42 



THE HARTSTONGUE FERN. 



The award of a First Class Certificate to our member, 

 Mr. W. B. Cranfield, by the R. H. S. Floral Committee, 

 for a grand specimen of one of the frilled or "crispum" 

 varieties of this species, inspires us to say a few words 

 regarding the really curious fact that so little use is made 

 of it by the British lovers of beautiful foliage plants 

 generally. In the Midlands it is true that varieties of it 

 are by no means uncommon for window decoration, since 

 in any window not much exposed to hot sunshine, i.e. with 

 other than a due south aspect, no plant is of easier 

 culture, while its thoroughly evergreen character and 

 perfect hardiness constitute it one of the best all-round-the- 

 year plants that one could wish for. Around London, on 

 the other hand, while literally thousands of Aspidistras 

 occupy positions of honour as window plants, we cannot 

 recall a single specimen of a frilled Hartstongue within 

 the area of our peregrinations, and the sight of one would 

 certainly inspire within us the desire to knock at the door 

 and ask permission to inspect the rarity, ascertain its 

 history, and endeavour to enlist the owner as a member 

 of our B. P. Society. Some years back indeed, when Mr. 

 Cranfield and the writer were in the village of Colyton, 

 Devon, such a sight in a cottage window did induce us to 

 act as above, and to our delight we learned that the three 

 plants we saw were actually three independent finds in 

 that locality of thorough-bred "crispums" by the lady 

 owner. She did not profess to know anything particular 

 about ferns, except that they were pretty wild plants, and 

 these three had quite accidentally attracted her attention 

 as being so much prettier than the associated common ones 

 that she had brought them home, potted them up, and given 

 them the places of honour in the front parlour window. 

 She furthermore named another lady in the vicinity who 

 had another specimen found independently in a similar 



