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do in winter. They seem the type of hardiness 

 and longevity, and mask the loneliness of the 

 leafless trees. 



Every one knows and admires the maiden- 

 hair (Adiantum pedatum), its fragile, polished 

 stem supporting its delicate lace-work of foliage. 

 Erroneously supposed to be difficult to cultivate, 

 the maiden-hair, nevertheless, takes quite kindly 

 to cultivation when placed amid congenial sur- 

 roundings and allowed time to become estab- 

 lished. Two among medium - sized " ferns 

 Cystopteris fragilis and C. bulbifera deserve 

 a place on the front edge of the fernery. If the 

 former has a fault, it is the early discoloration of 

 the fine fronds. But it is one of the most grace- 

 ful of its tribe, as well as one of the most for- 

 ward to clothe with green the bases of trees in 

 the woods of early spring. C. bulbifera is less 

 common, but very prolific where it occurs a 

 delicate fern, with long, slender, arched fronds. 

 I have found this troublesome in the rock-gar- 

 den, on account of its coming up almost every- 

 where soon after being introduced. 



There are numerous other desirable species, 

 of large and medium habit, that may appropri- 

 ately find a place in the hardy fernery ; but, for 

 all ornamental purposes, a sufficient variety may 

 be obtained by those already specified, without 



