Angnet 23, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



161 



to 4000 lbs. are raised on an acre. The general duration of a 

 plantation of Jasmine is from fifteen to twenty years, and the 

 net annual receipts from an acre of well-established plants is 

 about $450 if the season prove favourable. This industry gives 

 employment to thousands of labourers, both men and women, 

 in the snnny fields of France. — (Cultivator.) 



BOOKS. 



Tlie Royal Parks and Gardens of London, their History and 

 Mode of Embellishment, &c. By Nathan Cole, Kensington 

 Gardens. 



We are pleased to see that the communications from Mr. 

 Cole published in our Journal have been republished by him 

 in this handsome volume. It is full of useful information on 

 modes of embellishment, arrangement of colours, and the pro- 

 pagation and culture of the plants employed. 



Ferns, British and Foreign, &c. By John Smith, A.L.S. New 



and Enlarged Edition. Hardwicke & Bogue, London. 



Small 8vo., pp. xv. and 450, with a plate and very numerous 



woodcuts. 



This, as the title implies, is a new edition of an approved 

 and very useful publication. The first edition appeared in 

 1866, a second in 1876, and we have now a corrected reprint 

 showing that out of the 2646 known and well-distinguished 

 species, exclusive of varieties, we have more than a third in 

 cultivation. We are quite rejoiced to see that the author, not- 

 withstanding increasing infirmity, is still so actively employed 

 about his favourite Cryptogams. 



The work consists of a very interesting history of the de- 

 velopment of Fern cultivation up to the time when Mr. Smith 

 was no longer able to carry on personal investigations with 

 the microscope, then of an explanation of the terms used in 

 describing Ferns, a matter quite indispensable to the majority 

 of oultivators. To this succeeds the main object of the work 

 — viz., an enumeration of the genera with distinctive charac- 

 ters, to the understanding of which the numerous and nicely 

 executed woodcuts are absolutely necessary, as in cases where 

 the generic characters are founded on the venation it would 

 be scarcely possible, except to advanced botanists, without 

 their help to grasp with certainty the distinctions, even with 

 the aid of the preceding explanatory division. A most useful 

 chapter follows giving the meaning of the generic names, which 

 when once realised are a very great help to the non-classical 

 cultivator. A valuable chapter is added on the cultivation of 

 Ferns, succeeded by a list of authors and books quoted in the 

 work, together with a very perfect index, the want of which so 

 often takes so much from the usefulness of many an excellent 

 work. The specific characters are not given, as it would have 

 increased the bulk of the book so much as to make it very ex- 

 pensive, and where these are desired there are many excellent 

 works to which reference may be had, and which are indicated 

 everywhere throughout the synonyms. From the very nature 

 of the work it is obvious that it does not admit of many 

 extracts; instead, therefore, we make some observations on 

 points to which the author refers but briefly. 



But little is known of hybridity in Ferns. The most no- 

 torious case is that of Gymnogramma, where numerous varie- 

 ties, if not hybrids, spring up abundantly in cultivation. One 

 of the most singular cases is that communicated from Phila- 

 delphia by Mr. Robinson Scott, an apparent hybrid being pro- 

 duced between Camptosorus rhizophyllus Lk. (Antigramma 

 rhizophylla, J. Smith), and Asplenium ebeneum. An account 

 of thiB is given in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, n.e., vol. i., page 137, with figures, together with 

 suggestions for the production of hybrids, which if successful 

 would amply reward the experimentalist. Mr. Smith gives us 

 an account from Leszczyc SuminBki of the male and female 

 fructification produced on the prothallus of the germinating 

 Fern. A little nice manipulation might transfer the sperma- 

 tozoids of one Fern to the female embryo of another, out no 

 one seems, as far as we have heard, to have been successful in 

 suoh attempts. The position of the bodies in question makes 

 it improbable that the spermatozoids should often be trans- 

 ferred naturally, and that such is not in general the case 

 may be inferred from the fact that the species or forms which 

 from time to time appear in cultivation, always prove either 

 mere varieties or well-known species which have been acci- 

 dentally introduced. The multitudes of forms which occur in 

 sale catalogues are often mere abnormal conditions, and it is 



curious that where a portion of a frond only is abnormal 

 spores taken from that portion will reproduce the peculiar 

 form. Mr. Smith makes some valuable remarks as to the result 

 of halving or quartering the prothallus with the production in 

 each part of a perfect embryo, while in general one only is 

 fertilised ; but this is the less surprising since the observation 

 of Dr. Harlow, that a new frond is sometimes produced on the 

 prothallus without fertilisation. 



