22 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



trout make when they leap for flies, and the soft nourishing vapour 

 that rises day and night amongst their shining fronds. Yes, it is 

 upon slopes mostly that ferns love to grow ; in places where water 

 rarely lodges, hut where moisture is abundant, and there is some 

 shade against the noonday summer sun. Note all you see of the 

 whereabouts and ways of your favourites, and you will find that 

 there is a better book on fern-growing than the one you are now 

 reading — it is the Book or Nature. 



If you cannot go collecting you may be able to dip into the 

 tempting basket of the itinerant fern vendor, who is sure to be able 

 to supply you with the Male fern, or Lastrea filix mas, which is 

 the hardiest of all, and will grow almost anywhere ; the Hard fern, 

 or Blechnum spicant ; the harts-tongue fern, or Scolopendrium vul- 

 gare ; and the Lady fern, or Athijnwm filix fcemina, of which there 

 is one beautiful variety (Acrocladon), which is sometimes referred 

 to as the " Queen of the Lady Ferns," a title of which it is well 

 worthy, indeed its exquisite foliage is unequalled in the whole range 

 of British botany. "You must not, however, expect to readily obtain 

 this variety from the itinerant vendor, as at the present time it is 

 at once the rarest and most remarkable of the British species. With 

 these four you can make a good begiuning. It is usual to construct 

 the outdoor fernery of some sort of "rockwork," aud for two good 

 reasons : first, because the forms and hues of ferns are more 

 effectually displayed when their bright green tufts rise out of grey 

 stones or dark burrs from the brick kiln ; second, because they 

 thrive better, when planted in gardens, if their roots are protected 

 from excessive evaporation by the covering of the soil with stones 

 and vitreous masses. Many a tiny fernery do we see in our travels 

 placed at the entrance to country villas and cottages, where we 

 should never think of placing them, yet they look quiet and 

 pleasing, and suggest to all passers-by that those who plauted them 

 did their best to vindicate the quiet beauties of God's great harvest, 

 knowing that for more demonstrative forms of vegetable splendour 

 vindication was unnecessary. When little ferneries like these are 

 constructed, only the commonest and most robust-growing ferns 

 should be planted in them. Generally speaking, the common soil 

 of the place will do, but if a quantity of leaf-mould or cocoa-nut 

 fibre can be mixed with it the better. If there is any doubt about 

 the soil of the place being suitable, get some sandy or peaty earth 

 from a common where ferns and heather are found in plenty, and 

 have enough to raise the position above the general level, then 

 cover it with stones or burrs, and plant the ferns between. There 

 are sorts well adapted for this simplest form of fernery, namely, the 

 four just named, as likely to be found in the fern-dealer's basket, and 

 the following: — the Bracken or Brake, Pteris aquilina; the Broad 

 Prickly Buckler fern, Lastrea dilatata; the royal Osmund, Osmmida 

 regalis ; the common Polypody, Polypodium vulgare ,• the Common 

 Shield fern, PolysticTium aculeatum. Many more may be added if 

 the soil is a mellow, friable yellow loam, with plenty of sand in it, 

 but it will be well to get a little used to ferns before launching out 

 into grand speculations. When you have had some practice in this 



