FERN GROWING 97 



EXPERIMENT NO. XIV. 



In 1889 three varieties of Scolopendrium vidgare were 

 selected, viz., crispicm (a plumose form), digitatum (finger- 

 crested), and variegatum (normal but variegated), the object 

 being to obtain variegated varieties. 



The seedlings came to maturity in 189 1, and consisted 

 of fifty-one plants : half of these were variegated, one only 

 being a normal variegated one, and this was unlike the varie- 

 gations from which spores were sown. Most were a combi- 

 nation of two forms thereof, some were of all three. The 

 crispum used was Cowburm, and one of the seedlings is a 

 variegated copy which has been named Mrs. Cowburn, and 

 was thought worthy of a First-Class Certificate at the Royal 

 Horticultural Society's Fern Show in 1892, and also won 

 the Bronze Banksian Medal as the best variegated Fern. A 

 very successful batch of seedlings. 



This and two others, Addie and Viva, are three of the 

 examples. (See coloured plate.) 



EXPERIMENT NO. XV. 



In 1889, to the three forms of Scotopendrium vulgare, 

 kraspedoumenon, keratoides, and muricatum, was added sinum, 

 having a cup-like pocket at the apex of the frond ; the 

 seedlings are just come to maturity, and are a most extra- 

 ordinary series of varieties. 



The object wished was to produce branching varieties 

 having the cup-like appendage on each branch, this being a 

 desideratum. Several of the seedlings are muricate and 

 branched, having this pocket on each branch. Some of 

 the peraferens varieties are cornute ; and in this collection of 



