British Ferns. 79 



shade, aniperfect drainage ; try it as an aquatic, and say 

 " farewell" to it before you begin. v 



Cystopteris.t — C.fragilis, the brittle bladder fern, is 

 a little dear : treat it kindly ; it will do in a snug nook 

 of the open rockery, but it must be in front because 

 small. The varieties are not worth having. C. montana, 

 the mountain bladder fern, and C. regia, are gems. 

 These do best in the open air or cool greenhouse. They 

 need shade and shelter, but love fresh air. Prepare a bed 

 a foot square by removing the soil a foot deep. Then 

 partially fill up with broken bricks and charcoal, and 

 upon this bed place four inches depth of a mixture con- 

 sisting of equal parts peat, silver sand, the finest dust of 

 cocoa-nut fibre refuse, and soft silky loam. Place the 

 plant in the centre of the bed, close the soil firmly 

 around it, and put a bell-glass over. Take off the 

 bell-glass every morning, and wipe it quite dry, and 

 place it over the plant again. Keep the soil moist, and 

 in due time the plant will grow. After six months of 

 such nursing, it will take care of itself in every respect 

 except one, and that is, it will invite the attacks of snails 

 and slugs, which are very fond of it. These must be 

 trapped and destroyed with energy ; you must be a Thug 

 to such people. 



Gymnogramma. — G. leptophylla is the only Britisher 

 of this lovely family. This little gem is an annual. 

 To secure it for ever, get a plant in a pot, and keep it in 

 a fern-house or shady moist pit. It will shed its spores, 

 and the parent plant will perish. The next season it 

 will appear plentifully as a weed on bricks, stones, 

 borders, &c, &c. Pot a few to give away, and allow 



