EXPERIENCES WITH A FerRN GARDEN ut 
during the last week in July, the majority not ripening 
until the middle of August. Some fronds appear in 
August and these are sterile or only parily fertile. 
In September, 1911, I transferred a marsh fern from 
a small marsh, where its rootstocks were buried in mud, 
to my fern bed; and in spite of the drier situation, it 
flourishes and multiplies, forming a close stand and 
spreading outward on all sides. In 1915, a few crosiers 
showed their green heads as early as March 27, but the 
sterile fronds usually begin growing about April 23, 
while the narrower fertile ones appear during the latter 
part of July and early in August, the dark brown or black 
Spore cases ripening during the latter half of August. 
The male fern is not found in this part of the country, 
so I bought a plant for my fern garden, in May, 1911; 
and it grows beautifully. Several young plants formed 
on the side of the original rootstock. I transplanted 
One of these in September, 1914, and I now have two 
splendid clumps of fronds. The younger fronds around 
the outside of the plant begin to grow about April 24, 
but those on the oldest part of the original rootstock 
usually do not appear until the first week in May, but 
in 1913 they actually delayed their coming until May 
20 and the first ones of these were mostly stunted and 
Poorly formed. Probably as a result of this poor growth, 
the fern fruited sparingly and the spores did not ripen 
ull the middle of July; but in following years the fruit 
ripened during the second week in June, the violet- 
Purple sori with their blackish brown sporangia pre- 
Seniing a beautiful appearance, looking like two rows of 
Cmaments and closely resembling the fruit dots of the 
marginal shield fern in color, but not in position. The 
first fronds are mosily fertile, but fertile and sterile 
fronds, some of them only parily fertile, continue to 
’ppear late in June and in July. The indusia are pale 
yellow before the ripening stage begins. 
