FERN GROWING ii 



of Zurich, and of Count Leszazye-Suminski, of Berlin, of 

 the male and female organs of Ferns having been detected 

 on the under-side of the prothallus. This was of course 

 during the prothalloid life of the Fern ; for on the discovery 

 by Dr. Lindsay of the prothallium, rather more than a 

 hundred years ago, it was shown that Ferns had two distinct 

 lives, the prothalloid, or caterpillar life, and the fronded, or 

 butterfly life, i.e., the prothallus on being impregnated died 

 away, and the frond life sprang up, grew to maturity, 

 scattered its spores, which germinated into a prothallus, again 

 eventually to produce fronds. The author remembers the 

 idea that at once occurred to him, that it was thus possible, 

 even if difficult, to cross Ferns and produce new varieties. 

 The late Professor Edward Forbes, whom the author was 

 then assisting in the search for British Mollusca, urged him 

 to attempt the experiment ; and it is also remembered the 

 disappointment felt when the late Mr. Thomas Moore, of 

 the Chelsea Botanic Gardens, assured him that it was an 

 impossible task ; and further, the opinions of Mr. Clapham, 

 Mr. Padley, and others, all agreeing with the assertion of Mr. 

 Moore. Nevertheless Professor Forbes's advice was taken, 

 and experiments commenced. The argument of some was 

 that, assuming it could be done, the operation was so micro- 

 scopical that it was almost useless for any one to attempt it, 

 and that, although nature might achieve this on one and the 

 same prothallus, it was quite impossible for the male organs 

 from one prothallus to impregnate another. 



The author had faith that, if everything was done as 

 regards the first steps in the undertaking, further help might 

 be received in some unknown manner for the rest of the 

 process. If he could not imitate depositing the pollen of 

 flowers on the pistil, nevertheless he might sow spores so 

 thickly as to produce a crowd of protkalli, touching each 

 other, or being so near, that minute animal life (like the 



