82 THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. [ April, 



snow away from a Scolopendriuin leaf, and enlivening it with the glory of its 

 silvery sheen. And then the winter aconite decks the dying fronds with golden 

 crowns, and the pure snowdrop waves its tiny bells among tufted polypods, or 

 curving Polystichums, or drooping brown masses of Lastreas or Athyriums. 

 Here, again, the violet of all shades of colour peeps forth languidly, dropping 

 down sweetness ; and the primrose springs out boldly from its rough, strong sheaths 

 of lovely green leaves. In other places large masses of Arabises, Aubrietias, 

 and Hepaticas, of forget-me-nots, daisies, single crocuses of the older kinds, 

 daffodils, common Alpine auriculas, polyanthuses, single anemones, wallflowers, 

 and honesty, white and red, may be introduced among the ferns in all directions. 

 In fact, there is hardly any limit to the number of plants that may be artistically 

 disposed amongst ferns. Care must, however, be taken not to introduce very 

 gross feeders, to rob or overshadow them. Within this limit, almost all small- 

 growing herbaceous plants are charming amongst ferns, whether they flower in 

 the spring, or at other times. 



In addition to those already named, most of the Campanulas, Saxifragas. 

 Sedums, Veronicas, Statices, lily of the valley, &c, have a fine effect, nestling on the 

 ground overhung with ferns, or clothing rough blocks of stone towering far above 

 their feathery fronds. Enough, however, has been said to draw attention to the 

 subject, — one that opens up inexhaustible sources of pleasure and happiness to 

 the lover of nature, and the devotee of art. 



One word of caution, to prevent disappointment, and I have done. If the 

 fernery is much overhung with trees, nearly all these flowering plants will require 

 to be propagated annually, and grown on good ground, fully exposed to the sun 

 throughout the summer, and then during winter or early spring transposed in 

 large patches to the fernery, where they will recompense the labour with a sight 

 enough to charm the fair goddess herself ! D. T. Fish, F.B.H.S. 



BOILED LETTUCE. 



OME twenty years ago I was at considerable pains to point out the great 

 importance of the Lettuce tribe, not as salad herbs only, but as veritable 

 vegetables boiled after the fashion of spinach ; but the thing never got to 

 be popular — in fact never appears to have been understood. In the sunny 

 land of Spain, the muleteer makes a breakfast of a bunch of grapes, and a family 

 will make a light supper of Boiled Lettuce. When I compared notes with an 

 eminent Continental gardener in the employ of Prince Borghese, my idea of salad 

 herbs underwent considerable modifications. 



It would not, perhaps, be desirable to go into details of the Continental 

 system of growing salad herbs, or of making dressed salads, prepared with oil 

 and Chili vinegar. Suffice it to say, that with such seasoning (sauce) many herbs 

 would go down sweetly, which our labouring population will not now touch, their 

 ideas of salad being confined to celery and lettuce., dipped into salt and eaten. 



