September 29, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



239 









WEEKLY 



CALENDAR. 















Day 



of 



Month 



Day 

 of 



Week. 



SEP. 29— OCT. 5, 1870. 



Average Tempera- 

 ture near London. 



Rain in 



last 

 4S years. 



Sun 

 Rises. 



Sun 



Sets. 



Moon 

 Rises. 



Moon 



Sets. 



Moon'B 

 Age. 



Clock 

 after 

 Sun. 



Day 



of 



Year. 



29 

 33 

 1 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 5 



Th 



F 



S 



Sun 



M 



Tu 



W 



Michaelmas Day. 



Cambridge Michaelmas Term begins. 

 16 Sunday afteb Teimty. 



Royal Horticultural Society, Fruit, Floral, 

 [and General Meeting. 



Dav. 

 65.5 

 65.0 

 634 

 64.4 

 63-7 

 63.7 

 60.5 



Night. 

 44.3 

 43.3 

 44.7 

 43.9 

 41.5 

 42.4 

 40.3 



Mean. 

 549 

 54.2 

 54.1 

 54.1 

 52.6 

 53.1 

 50.4 



Days. 

 26 

 24 

 21 

 19 

 16 

 21 

 21 



m. h. 

 58af5 

 69 5 

 1 6 

 3 6 

 5 6 

 7 6 

 9 6 



m. h. 

 43 af 5 

 41 5 

 40 5 

 88 5 

 35 5 

 82 5 

 30 6 



m. h. 

 19ifll 



after. 

 45 1 

 44 2 

 81 S 



5 4 

 34 4 



m. h. 

 16 af 8 

 57 8 

 47 9 

 46 10 

 52 11 

 morn. 

 2 1 



Days. 

 4 

 5 



7 

 8 

 9 

 10 



m. s. 

 9 40 

 10 

 10 19 

 10 88 



10 56 



11 15 

 11 33 



272 

 273 

 274 

 275 

 276 

 277 

 278 



From observations taken near London during the last forty-three years, the average day temperature of the week is 63.7°, and its night 

 temperature 42 9'. The greatest heat was 80°, on the 5th, 1884; and the lowest cold 23°, on the 29th, 1842 ; and 30th, 1686. The greatest 

 fail of rain was 1.03 inch. 



CLIMBING FERNS.— No. 1. 



HERE are a few Ferns to be met with in ! 

 cultivation which do not in the maj ority of col- i 

 lections display their beauties to the greatest 

 advantage ; I allude to those few species of 

 scandent habit belonging to several genera, | 

 many of which have the power of extending 

 their fronds to an indefinite length. That 

 these plants do not lack beauty I am positive, j 

 because I have grown all the kinds here 

 enumerated into good specimens, yet how 

 seldom do we see them properly treated ; and let me add, j 

 in passing, these very plants can be made prominent i 

 objects in a fernery, diversifying its features, enhancing 

 considerably its beauty, and thus increasing its interest. 

 With the hope, therefore, that a few remarks upon these 

 climbing Ferns may not be unwelcome, I purpose briefly 

 describing the various species, and the best method of 

 cultivating them, commencing with the genus 



LTGODIUM. 



As a genus this is characterised by its twining scandent 

 fronds, which have the peculiarity of extending themselves 

 to an indefinite length ; the pinnae are usually in pairs or 

 »re palmately lobed, but sometimes they are pinnatifid ; 

 the veins are forked and free, the sporangiferous receptacle 

 is situated at the margin ; and the sori stand out beyond 

 the edges like little spikes, giving the fruiting fronds a dis- 

 tinct and very handsome appearance. In a state of nature 

 these plants are mostly found growing in stiff loamy soil, 

 and nearly always in the vicinity of shrubs or low bushes, 

 over and through which their fronds are laced and twisted, 

 draping their supporters with an exquisite mantle of bright 

 green. In cultivation I have found Lygodium thrive well 

 potted in two parts peat, two parts loam, and one part leaf 

 mould and sand together. In potting, great care must be 

 taken to prevent any accident happening to the drainage. 

