DowELL: ON THE STUDY OF FERNS 55 
impracticable to study a plant in its natural habitat, the 
plant should be transplanted to a more accessible place, 
where it may be observed repeatedly. This place should 
have as nearly as possible the same conditions under 
which the plant grew in nature. It must not differ too 
much, for if the change in surroundings and conditions 
of growth is too great, the plant may not behave under — 
the observer's care as it si teaase while caida in its more 
natural state 
many of the rock ons our r native 
e sal ae thrive. _— when —— 
-r soil in the garden, not u ; oe 
- sun. Out of about c one hide’ and: od oy 
lants, about forty five of them hybrids, thus trans- 
planted into a small city lot from various places in the 
vicinity of New York, some of the evergreen wood ferns 
have grown thus for six seasons. None of the trans- 
planted ferns have died of their own accord except the 
silvery spleenwort, the Clayton fern, Lygodium, and most 
of the rock ferns. Some of the common ferns spread 
from the rootstock so rapidly that it is difficult to get 
rid of them after they become established, such as the 
sensitive fern, the lady fern, and especially the New York : - : a 
fern and ‘the hay-scented fern. The chief difficulty in 
g¢ has been Lo 
natural conditions. 
ha 
= 
to reproduce a 
e of t oe 
