354 



Garden and Forest. 



[September 19, 18 



grown, and in quantity, or as a single specimen plant, forms a 

 striking object in the Fern-garden. In spring the pinnae of 

 the young fronds overlap one another in a graceful fashion, 

 suggestive of the form seen in well curled ostrich plumes. 

 Gradually the fronds push up until they attain a height of 

 four feet or more in fine specimens, and spreading out in a 

 vase-like form from the abbreviated, tree-like base, make truly 

 splendid Fern effects. The brown fertile fronds come up in 

 midsummer and give a pleasing contrast to the green, sterile 

 fronds. It increases rapidly by sucker-like, running root- 

 stocks. These should be dug up occasionally and planted 

 elsewhere, or otherwise disposed of, as they will interfere with 

 the main plants if allowed to remain. Four to four and one- 

 half feet. 



Wood sia glabella and \V. hyperhorea are delicate little Ferns, 

 growing naturally in shaded clefts of rocks trickling with 

 moisture. They wovild be both difficult to cultivate, and had, 

 perhaps, best be attempted in a Wardian case in a very cool 

 green-house. Only ]V. liypcrborea has been grown by me 

 or seen under cultivation. \V. glabella. One to four inches; 

 //' hyperbo}-ea. Two to six inches. 



JJ'oodsia Ilvensis. — Grows in dense clumps of extremely pretty 

 chaffy fronds. When young- the fronds are almost silvery 

 from a thick coating of chaff. Plant in well-drained, sunny 

 spots, with rocks. X'ery attractive in cultivation. Two to five 

 inches. 



W'oodsia obtusa. — A very pretty Fern, not difficult to grow. 

 Peat and leaf-mould. A plant at the Botanical Garden in 

 Cambridge measures ten inches. 



Dicksonia pilosiuscula. — A handsome, desirable species. 

 Fronds quite tall, light green, sweet scented. A fine Fern for 

 covering bare spots with a dense, carpet-like growth. Grows 

 freely in any situation. Two and one-half to three feet. 



Lygodium palnialiim. — This, the Hartford trailing Fern, is 

 one of tlie most striking and attractive of all our native spe- 

 cies. Rather difficult to get established, but, judging from a 

 fine clump in Dr. Henry^P. Walcott's garden in Cambridge, 

 it does well after it is established.* Two feet, growing taller as 

 the season advances. 



Osmiinda regalis. — A fine Fern, very distinct from the two 

 following species. In spring the fronds come up, of an ex- 

 quisite reddish brown, passing into green, and the brown 

 stems are covered with a bloom. The color and form and 

 grace of the young fronds' have an indescribable charm. 

 Later the fronds push up till they reach a size entitling this 

 Fern to highest rank amongst the showy native species. The 

 popular name of Royal Fern was given to this species in 

 England, where it attains a much greater size than in this 

 country. Moore, in " The Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland," 

 says it attains the height of six to eight or even ten to twelve 

 feet in damp, sheltered situations. A splendid specimen, 

 seen growing in an artificial I>og at Kew Gardens, towered 

 above the head of a tall man. In cultivating this fine Fern, 

 as well as the two other species of the genus, secure the 

 largest roots possible and plant in the dampest spot in the 

 garden; a natural or artificial bog will be found best adapted 

 for their needs. The specimens measured are grown in 

 ordinary garden soil; but even then good results may be ob- 

 tained. Three to three and one-half feet. 



Osmunda Claytonania. — The sterile fronds of this species 

 are quite similar to those of O. cinnanwinea, but the fertile are 

 combined in a single frond, with a sterile portion unlike that 

 species. It is a very handsome Fern, particularly when in fruit. 

 Culture the same as for O. regalis. Forty to forty-six inches. 



Osnmnda cinnamomea. — One of the finest and most disfinct 

 of our native Ferns. The delightful woolly fronds come up 

 in spring strong and vigorous, "with a beauty peculiarly their 

 own. In early summer the fertile or flowering fronds, as they 

 are called, form a fine cluster of cinnamon-brown spikes in 

 the centre of the vase, forming tall, green fronds, producing 

 a very fine effect. In autumn the fronds commonly change 

 to a rich reddish or golden yellow. Culture as for O. regalis.^ 

 Three to three and one-half feet. These measurements 

 could doubtless be much exceeded under favorable circum- 

 stances. 