 Most of the species enjoy stove heat, and require a liberal 

 supply of water, although some kinds will grow in a green- 

 house temperature. A custom prevails with some Fern 

 growers of cutting off the fronds of Lygodium quite level 

 with the pot every spring ; this, many say, makes them 

 grow stronger, but nothing can be more directly in oppo- 

 sition to all natural laws, and I firmly believe it is only an 

 excuse for hiding carelessness in the shape of scale-infested 

 fronds ; depend upon it the best plan is to remove pinnae 

 or fronds only when they become unsightly, and if ordinary 

 care be taken in cultivation this necessity will not occur 

 frequently. 



L. japonicum. — The fronds of this species grow to a 

 eonsiderable length, and that very rapidly. "When trained 

 up and round the pillars of a Fern house, or indeed an 

 ordinary stove, it produces a most beautiful effect, and it 

 succeeds equally well trained along a rafter, or when used 

 to form a screen for covering a wall ; in either of these 

 positions this plant is able to develope its beauties and 

 display its true character, which is not the case when it 

 is grown upon small trellises. Another use to which the 

 fronds of this species are admirably adapted is for twining 



No. 4S6.— Vol. XIX., New Sertt.h. 



round the stems of epergnes for the decoration of dinner- 

 tables, &c, and I think I may safely venture to say that 

 for this purpose it would be extremely difficult to find its 

 equal for elegance and simplicity. The fronds of L. japon- 

 icum are branched, and the pinnae are palmately lobed, 

 whilst upon the apex of each lobe is situated a little spike 

 of dark brown sori, which contrast beautifully with the 

 bright green of the frond. This species will thrive in a 

 comparatively cool temperature, and it seems to be ex- 

 tremely common throughout China and Japan. 



L. ixexuosum. — The fronds of this kind are much larger 

 than those of the previously-described plant ; indeed it is 

 one of the largest species in the genus, the pinnae are 

 opposite, narrow, twice-forked, and frequently measure 

 12 inches in length, whilst the fronds attain a great length 

 under genial treatment. As in all this genus, the sori of 

 this kind are exserted, and form a rich brown marginal 

 border to the deep shining green of the pinna?. It requires 

 a stove temperature, and may be used with advantage in 

 all the situations recommended for L. japonicum, saving 

 the dinner- table stands, and from this its size excludes 

 it ; on account of its size, also, it requires a greater space to 

 ramble over. It is sometimes called L. dichotomum, from 

 the peculiar branching of its pinnos, and is widely dis- 

 tributed throughout the islands in the Indian Archipelago. 



L. palmatum. — This species is not a large grower, and 

 is only sub-scandent, and perhaps should not have been 

 classed with these. I have used it, however, to hang down 

 from a pocket in the cool fernery with great success ; the 

 somewhat broad praemorse barren pinnae, and the curious 

 contracted finger-like fertile ones, presenting a unique 

 appearance, and the sight of this plant well grown in such 

 a position never fails to arrest the attention of Fern lovers. 

 It is a deciduous plant, a native of North America. 



L. scahdens. — This kind resembles L. japonicum very 

 much in some of its stages of growth, and, indeed, by some 

 authorities they are considered identical. This may be 

 the case, but yet when the two extreme forms are in a 

 collection they certainly deserve distinct names. The form 

 now under consideration is equally beautiful with that 

 already described under the name of L. japonicum, indeed it 

 is even more finely divided ; the fronds extend indefinitely ; 

 the pinna? are palmately lobed and of a beautiful bright 

 green in colour, the fertile ones clothed at the margins 

 with light brown sori. For covering a rafter or pillar in 

 the stove it is admirable. Native of the East Indies. 



L. polystachyum — A noble large-growing species, pro- 

 ducing large fronds with pinnae from 6 to 12 inches in 

 length, or even more, the stems clothed with a short 

 white tomentum ; pinnules obtuse, 3 or 4 inches long and 

 1 broad, deeply lobed, each lobe being much contracted 

 towards the apex, and upon the under side of these con- 

 tracted parts the dark brown sori are produced, and not 

 exserted as is usual in this genus. A highly desirable 

 plant, not sufficiently known or grown by lovers of Ferns. 

 Native of the Indian Archipelago. 



L. microphyixum. — This is a superb plant, but the form 

 which I have grown seems to be extremely rare in cultiva- 

 tion. It produces elegant bright green barren pinnae, whilst 

 No. 1148.— Vol™ XLIV. Old Semes. 



