Francis's Analysis of British Ferns. 221 



accuracy, and for its cheapness. The engravings, which, as the 

 titlepage expresses, exhibit every species and variety, are exe- 

 cuted with extraordinary accuracy and beauty, by the author 

 himself, from specimens in his possession. The follovi^ing 

 remarks on the soil, geography, and culture of ferns will 

 interest every gardener : — 



" Geography. — The distribution of the ferns in Britain offers nothing 

 peculiar. They abound chiefly in the more woody and moist countries, are 

 rarely found growing upon chalk, nor, except two species, near the sea : some 

 affect the highest mountainous situations, others only swampy valleys. Our 

 larger species luxuriate on the banks of ditches, in shady lanes ; while the 

 smaller and more filmy kinds are generally found in situations diametrically 

 opposite to these, as on ruins, old walls, &c. As the latter stations cannot be 

 natural to any plants whatever, we are bound to look for their real habitats 

 in situations similar to these artificial ones, as on rocks and lofty banks ; and 

 here we find all our delicate species furnished with very long roots, to run 

 into the interstices of the crags. Moisture and shade are equally necessary to 

 all the fern tribe ; they grow, therefore, for the most part in northern aspects, 

 and on damp porous stones. 



" Soil and Culture. — The soil which appears to agree best with the ferns 

 is a mixture of leaf mould or bog earth, and sandy loam. There is some 

 difficulty in transplanting them with success, and they are very impatient of the 

 knife; so much so, that the common brakes may be entirely eradicated by 

 cutting down the fronds as they arise for three or four years in succession. 

 The species of Polypodium, Cistopteris, Scolopendrium, Blechnum, Pteris, 

 and most of the genus Aspidium and Asplenium, when once established in a 

 garden, thrive well in the borders or on rockwork. Their place of growth 

 must not be too exposed ; yet few plants suffer more from a contaminated at- 

 mosphere than this tribe. Cryptogramma crispa, Grammitis Ceterach, Aspi- 

 dium Lonchitis, Asplenium lanceolatum, marinum, viride and septentrionale, 

 seem to languish for their native freedom. They require the shelter of a 

 frame or green-house to compensate for the purity of the air of their lofty or 

 exposed homes. 



"Ferns are easily propagated from the spores, nothing more being necessary 

 than putting into a garden pot some stones or broken rubbish to within two 

 inches of the top, covering these with an inch in depth of very finely sifted 

 sandy loam, and then sowing the spores upon it, covering the whole with a 

 flat piece of glass, and placing it in a green-house. 



" Virtues. — The uses of the ferns ai'e not very conspicuous. Their bitter 

 principle renders them unpalatable to all creatures. Neither men nor brutes 

 employ any species as an article of food, unless driven by the necessity of 

 hunger ; and even the little insects that infest the herbaria refuse to prey upon 

 them. They are not, however, wholly useless either in medicine or the arts. 

 Their nauseous taste renders them efficacious in expelling intestinal worms : 

 some of them have been used as a substitute for hops in brewing, and with 

 better success than most other plants, on account of the tannin and gallic acid 

 they contain precipitating the feculent matter in the wort. The same con- 

 stituent principle renders them also serviceable in preparing kid and other 

 light leathers; and they yield much comparatively pure potass when burnt. 

 The dried fronds of the common brakes are valuable to pack fruit in, and, as 

 they retain moisture less, are much better than straw to shield garden plants 

 from frost. Except for these uses, the British ferns have been little em- 

 ployed, unless, indeed, for those purposes to which most plants, when dry, are 

 available; namely, for thatch, for fodder, and for fuel." 



