58 AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL 
fern leaf which demonstrates that freak forms occurred 
in the past as well in modern times. The leaf in ques- 
tion represents a once-pinnate type but shows in some 
of its pinnae a second grade of division, a variation 
which is very common in certain forms of Nephrolepis, 
the genus to which the Boston fern belongs. 
FERNS AS WEEDS. Farmers’ Bulletin number 687 
deals with the “Eradication of ferns from pasture lands 
in the eastern United States.”” Two of our friends are 
noted as especially troublesome, viz., Dennstaedtia 
punctilobula and Pteridium aquilinum. Three others, 
Onoclea sensibilis, Dryopteris thelypteris, and Osmunda 
cinnamomea, are named as sometimes troublesome. 
Dennstaedtia is the most frequent fern weed in eastern 
states; Pteridium in the west. The brake usually occu- 
pies clearings in the Adirondacks though the Jand in 
this case was probably not being used for any stock. 
Two main methods of eradication are urged: first by 
spraying with salt or other plant poison solution; second 
by repeated mowing, two or three times being ordinarily 
enough. Another method suggested is really a combina- 
tion of these two and consists of sprinkling salt for stock 
among fern growths. In their eagerness for the salt 
the cattle would practically destroy the leaf growth of 
the ferns, but there would be also some loss in salt 
which the cattle would be unable to get. 
Rutu Houtpen: Tur ANATOMY OF A HYBRID EQUISE- 
TUM.! 
A preliminary note on this subject by the author was 
mentioned in an earlier number of the Fern JOURNAL. 
1Am. Jour. Bot. 2: 225. May 1915. 
