lo FERN GROWING 



others, and when we come across any of these we are rewarded 

 by the discovery of new varieties. The late Rev. Charles 

 Padley, who devoted many years of his life to this particular 

 branch of inquiry, found as many as fifty good varieties in 

 a single lane, and often a number that resembled each other 

 more or less ; but the legion of itinerant Fern merchants was 

 then all but unknown. How different is it at the present 

 time, when you can scarcely ever take a drive without coming 

 across some of them laden with Ferns, which are hawked 

 about the towns. And unfortunately there are so many pur- 

 chasers that whole districts are denuded of Ferns ; and, what 

 is still more unfortunate, a large percentage of these die, leaving 

 vacancies for further consignments. 



Amongst those who were most successful in wild finds 

 a few years ago may be mentioned the late Rev. Charles 

 Padley, formerly of Bui well Hall, in Nottinghamshire, and 

 more recently at Enville (where he died), as clergyman of 

 the parish, and chaplain to the late Earl of Stamford and 

 Warrington ; the late Mr. Clapham, of Scarborough ; the late 

 Mr. Barnes, of Levens, Milnthorpe, who did so much in the 

 English Lake district ; the late Mr. J. James, of Vauvert, in 

 the Channel Islands ; the late Mr. Wills, of Thorncombe ; the 

 late Colonel A. M. Jones, of Clifton ; Mr. G. B. Wollaston, 

 of Bishops Well, Chislehurst ; Mr. J. Moly, of Langmoor, 

 Charmouth (who has found nearly all of his treasures in 

 Devon and Dorset) ; Mr. W. H. Phillips, of Belfast ; and a 

 number of those diligent hunters after Ferns who reside in the 

 English Lake district. 



Those who have succeeded in raising new varieties from 

 spores are not so numerous ; in fact, for some years there was 

 almost no confidence in the idea that Ferns could be crossed 

 like other plants. The author believes that he was the first 

 to set the ball rolling, for the late Professor Arthur Henfrey 

 sent him an account of the discoveries of Professor Nageli, 



