The Fern Garden. 



CHAPTER II. 



BELIEVE no one can thoroughly enjoy or 

 understand ferns until after having actually 

 hunted for them in hedgerows, woods, and 

 amongst rocks, and rivulets, and waterfalls. The lady 

 fern may be allowed to sing, as Madame Vestris did 

 once upon a time : 



Through the woods, through the woods, 



Follow and find me, 



Search ever; hollow, and dingle, and dell, 



I leave but the print of my footstep behind me ; 



So those who would find me must search for me well. 



I cannot afford space to enlarge upon the joys of 

 fern-collecting, the pic-nicing, archseologico-exploring, 

 and holiday perambulating that may be associated with 

 the sport. Kindly imagine all this and save me the 

 expenditure of space on anything but the business in 

 hand. Ferns are so widely distributed that wherever a 

 rural walk is possible, it is almost certain that some- 

 where in the district ferns may be found. The south- 

 western counties of England constitute the homeparadise 

 of the fern collector, but, as we must find our happi- 

 ness where our lot is cast, it is better to make the most 

 of the ferns within our reach than to repine if Cornwall 

 and Devon happen to be terra incognita. In the neigh- 

 bourhood of London are many localities rich in ferns, 



