Copyright, 1898, by 

 PbORISTS" PUBUIStllNG GO.. 520-535 Gaxton Building, GIUGAOO. 



Vol. I. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, APRIL 7, 1898. 



No. I '. 



MICROLEPIA HIRTA CRIST AT A. 



Several of the microlepias may safe- 

 ly be listed among the useful ferns, 

 the members of this sub-genus in gen- 

 eral being not only graceful and pret- 

 ty, but also quite easy to manage. 



whole frond is soft to the touch, being 

 more or less downy throughout. Butfor 

 all the softness of the foliage of this 

 fern, it will bear quite a good deal of 

 exposure, providing the plant is 

 abund:intly supplied with water, but 

 if allowed to get thoroughly dry once 



grown in a 24-inch pan. M. hirta cris- 

 tata flourishes in a temperature of 65 

 degrees and also enjoys a rather strong 

 soil, sandy loam with a liberal quan- 

 tity of dry cow manure giving a good 

 result. 



As this plant is not a very deep root- 

 ing species, pans are preferable to pots 

 for large specimens, and these should 

 be well supplied with drainage. The 

 usual method of increasing the stock of 

 this fern is by division of the crowns, 

 the latter being so multiplied that a 

 large number of young plants maybe 

 secured by careful division, and these 

 divisions being potted up into small 

 pots and kept rather close for a time, 

 will soon start away. 



Spores are produced but sparingly 

 until a plant attains considerable size, 

 and consequently are not depended on 

 to the same extent as division. 



W. H. TAPLIN. 



Microlepia Hirta Cristata. 



The special subject of our note, M. 

 hirta cristata. is a free growing fern 

 of very graceful habit; its long, droop- 

 ing fronds being finely divided and the 

 tips much crested. The stems are quite 

 downy, and inclined to straw color, 

 though varying somewhat according to 

 the condition of the plant, and the 



or twice its usefulness is gone for a 

 time at least. As an exhibition plant 

 this fern is excellent, its pale green 

 fronds being very effective, and in a 

 good specimen the pot or pan in which 

 it is grown will be almost entirely 

 veiled by the abundant foliage, a plant 

 5 to 6 feet in diameter having been 



OUR LONDON LETTER, 



[From our London Correspondent.] 



Spring is dawning again in the Brit- 

 ish Isles as these notes are being writ- 

 ten. Crocuses give glints of brilliant 

 color to the London parks and the 

 grassy slopes of the Royal Gardens, 

 Kew, where during the past few years 

 hardy plants have been grouped and 

 massed in effective ways. The past 

 winter has been phenomenally mild, 

 almost summer-like in its warmth and 

 sunshine, but a cold snap in late Feb- 

 ruary fortunately checked the opening 

 buds. 



A Splendid New Anthurium. 



This is a delightful acquisition to 

 the many fine anthuriums in our gar- 

 dens. It was shown by Sir Trevor Law- 

 rence. Bart., at the February meeting 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society, and 

 has large, bold, shining spathes of a 

 salmon-red color, a pleasing and un- 

 common shade. It is not one of those 



