6 14 [Pr-c. B.N.F.C. 



which to my great astonishment the next year produced its 

 second growth of fronds variegated • at this time ferns with 

 variegation were not known. These fronds had a beautiful 

 ivory white margin. I exhibited it at that year's fern show, 

 and sent a frond and description to the Gardener's Chronicle, 

 then edited by Mr. Thomas Moore, curator of Chelsea Botanic 

 Gardens, and author of so many books on British ferns. He 

 inserted the description in the Chronicle with some commen- 

 dation. 



Before this I was confined to the acquaintance of a few local fern 

 lovers and hunters, but as soon as this notice appeared I had a letter 

 from Mr. Clapham, Scarborough, then one of the foremost of 

 fern collectors and cultivators, asking for a division, had it been 

 any other I should have refused, but as Mr. Clapham ha i been 

 very generous to the Wardian Society, I at once sent him a 

 division. He placed it among his twelve best ferns, and the 

 following year it was seen there by Colonel Jones, of Clifton, 

 one of the greatest authorities on British ferns. He saw and 

 was conquered by a desire to have a division also, which I gave 

 him. He was greatly pleased with it, and thus a friendship 

 was formed with the most pleasant results ; every new thing I 

 found I shared with Colonel Jones, and he was most liberal in 

 exchanges. This continued until his death in 1889, which was 

 a great loss to every fern lover. 



Mr. Clapham, among other ferns, gave me a division of his 

 A.F.F. Acrocladon, which until then he had been very un- 

 willing to give to others. This grew well with me, it was 

 never known to have spores, and so was very scarce. Messrs. 

 Sim, of Foots Cray, and Stansfields, of Todmorden, had each a 

 division from me. By careful examination Stansfields found 

 one spore case with a few spores, from which they raised quite 

 a number of fine ferns of the same character, but much better. 

 Thus through my finding this Scolopendrium, the way was 

 opened for some of the most pleasant intimacies constantly 

 refreshed by letteis and exchanges of finds or raisings, and 

 visits to each other which continued until the death of Colonel 



