88 THE WOODLANDS. 



ing it to ashes, make those ashes up into balls with a 

 little water, which they then dried in the sun and 

 made use of to wash their linen instead of soap. It 

 is also certaia that they are, even nowadays, employed 

 for packing fruit ; and it has been stated on good 

 authority, that apples stored for the winter, when laid 

 upon and covered with bracken, are much better pre- 

 served than in any other way. 



The male fern 1 is almost as common, but the 

 plants are less gregarious in their habit. Plants 

 found in woods are seldom so luxurious as those met 

 with in damp sh^dy lanes. In the latter situations 

 fronds will be seen a yard in length, with a rootstock, 

 formed by the remains of the fronds of previous 

 years, standing up six inches above the ground, after 

 the manner of tropical tree-ferns. Young plants trans- 

 planted from woods into gardens, speedily accommo- 

 date themselves to the change, and this requires 

 scarcely any attention thereafter. 



The female fern 2 must be sought in damper situa- 

 tions. 



" Search for her in the summer woods, 

 Where rills keep moist the ground." 



We have seen it growing at the head of Bala Lake 

 with fronds five feet in length, and thirty to forty in 

 a single tuft proceeding from the same root. It is 

 a much more delicately cut and graceful fern than the 

 male fern, but does not always succeed so well when 

 transplanted. Perhaps none is more given to varia- 

 tion under cultivation. Some of the cultivated 

 varieties are wholly unlike the original. Poets have 



1 Lastrea Filix-ma*. 2 Athyrinm Filix-famina. 



