THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 145 



other. In both their growth is more than satisfactory, yet there is a 

 decided difference. This is a very interesting fact, discoverable only 

 by keeping two or more distinct collections in the two distinct kinds 

 of soil for some time, and noting the difference, if any. In the cocoa- 

 nut the growth is surprisingly luxuriant and rapid. As an example, 

 a plant of Adiantum cuneatum, turned out of a four-inch pot this time 

 last year, and put in the case containing cocoa-nut, extended itself 

 before winter so as to cover a breadth of fifteen inches each way ; it 

 became, iu fact, too large for its domicile, and several small-growing 

 ferns had to be removed to save their lives, for the adiantum threatened 

 to suffocate them. This present spring the adiantum threw up its new 

 fronds with such vigour as almost to lift up the top glass, and the next 

 thing needful was to take it out, reconstruct the rockery, and plant 

 again so as to allow more head room. A very small plant of Pteris 

 cretica albo lineata, put in late in the summer of 1862, threw up its 

 fertile fronds so vigorously last year that it became needful to peg 

 them down, and this present spring it has been transferred to the 

 centre of a very large case, principally to give it head room, which it 

 must have when it attains to its full characteristic growth. So much 

 for the bright side of cocoa-nut ; or shall I add that it holds moisture 

 tenaciously, never exhibits the slightest trace of any kind of mildew, 

 and has a most pleasiug appearance in the fern-case, its nice brown 

 tint showing up the green of the ferns delightfully. On the other side 

 it must be said against the cocoa-nut that the ferns grown in it are 

 somewhat like those plants in our Lord's parable of " the Sower," 

 which sprang up from seeds sown on the rock and among the thorns, 

 and which, therefore, had no power of durance. I will illustrate this 

 by an experiment. I will remove the top glass from each case, and in 

 an hour's time see what effect a little fresh air has upon the ferns. The 

 hour has elapsed : those in the cocoa-nut dust are, in some instances, 

 half dead and their fronds have fallen like so many rags, and others 

 look slightly flagging, and will evidently be the better for a dewing 

 and immediate shutting up. In the other case, the plants that are 

 rooted iu fibry peat and loamy mixtures are scarcely any the worse for 

 the breath of air that has blown upon them, there is not one in a col- 

 lapsed coudition, and all are evidently of more robust constitution than 

 those that have suffered so severely. But to make the balance as 

 nearly as possible equal, the peaty soil does not produce so luxuriant 

 and rapid a growth. The ferns come to perfection in it, but at a slower 

 pace, and, in case of any accident, as of a square of glass being broken, 

 or of neglect in watering, the ferns in the peat will suffer less than 

 those in the cocoa-nut dust. It follows, I think, from this that the 

 cocoa-nut dust is invaluable for the growth of seedling ferns and to 

 help on young plants till they are of a size to be transferred to a more 

 substantial soil, but that, when a case is planted in such a way that 

 there is no reasonable prospect of it undergoing any alteration for a 

 year or two, a peaty mixture will be preferable to cocoa-nut in every 

 case, if it can be obtained. Having used the cocoa-nut fibre iu ways 

 almost innumerable, I can recommend to fern-growers a mixture of 

 one part good yellow loam with two parts cocoa-nut fibre, the whole 

 thoroughly mixed and almost powdered together. In this mixture any 



