I860.] ON NATURE-PRINTING. 305 



think, from that of every other British fruit. Perhaps the scarcity 

 of fruit upon the Cloudberry may be attributed to the remark- 

 able character of the present season. All the strawberries in the 

 gardens of our village have (as the gardeners term it) gone blind, 

 and so it is with the Rubus Chamcemorus. . . . W. P. 



Z/landderfel, July, 1860. 



ON NATUEE-PEINTING. 

 British Ferns, Nature-printed. 



Nature-printed Ferns is something novel and attractive, and 

 proves that art is doing much in this way for our instruction. 

 In looking over these volumes of Ferns printed, some persons 

 might at first view be almost inclined to take them for realities. 

 It is fortunate that this class of plants, from their peculiar form 

 and structure, is suitable for being thus represented ; it would be 

 impossible, with success, to subject our wild-flowers to the same 

 process. The Ferns are now becoming not only interesting, but 

 very fashionable as objects of study, particularly by ladies, who 

 are the first to admire all such as partake of grace and beauty ; 

 and the present volumes will be very useful to those artists who 

 prefer taking drawings from copies, instead of seeking for the 

 originals. We hope, however, that this attractive work will not 

 become a substitute for natural Ferns, nor in the least prevent 

 the fern-collector seeking them in their native localities, nor 

 permit him to neglect what is more important still, — the inti- 

 mate study and investigation of their habit, structure, and pecu- 

 liarities. 



It must be remembered that these nature-printings are but 

 one-sided portraits of the originals, after, not to the life ; and the 

 most we can derive from them is the advantage of correct forms 

 of the under side of the fronds. The process of printing is thus 

 described by Messrs. Bradbury, the patentees : — " A plant, by 

 pressure, is made to transfer, or so to speak, engrave itself into a 

 plate of metal ; impressions printed from which represent the 

 size and form of the plants, with all the minutest details of its 

 identification." 



The letter-press descriptions are by an able hand, and give 

 what is required. 



N. S. VOL. IV. 2 R 



