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a less extent. The Old World has relatively but few species, 
perhaps reaching their greatest development in Asia and the 
Malayan region, with Australia and the adjacent islands, in- 
cluding New Zealand, taking second place; Africa, including 
Mauritius and other islands, has a smaller representation. It is 
in tropical America, however, that they are to be found in the 
greatest profusion, for it is probable that more species occur there 
than in all the other regions put together. They inhabit, as a 
rule, mountain ravines. 
Their successful culture requires, excepting for a few species, 
a hot, humid, confined atmosphere and plenty of shade. These 
conditions being present they will thrive and grow rapidly, and 
no plants in cultivation are more imposing and graceful than are 
these, a collection of them always exciting public admiration. 
In our collection there are at present about thirty kinds of tree 
ferns, represented by about one hundred and thirty specimens. 
It must be remembered that a tree fern is not always tall, for any 
fern which develops a well-defined aérial trunk comes under that 
category, even if the trunk is but sig to twelve inches high. Many’ 
of the Zomartas, of which there are a number on one of the side 
benches in this house, are tree ferns, and are but aires ex- 
amples of their giant relatives in the center of the hou 
mong the larger tree ferns in the collection is a specimen of 
Alsophila australis, a native of Australia. This is the most com- 
manding plant in the collection, and looms up well above the 
others, as shown in the illustration accompanying this article. 
nother noteworthy plant is an excellent specimen of Czbotium 
Schiedet, a native of Mexico. Its large drooping fronds, with 
their pendulous pinnae, form a graceful and attractive feature in 
one corner of the center bed. The base of the petioles is cov- 
ered with a rank growth of long tow-like hairs. Dicksonia Ant- 
arctica, from Australia and Tasmania, is repr resented by several 
australis, referred to above, is another tall tree fern, from Porto 
Rico. This was so long delayed in transit that it received a 
check and it was several months before it made a start, It is 
