FERN GROWING 21 



"The forms used were Mr. Padley's polydactylous form 

 from the Vale of Avoca, and Colonel Jones's Hampshire 

 form. The polydactylous character has now been successfully 

 transferred to the forms known as decompositum, acutilobum, 

 divtstlobum, frondosum, alatum, lineare, congestum, Padley's 

 variegatum, and others. The polydactylous character of P. 

 angulare has also been transferred to P. aculeatum. 



" There are four clearly established cases in which the 

 characters of distinct forms of P angulare have been trans- 

 ferred to P. aculeatum. Hitherto the varieties of P. aculeatum 

 have been very few, so that now a new field for exertion is 

 open, the results of which it is difficult to over-estimate, for 

 the robust constitution of P. aculeatum. enables it to thrive 

 in climates in which P. angulare would soon perish. 



" The interest in the varieties of British Ferns ought 

 to increase, now the crossing of varieties has become an 

 acknowledged fact, alike on account of the extreme beauty 

 of many of the crosses already effected, and also because, 

 however beautiful crosses already obtained are, it may be 

 confidently asserted that they are nothing to what will be 

 accomplished when exhaustive experiments, guided by tasteful 

 and judicious selection, shall have been made. Though much 

 will depend on selection, there will always be enough left to 

 the element of chance to keep up the interest. We may 

 liken the prospect of endless combinations to the combinations 

 in bell-ringing, and we learn that the changes in the ringing 

 of twelve bells amount to forty millions. We can scarcely 

 conceive of the immense field of inquiry that is opened up 

 in these investigations. The number of forms to be obtained 

 is past conception, and as the discovery of one truth is 

 the stepping-stone to the discovery of even greater truths, 

 so every new form that is raised enables the raiser or those 

 following in his footsteps to produce countless other com- 

 binations." 



