56 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Marshall P. Wilder had found Lomaria gibba growing in his 

 pits in the same way. 



George E. Davenport said that although he had collected and 

 studied ferns in the woods and fields, he had never had much 

 experience in their cultivation, not having the facilities of garden 

 or greenhouse, but he was surprised that more attention was not 

 given to the cultivation of our native ferns by those who had. 

 He had seen a line of Osmunda cinnamomea that produced a 

 fine effect, and thought that this and the other species of this truly 

 regal fern might be grown as an edging with great advantage. 

 From a recent experience with the rare Hart's-tongue fern {Scolo- 

 pendrium vidgare), he thought that many of our native ferns 

 might be grown in pots as window plants for the house with 

 ordinary care, 



Charles M. Hovey said that he had been much pleased with Mr. 

 Robinson's paper, and that the subject had been too much ignored. 

 The reason that Mr. Calder had found manure beneficial to his 

 ferns was that he cultivated them in the ground, while English 

 cultivators rarely do. The whole style of cultivation of many 

 plants is different in this country from that adopted in England. 

 Thus one English cultivator has twelve hundred pinks in pots, 

 while we put them in the ground, as we do bouvardias also. Manure 

 is not generally applied to camellias, but Mr. Hove}^ had read of 

 a gardener who had charge of a collection planted in the ground, 

 and dug in manure every year, and they flourished and filled the 

 house. When much manure is used in pots the soil becomes sod- 

 den. Manure would, no doubt, be good for ferns when planted in 

 the ground, and old cow manure, from its cooling nature, would 

 be best. Mr. Calder counteracts any ill effects of manure by the 

 use of lime and charcoal. Ferns naturally flourish best by the 

 sides of brooks. Our native ferns, Onodeas, DicJcsonia, etc., 

 grew naturally in Mr. Hovey's grounds, and, though thoroughly 

 taken out twenty-five years ago, they spring up again whenever 

 the ground is left uncultivated for three or four years, showing 

 that the millions of spores retain their vitality, and grow when the 

 circumstances are favorable. There is no need to cover with 

 glass when fern spores are sown. A gardener of his acquaintance 

 threw fruiting fronds into the water tank and the ferns grew up in 

 the pots watered from it, so that in fact they were weeds. He (Mr. 

 Hovey) had recently erected a fernery, where the ferns are planted 



