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dreaded, it is well to know how they may be dealt with 

 with least risk to the plants concerned. If a sharp look- 

 out be kept the owner of a collection of hardy ferns in pots 

 will be fortunate if he does not here and there find evidence 

 of the grub existence among the roots, in the shape of loose 

 fronds or wilted ones which come freely away from the 

 root stock when pulled. Seedlings in pans, too, may 

 become abnormally pale in tint and unhealthy looking, 

 and, when subjected to the same test, they may be found 

 to be simply lying loose on the surface, denuded of every 

 root fibre. Such signs are infallible evidence that the 

 grubs are busy, and the cultivator in mid-winter is con- 

 fronted with the unpleasant fact that if the pots and pans 

 be turned out and replanted they are bound to suffer 

 seriously by removal at such an unfavourable season. On 

 the other hand, if left alone, the grubs will never be 

 satisfied until the plant or plants are destroyed, and hence 

 it seems to be a choice of evils. We have, however, found 

 that total immersion in water for several days, while doing 

 no harm to the ferns, either drowns the grubs or drives 

 them to the surface, and, in fact, in loose compost, they 

 are almost invariably found on the surface of the soil in 

 about forty-eight hours, when, of course, they can be 

 disposed of. By actual experiments we have found these 

 grubs able to withstand immersion for fully four days, so 

 that, for safety's sake, it is well, when they do not appear 

 on the top, to let the pots or pans stand in water, with the 

 soil entirely covered, for a day or two longer, say a week 

 in all. Hartstongues seem to be the favourite prey of 

 these marauders, but in point of fact no fern is safe from 

 their attacks, for we once found a large well-established 

 plant of Adianium pcdatum which failed to rise in the 

 spring, and on investigating the cause no less than sixty 

 fat white grubs formed a layer where the rhizomes of the 

 previous season had existed, while only one or two living 



