drops of muriatic acid 

 would hasten the destruction of the soft 

 parts. The most usual plan, however, 

 is to soak the leaves in rain-water only, 

 until the skin which envelopes the fibre 

 is quite soft and loose, so that it can he 

 easily removed. The best plan for 

 accomplishing this is to lay each one 

 separately in a plate full of water, and 

 carefully remove the soft parts with a 

 needle, or gentle rubbing with the finger 

 and thumb. Of course, great care must 

 betaken not to break the skeleton ; but 

 with a little practice you will be able to 

 do it easily. As soon e:s the water 

 thickens, so that you cannot well see 

 what you are about, change it, or you 

 will spoil your work. In some cases a 

 piece of soft flannel may be used with 

 advantage ; but the final clearing of 

 pulp from the fibres must be performed 

 with a camel-hair brush. The tine 

 required for steeping them depends upon 



a variety of circumstances, such as the 

 kind of leaf, its age, the time of year, 

 the temperature of the weather,, etc. 

 The leaves of the ivy and holly require 

 soaking for three or four months, while 

 those of the pear, apple, and poplar will 

 be ready in as many weeks ; so tli it it 

 will he necessary for you to use your 

 own judgment, and discover the time 

 each kind of leaf requires Jbr yourself, 

 by examining them occasionally. Of 

 course it will require some patience and 

 perseverance before "first-rate" skeletons 

 can be obtained; but the task is not so 

 difficult but that any one gifted with 

 ordinary patience and medium talent 

 may be able to produce very creditable 

 specimens. The vessel containing the 

 water may be pretty well filled with 

 specimens, as they will not injure each 

 other unless shaken too rudely, but 

 perhaps rather assist in the process of 

 decomposition. It is not advisable to 

 us..' any but full-grown leaves, as the 

 delicate fibres of young ones are likely 

 to decompose with the pulp. The best 

 time for selecting them is therefore about 

 July or August, when they are quite 

 mature, but still vigorous. Great care 

 must be taken to choose only the most 

 perfect, for it is obvious that if any 

 portion of the fibres are injured before 

 you macerate them, it will be impossible 

 to obtain a perfect specimen. Hold 

 your leaf, then, up to the light, and if 

 you can see a crack, or any small spots 

 of decay, throw it away, or your time 

 and trouble will be wasted ; for when 

 once the skeleton is broken, or otherwise 

 injured, all attempts to repair it prove 



