132 FERN GROWING 



vast collection of pans of seedlings, but his reference-book 

 has not been found. Mr. Barnard Hankey, from ill health, 

 had done but little of late years ; and Mr. Clapham, after he 

 left Scarborough for London, had also very much curtailed his 

 investigations. 



Although much important information has been so generally 

 lost, there are some very fine varieties coming to maturity. It 

 is a sad fatality that has deprived us of the aid of six very able 

 Pterologists, who were repeating one or other of the author's 

 experiments, and who were also growing a portion of his 

 numerous seedlings. Colonel Jones, Major Cowburn, and Mr. 

 Fox all lived near, and could therefore watch each other's 

 labours and take advantage of each other's ideas. 



Another misfortune has curtailed some of the author's 

 experiments, both this year and last, for much illness 

 compelled him to leave the care of the young Ferns 

 to others, sometimes for days, and even weeks ; the loss 

 has been less than might be expected, but the delay in re- 

 potting has retarded their growth, and plants that should 

 have come to maturity this year are still (many of them) in 

 their seed pans. 



Summarising the evidence of these experiments, an apt 

 illustration of its conclusiveness may be found in the calcu- 

 lations of Mr. Maunder on a perfectly different subject. 



Mr. Maunder has pointed out that "during the last nine- 

 teen years the three pre-eminent magnetic storms have been 

 associated with the appearance of the three greatest spot 

 groups of that period, near the central meridian of the sun's 

 disc. The probability against such a connection being the 

 result of chance is enormous. The number of days is 

 six thousand eight hundred ; but if we give two days for 

 each spot at the central meridian, the probabilities against 

 three agreements of three thousand four hundred are over- 

 whelming. Take two boxes, and put all the numbers from 



