241 



NOTES ON FERNS IN CASES. 



Theee are some few ferns of special 

 importance in our cases which 1 hope 

 to remark upon next month, in con- 

 tinuation of the list commenced at 

 page 189 of the volume for 1864. I 

 hope none of our fern-loving readers 

 will blame me for taking my time 

 about these notes ; should any be 

 disposed to do so, I must remind 

 them that I write the results of 

 experience and observation, 

 and time is an important 

 element in horticultural 

 practice. Here is an ex- 

 ample. In the spring of 

 1862 I received from Mr. 

 Sim a rhizome of newly 

 imported Adiantum reni- 

 forme, and upon this I re- 

 ported at page 192 of last 

 year's volume. A portion of 

 it was kept in an average 

 temperature of 70% and 

 another portion in a case 

 which has no heat either 

 winter or summer. I am 

 enabled now to remark upon 

 the subject, that in an un- 

 healed case Adiantum reni- 

 forme grows tolerably well, 

 keeps in perfect health, and 

 suffers but little during win- 

 ter. The plant in the cool 

 case has just been potted, 

 and it is a very creditable 

 specimen ; the fronds are as 

 large as a shilling, very clean 

 and glossy, and there are 

 about five and twenty of 

 them. The plant in the 

 warm case makes fronds of 

 the size here figured, the 

 figure being an exact por- 

 trait of one of them. 



46. Doodia aspera, — A 

 very beautiful small tufted 

 fern with dark green fronds, 

 which when young are of a 

 rosy crimson hue. Good 

 for greenhouse or case. 



47. Doodia blechnoides: 

 fern, which, when old, has an elevated 

 stem ; the young fronds are rosy. In 

 a case needs plenty of air, and in fact 



ought to be potted for the green- 

 house after being two years in the 

 case from the seed-pan. 



48. Doodia caudata. — A pretty 

 little tufted fern, which is pretty sure 

 to appear in the soil of the case 

 whether intentionally introduced or 

 not. It seeds freely, and wherever ferns 

 are grown it is as common a weed as 

 Pteris serrulata. It is, however, very 



ADIANTUM EKNIFOEME. 



-A fine 



pretty, and every possessor of a fern 

 case should have it. 



49. Doodia lunulata. — A very 

 pretty and very common fern, with 

 spreading, roughish, deep green 



