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FERN SPORTS. 



Although the phenomenon of " mutation " or " sporting n 

 is undoubtedly general through all organic life, animal as 

 well as vegetable, naturally it is in the latter that it mainly 

 appeals to the horticulturist, and particularly to the selec- 

 tive cultivator. It is often assumed, but in our opinion 

 erroneously, that cultivation is the inducing factor in the 

 changes observed, but continued research in the direction 

 of the wild forms of ferns, especially British ones, has 

 shown that an immense number of such mutations occur 

 in perfectly wild plants growing under quite natural 

 conditions, where the cultural factor is altogether absent. 



We quite admit that long continued protection from 

 adverse conditions, coupled with liberal treatment, will in 

 course of time lead to stronger and stronger growth ; but 

 this is quite a different thing from those marked structural 

 differences seen in " mutations" proper, and which are 

 almost invariably transmissible by inheritance through the 

 seed or the spore. These differences are fixed, and will be 

 retained under natural conditions of growth, but those 

 which are induced by high feeding, etc., will assuredly 

 return to the normal type when these stimulative influences 

 are withdrawn. 



As a rule with ferns, if we can trace the past history 

 of a marked abnormal form, we find that either it or its 

 near progenitor was found as a wild specimen among the 

 common forms of our woods, glens and hedge banks, and 

 although it is unfortunately usually very difficult to trace 

 the pedigree of exotic "sports," there is little doubt that 

 the original departure occurred under similar conditions. 

 However, it must be borne in mind that many exotics are 

 raised, and have been raised for decades, by the thousand 

 or even the million under circumstances which are all in 

 favour of any departure or " sport" being observed, 



