21 I 



or root-stock. Even with those who do interpret this 

 decay rightly as merely superficial, the absence of any 

 visible plant often leads to neglect ; the pots are placed 

 out of sight to make room for more presentable things, 

 watering is consequently forgotten altogether, and as a 

 result the sleep merges into the sleep of death as the 

 central tissues dry and perish, and valuable plants are 

 consequently lost. In natural conditions dormant Ferns 

 are saturated throughout their resting period in such 

 a climate as ours, and as our native species are, of course, 

 quite hardy (with unimportant exceptions), the simplest 

 plan is to turn deciduous pot plants out of doors, and 

 plunge them, pots and all, into soil or cocoa fibre. They 

 are thus secured from drought without need of any 

 attention whatever, while it is a simple matter, in March 

 or April, to lift them, wash the pots, and reinstate them 

 when they show signs of reawakening. 



The entire absence of old fronds is then an actual 

 advantage, as nothing is left to detract from the beauty 

 of the new frondage, which with such treatment rises with 

 great rapidity under the genial influence of the spring. I 

 should, however, give a word of warning to those who 

 possess warmed conservatories against introducing Hardy 

 Ferns into them earlier than March. Some varieties 

 respond freely to such forcing conditions as this involves, 

 but, like human beings, they must have their proper spell 

 of rest in order to do their full day's work, and, if pre- 

 cociously roused, are apt to suffer in constitution, and 

 show the effects later in the season. The evergreen British 

 species are the spleenworts {Asplenia), the Shield Ferns 

 (Polystichum), the Hartstongue (Scolopendvium), Hard Fern 

 (Blechnum), the Hard Male Fern (Lastrea pseudo-mas), 

 and the Common Polypody [Poly podium vulgave), including 

 all their varieties; and as, fortunately, all these have been 

 very liberally endowed by Nature with a capacity for 



