76 THE BOOK OF FERN CULTURE 



America took up their culture for market, and they have 

 proved so valuable that at the present time there are no 

 other Ferns receiving more attention. The greatest 

 advance is found in the crested and multifid varieties of 

 N. exaltata, the original species, which in America is 

 known as the " Boston Fern " or " Bostonensis," either as 

 a pot plant or for suspended baskets there is no other Fern 

 that is more appreciated. It is remarkable that this 

 rarely comes true from spores, yet we have many 

 varieties, which are, chiefly, sports. N. Piersoni was one 

 of the first of these, and was introduced from America 

 only a few years ago. When first introduced it was the 

 admiration of all Fern-lovers, and is now extensively 

 grown, but we have since had many further improve- 

 ments. In the Spring of 1906 we had N. elcgantissima, 

 another American variety. Then in the Autumn Messrs 

 T. Rochford & Sons gave us N. Todaoides, which is one 

 of the most beautiful we have. This was raised at 

 Messrs Rochford's Nurseries. And in the Spring of 

 1907 we had N. Whitman^ another with multifid feather- 

 like fronds. N. exaltata superbissima : this is the latest 

 introduction from America; it is a very dense plumose form. 

 The plants which arrived in November 1907 gained a 

 first-class certificate from the Royal Horticultural 

 Society ; there are also others being added. The last 

 two named varieties appear to be the best. Then we have 

 .N. Scotti, which is more compact than the type. In the 

 crested varieties N. superba, which is given as a variety 

 of exaltata, but which appears to be more nearly related 

 to ensifolia or rufescens, is one of the finest. This came 

 from Messrs H. B. May & Sons, who have given us 

 several other good varieties, N. pectinata caniculata being 

 one of the most remarkable. The fronds grow nearly 

 erect, the pinnules, which curl back towards the point, 

 each have a tuft of hairy filaments on the surface. 

 Several good crested varieties have been raised from 



