1 66 Subtropical Gardening. 



robbing them of both soil and water. " A change was 

 then made : a piece of ground, of irregular shape, large 

 enough to contain about 20 plants, was staked out, and 

 the mould, or, more correctly speaking, the chalk, was 

 removed to the depth of 3 ft. ; a bricklayer followed, and 

 put in a floor of three bricks laid on the flat, set in good 

 Portland cement, and over that a layer of plain tiles, 

 the sides being made up to the ground-level with a 

 4^-inch wall, well built up in the same kind of cement ; 

 this made the whole water-tight, and prevented the roots 

 of the surrounding trees from penetrating and robbing 

 the ferns of their moisture. The space was filled up 

 with earth, compounded of good loam, peat, and leaf- 

 mould, in equal proportions, with about one-fifth of 

 good rotten manure added thereto; these ingredients 

 were thoroughly mixed and well trodden in, and then 

 the ferns were planted. In forming this bed, provision 

 was made for the escape of the surplus water, by intro- 

 ducing into the front wall, at about 4 ins. from the 

 bottom, a common 3-in. drain-pipe, which communicated 

 with a small tank, about 3 ft. square, sunk into the 

 chalk, so that all waste water became absorbed. This 

 method proved to be eminently successful, the plants 

 far surpassing in size any I have ever seen under arti- 

 ficial cultivation, and, judging from report, rivalling their 

 growth in their natural habitats. Last season I could 

 boast of Osmunda regalis with fronds at least 8 ft. in 

 length, Osmunda spectabilis 4% ft., Osmunda Claytoniana 

 5 ft., Osmunda cinnamomea 3 ft., and the beautiful Os- 

 munda regalis, var. cristata, 3 ft. in length. Adiantum 

 pedatum grew from 2 ft. to 3 ft. in height, and others 



