THE FLORAL WORLD 



GARDEN GUIDE. 



FEBRUARY, 186 7. 



0]Sr SOME NEARLY HAEDY EXOTIC EEENS. 



ANY very laudable efforts have been made of late years 

 to enlarge the selection of plants adapted for opeu-air 

 ferneries, but the results are by no means of an encou- 

 raging nature. It may be said with some truth that the 

 cliaiate of Britain is everywhere unfavourable to ferns, 

 and that, consequently, such as do inhabit our woods must be in a 

 less degree of perfection than is possible for them, and must be 

 some degrees hardier than their nearest allies that are foreign to our 

 soil. Of course I cannot ignore the beauty of our native ferns, and 

 I bear in miud the luxuriant growth of such species as the common 

 Lastrea, common Athyrium, and common Scolopendrium in the 

 " feruy coombes " of Devon. Yet when I compare the best home- 

 grown specimens with examples of the same species from warmer 

 climates, I see plainly enough that none of our native ferns attain 

 with us the highest degree of beauty of which they are capable. 

 It will be remembered by some of our readers that some years ago 

 I directed attention, by means of distinct examples, to the superior 

 beauty of nearly all the British ferns, when carefully cultivated, to 

 the best wild specimens that could be found. There are many 

 reasons why ferns should not be quite at home in Britain; the 

 winters are too severe and prolonged, the springs too cold, the 

 summers too dry. The south-western parts of England are noted 

 for the superior beauty and abundance of ferns, and indeed they are 

 the principal attractions for persons devoted to horticulture and 

 botany to visit Devonshire and Cornwall. The comparatively high 

 state of perfection of all south-western ferns proves the truth of the 

 general remark above made on the general insufficiency of the 

 climatic conditions in this country for the growth of ferns. But 

 compare the ferns of Devonshire with the ferns of the so^th of 

 Europe and the Canary islands ; that is to say, compare examples of 

 the same species respectively grown here and there, and in many 

 instances the difference will be such, that it will require more than a 

 superficial knowledge of the subject to enable an observer to deter- 

 mine their identity. These remarks are not intended to discourage 

 fern- flowers. So far as ferns do attain to perfection in this country, 



