1 66 The Wild Garden. 



of our most experienced cultivators were surprised 

 at the resemblance, and declared it to be every 

 whit as pretty for the open air as the Maidenhairs 

 are for the greenhouse ; therefore I have recom- 

 mended it as the " Maidenhair Fern" for the open 

 garden. It only requires to be planted in ordinary 

 soil and left alone till it gets established. Then, 

 when the elegant leaflets unfold, all the grace and 

 distinctiveness of the fern before named will appear 

 in the open air, able to withstand all the sun that 

 can assail it in our clime, and charming for close 

 association with flowering plants. It is wild in 

 many parts of Britain, particularly in Scotland 

 and North-western England, and rather abundant 

 on the island of Ireland's Eye, near Dublin, in 

 many parts of the limestone districts of Clare and 

 Galway, and rises to a considerable elevation on 

 the mountains. It produces very insignificant 

 flowers, which should be pinched off immediately 

 when they are noticed, or rather, the flower-stem 

 should be pinched off the moment it begins to rise, 

 as all the beauty lies in the foliage, and therefore 

 the flowers must not be suffered to weaken it in 

 any way. It grows about a foot high, or perhaps 

 more in rich soil and when well established. There 

 are several other species natives of Britain, but 



