Osmunda — Pcsonia. 167 



were proportionally fine. The plants were not drawn 

 up by being planted closely together, but were placed 

 at a fair distance apart, and became handsome and noble 

 specimens. Every spring I apply a dressing of about 

 two inches of rotten manure to the surface, and just 

 cover it with mould for the sake of appearance. The 

 artificial swamp is the admiration of all the visitors here. 

 The plants are always in a healthy and vigorous state, 

 and have none of that half-starved appearance so fre- 

 quently to be seen. The result of my experience induces 

 me to believe that a more liberal treatment would not 

 be found objectionable in the cultivation of many more 

 of our native ferns. I intend making the experiment 

 this season, and may possibly find time to make known 

 what amount of success I may meet with. In con- 

 cluding my remarks upon what I may term ' growing 

 Osmundas under difficulties,' I would observe that the 

 points to be principally attended to are — (1) a deep 

 water-tight and root-tight tank, the depth of which may, 

 with advantage, be more than in the case I have de- 

 scribed ; (2) a rich nutritious soil ; (3) a reasonable 

 amount of water ; and (4) a drain to carry off the 

 surplus." 



*Paeonia tenuifolia. — A charming plant, about i^ ft. 

 or 2 ft. high, with numerous upright stems almost com- 

 pletely hidden by the dense finely-cut leaves, producing 

 an effect which very much resembles that afforded by 

 the foliage of the Ferulas. The flowers are of a deep 

 crimson, or purplish-red, and about 2 £ ins. broad, solitary 

 and erect on the tops of the stems. It does well in 

 almost any soil or position, and might with advantage 