One great difficulty which often occurs in the raising of Ferns 

 from spores is the occurrence of a minute species of mould, 

 which soon spreads over the whole pot and destroys the crop. 

 This will be remedied in many cases, if the first appearance of 

 the mould is watched, by simply sprinkling a little well- washed 

 white quartzose sand on the infected prothalli. The black 

 mould belonging to the genus Fumago which occurs on Fern 

 fronds is very troublesome, even in their own native locality. 

 Like other species of the genus it follows the attacks of aphides 

 or cocci, or where a honey-like deposit is formed on the leaves. 

 A careful observance of the early stages of the fungus will at 

 once suggest the proper treatment. If allowed to gain much 

 head it is very difficult of eradication. Ferns are not troubled 

 much with epiphyllous Fungi in cultivation. Uredo filicum is, 

 however, sometimes very troublesome, but mostly to Ferns in 

 open-air cultivation. In such cases the only remedy is the 

 removal of all infected fronds and burning them. 



We conclude our remarks with a short extract relative to 

 the black fronds which sometimes occur on Ferns in culti- 

 vation, and the more so because it is suggestive as to the too 

 familiar spot in Orchids. "In order to raise vapour a prac- 

 tice prevails with many cultivators to throw water over the 

 hot-water pipes or flues. There is no objection to this pro- 

 vided the air out of doors is warm, but in the winter season it 

 is often done in the evening, in order to counteract the dryness 

 of the air caused by the extra heat of the pipes required at 

 that season. The house then becomes filled with vapour, 

 which coming in contact with the glass of the roof condenses 

 and falls in a shower of cold drops on the plants ; at the same 

 time the temperature of the house rapidly falls, thus causing 

 black fronds, spots in Orchids, and such-like complaints." 

 We cannot too cordially recommend this excellent little work 

 to the notice of our readers. 



PORTRAITS of PLANTS, FLOWERS, and FRUITS. 



Houlletia picta. Nat. ord. , Orchidaceae. Linn., Gynan- 

 dria Monandria. — Flowers cinnamon and yellow. " H. picta 

 was discovered by Schlim in New Grenada, along with other 

 very similar species of the genus, collected up to an elevation 

 of 4000 to 6000 feet above the sea. It waB first flowered at the 

 celebrated Orchid garden of Consul Schiller at Hamburgh, and 

 later at Farnham Castle, from whence the specimen here 

 figured was obtained." — (Bot. Mag., t. 6305.) 



Ibis speculatrix. Nat. ord., Iridacea?. Linn., Triandria 

 Monogynia. — Flowers lilac and white. " It was discovered in 

 April, 1874, by a Chinese workman attached to the botanical 

 garden of Hong-Kong, on a hill facing the sea between Vic- 

 toria Peak and Mount Davis in that island. Its general habit 

 is more like that of one of the Cape or Angolan Morceas than 

 that of the ordinary Irises of the north temperate zone, but in 

 structure it belongs clearly to the small group of crested Irises, 

 of which I. japonica, commonly grown in gardens under Ven- 

 tenat's name of I. fimbriata, is the oldeBt and best known 

 representative. Of this group seven species are now known, of 

 which two are North American, and the others all Japanese, 

 Chinese, and Himalayan. For the fine living plant from which 

 the present plate was made the Eew collection is indebted to 

 Mr. C. Ford of the Hong-Kong Botanic Garden. It was re- 

 ceived in April, 1877, and came into flower immediately after 

 its arrival in this country. The plant is not likely to prove 

 hardy in England."— (Ibid., t. 6306.) 



Tulipa undhlatifolia. Nat. ord., Liliacese. Linn., Hex- 

 andria Monogynia. — " It was discovered many years ago by 

 M. Boissier on the Tartali-dagh, just above Smyrna, but was 

 only brought into cultivation two years ago by Mr. Elwes. 

 It flowered at Kew early in May of the present year. This 

 spring Mr. Maw has procured a good supply of bulbs from 

 Boissier's original station, which he has distributed with his 

 customary liberality." — (Ibid., t. 6308.) 



Tillandsia usneoides. Nat. ord., BromeliaceEe. Linn., 

 Hexandria Monogynia. — " This, the Spanish Moss, Old Man's 

 Beard, and Long Moss of the southern United States and the 

 WeBt Indies, is well described in Sloane's ' History of Jamaica,' 



