i6 FERN GROWING 



Thus in 1867 a printed record first appeared, calling 

 attention to the fact that Ferns could be crossed, although 

 it had been proved, at all events to the author's satisfaction, 

 much earlier, and that during the interval from 1857 the 

 experiments had been repeated over and over again. At 

 that time it was almost universally believed an impossibility, 

 and the author had hesitated to publish the fact, well 

 knowing that it would not be favourably received by those 

 who were considered as best able to form an opinion ; and 

 how far there was justification in coming to such conclusion 

 was proved in 1867, when only a solitary botanist could be 

 found who was prepared to look with favour on these results. 

 From that time to the present, hundreds of experiments have 

 been made, in every conceivable direction, with the endeavour 

 to strengthen these views. The experiments speak for them- 

 selves, and from them have sprung far more difficult problems 

 which have been to the author's thinking as fully solved. 



The next paper of importance was read in Section D 

 of the British Association, at the Meeting at Bath, in 1888, 

 " Abnormal Ferns, Hybrids, and their Parents," * by E. J. Lowe, 

 F.R.S., and Colonel Jones : — "We do not intend by anything 

 said in this paper to ignore the exertions of others in the 

 same field ; we only wish to place on record our personal 

 experience, and what we have accomplished by the labour of 

 a number of years." 



" More than thirty years ago experiments were commenced, 

 and twenty-one years ago a paper was read by one of us 

 (Mr. Lowe) ' On Hybrid Ferns,' at the Dundee Meeting of 

 the British Association. The subject was at that time in its 

 infancy, and none of the botanists then present, with the 

 exception of the late Professor Balfour, thoroughly believed 

 in these crosses. The next year, 1868, the Rev. M. J. 

 Berkeley sent a paper, on the supposed crossing of two 



* Reprinted from "Annals of Botany," Vol. III., No. IX., February 1889. 