The Botrychiums are a difficult group to handle, and I 

 have never seen them successfully established under cultiva- 



*Tlie species is considered :is indigenous only to tlie United Slates; but, curi- 

 ously, Dr. Walcott's plant was sent to him fnini Europe, and was Baid to liave 

 come from Jajjan. 



t O. ciiniavtoinea is the only Fern, as far as observed, that seems to lie truly 

 affected Ijy cultivation. The lower divisions of the pinna- in several plants in the 

 writer's collection are produc.-d and are themselves pinnatifid. Eaton notes this 

 as occurring someliines in luxuriant wild specimens, 'f'he character varies in 

 degree or may be wantinj^ in dirtei-ent seasons on the same plant. A plant of the 

 variety Irondosa also varies in different seasons and individual fronds in showing 

 its varietal characleristic. 



tion. For a year they will grow well, and sometimes two or 

 three years they survive ; but they eventually become smaller 

 and smaller and soon disappear. Many plants known to the 

 horticulturist will not bear transplanting, and this may be 

 such a case, so that if grown from spores where they were 

 to remain, Botrychiums might be successfully cultivated. 

 Botrychium Virginia?iiim is the strongest and tallest of our 

 species, and Mr. Robinson says it is the easiest to cultivate ; 

 it would, therefore, probably be the best species to attempt to 

 grow by means of spores. Leaf-mould and peat. Eight to 

 twenty-four inches. Mrs. P. D. Richards, of West Medford, 

 has grown Bolrychium ternatiim, var. dissectum, in pots suc- 

 cessfully for a limited period. There are four other species 

 of Botrychiums indigenous to New England, but they are 

 omitted, as no cultural remarks can be made concerning them. 

 Ophioglossinn vulgaiinn. — This Fern, like the Botrychiums, 

 may be considered dilficult to cultivate. It may be grown for 

 a short time in pots in peat and leaf-mould, and perhaps, with 

 similar treatment, in the open ground. Two to twelve inches. 



In the following lists the Ferns not indigenous to New Eng- 

 land are designated by an asterisk, and an interrogation mark 

 signifies that a Fern questionably belongs to a list, and that 

 it may more properly be considered under one of the other 

 lists. 



Perfectly hardy Ferns, easily grown and desirable for gen- 

 eral cultivation ; 



Polypodiuni vulgare. Aspidiiun spinulosum and va- 



Pteris aquilina. rieties. 



Adiantuni pedatuni. " Bootii. 



Aspleniuni ebeneuni '? " aerostichoides. 



angustifolittin. " " var. 



" Thelypteroides. incisiim. 



Filix-fa'inina and " aculeatuni, var. 



varieties. Braiinii. 



Phegopteris polypodioides. Cystopteris fragilis. 



" hexagonoptera ? " bulbifera. 



Dryopteris. Onoclea sen si bills. 



Aspidiiim Novchoracense. " Struthiopteris. 



Thelypteris. ll'oodsia Ilvensis. 



cristahini. " oblusa. 



" " var. Clin- Dic/csonia pilosinseula. 



toniani/ni. Lygodium palmatuni ? 



" Goldianuni. Osniunda regalis. 



" Filix-nias. " Clayloniana. 



Diarginale. " cinnamomea. 



Ferns requiring the protection of a frame in winter, but 

 easily grown with that care : 



*Polypodium Californieum. Camptosoriis rhisophyllus. 



*Lomaria Spieant. Phegopteris hexagonoptera. 



Aspleniuni Trichoma nes. * " ealearea. 



ebeneum. *Aspidium Nei-adense. 



*Scolopendriuin inilgare. * " innnititm. 



Ferns more or less difficult to cultivate, and best grown in 

 pots, or with the protection of a frame in winter : 



Pellcra gracilis. Camptosoriis rhizophyllus. 



atropurpurea. Aspidium fragrans. 

 Cryploi;rantme aerostichoides. * " Loneliitis. 



U'oodwardia angustifolia. W'oodsia glabella. 



I'irginica. " hyperborea. 



Asplenium I'iride. Botrychiums. 



" Ruta-muraria. Opdiioglossum vulgatum. 



Boston. Robert T. Jackson. 



Dutch Bulbs. 



HYACINTHS, Tulips, Crocus, Narcissus and the like now 

 claim attention. Complaints are often made that these 

 bulbs do not succeed ; they either winter-kill or fail to pro- 

 duce such flowers as the catalogues promise, or such even 

 as are seen when the bulbs are grown in pots, and every year 

 comes the repeated question, "Why did we fail?" For the 

 failure there may be many causes, and the iirst is the neglect 

 to plant the bulbs at the proper season. While these bulbs 

 all require perfect rest, when they may be kept as dry 

 as seeds, it does not follow that they can remain out of 

 ground beyond a given time without injury. For the best 

 success all Dutch bulbs should be planted by the first of Oc- 

 tober, and, if worth planting at all, it should not be deferred 

 until November, because by that time they commence growth, 

 and when -this goes on in tlieir dry st;ite their vitality is im- 

 paired. 



The next cause of failure, and the most important of all, is 



