270 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



it a considerable proportion of moderate-sized nuggets. "Wireworm 

 is frequently found in rotten turf, and therefore it is important to 

 keep a sharp look-out for it while the compost is being mixed and 

 turned about, as if suffered to remain in it speedy destruction will 

 follow, one insect being able to destroy a plant in a few hours, as it 

 will either cut it thrpugh at the root, or eat its heart out. Slugs and 

 snails are great pests to the pansy-grower, and must be well looked 

 after ; a good plan for keeping them away is to water the bed late of 

 an eveuiug in moist weather with lime-water, sprinkling the surface 

 pretty thickly with fresh wood-ashes. 



The pansy is subject to a disease which occurs about June and 

 July, when the plants suddenly appear sickly, turn yellow-spotted, 

 and die in the course of eight or ten days ; this disease has received 

 various names, as root-rot, decline, etc., but both cause and remedy 

 remained for a long time undiscovered. However, it has at length 

 been pretty satisfactorily proved to be caused by the depredations of 

 a small brownish-coloured worm, about the thickness of a small silk 

 thread, and about half an inch in length, which eats the cuticle or 

 skm from off the roots, thereby causing death. However, these little 

 rascals may now be very satisfactorily managed, as they have been 

 found to be great lovers of potatoes, and therefore are easily trapped. 

 Scoop out Bome potatoes in the form of a cup, and immediately after 

 planting insert them just beneath the surface of the ground; the 

 worms will feed on them greedily, and the traps may be looked at 

 periodically, and ihe marauders slain. Where these little pests 

 abound, great numbers of them may be killed in a single day by 

 means of these very simple and effectual traps. 



All that is said above respecting the " show" varieties applies to 

 what are called " fancies." These last are becoming great favourites 

 on account of their splendid colours, grotesque and sometimes comi- 

 cal burlesques of the " human face divine," and their continuous and 

 attractive flowering. Asj^ou have abandoned the rule of avoiding all 

 mention of the names of traders (so at least I am informed) I will 

 add that the most noted dealers in pansies are Messrs. Downie, 

 Laird, and Laing, of Edinburgh and Forest Hill, London. 



USEFUL EESN YAEIETIES. 



ADAPTED FOE SMALL lEENEEIES UNDER GLASS AND IN THE 



OPEN AIE. 



jlHE following notes have been suggested by a perusal of 

 Mr. Sun's '■ Descriptive Catalogue of British Ferns," 

 which may be obtained fi'om Mr. Sim, of Foot's Cray, 

 Kent, by transmitting six stamps. My own collection 

 of varieties of British Ferns includes many hundreds of 

 the very best, and tliese notes are the result of frequent observation 

 and comparison amongst them. 



To take them alphabetically, we must begin with Asplenium, 



