CHAPTER IV 



DECIDUOUS FERNS 



THERE are some of our most beautiful Ferns which 

 naturally lose all their fronds during the Autumn 

 and remain quite dormant until the Spring ; these are 

 termed deciduous, and in some there is no visible sign 

 of life, while others have a prominent caudex or 

 crown. Growers not aquainted with the habits of 

 Ferns are liable to regard those which show no sign 

 of life as being dead, and consequently throw them 

 away. Mistakes of this kind have come under my notice 

 on several occasions. It will, therefore, be seen that it is 

 of the greatest importance that those who have choice 

 collections of Ferns should be careful to ascertain the 

 natural habits of any that die down, before throwing 

 them away. I may give Adiantum lunulatwn, and Nephro- 

 lepis Bausei as examples where there appears no sign 

 of life after the fronds have died off. Of the former 

 I have found that even with quite small seedlings they 

 will ripen off at the natural period, and come up again in 

 the Spring. And N. Bausei I may mention as one which 

 shortly after it was introduced, it occurred that a whole 

 batch of valuable plants were thrown away by a young 

 man who was ignorant of its habits. All of the de- 

 ciduous Ferns require some care to keep them through 

 the winter, and most of them may be kept in about the 

 same temperature as those which retain their fronds. 

 Of course they will not require much water, but they 

 will perish if allowed to get very dry; it is not a 



