44 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



of it reproduce themselves freely from spores with very little variation. Such, 

 however, is not the case with British Ferns, as many of them have a tendency 

 to revert to the common or typical form when some peculiarities in their 

 treatment do not agree with them. It is also well known that not only do 

 some of these crested forms revert to the type, but the offspring of these 

 are in many cases extremely variable. Such inconstancy plays an important 

 part in the production of new varieties, as it is now an accepted theory that 

 when the common form has once varied, the produce of this variation have a 

 greater tendency to vary again. In the case of the propagation of a specially- 

 fine crested form being required, this can only be effected with security by the 

 division of the original plant. 



The variation by way of seedlings in connection with crested Ferns 

 is of such importance that we trust it will not be considered out of place 

 here if we quote Mr. Druery's experience on its reproduction. Speaking on 

 this most interesting subject, Mr. Druery, in a most elaborate article on 

 variation in his excellent work on " Choice British Ferns,"* says : " We 

 have ourselves raised a very robust and heavily -crested form of Hard Fern 

 (Lomaria Spicani) from a wild find of similar character, but of smaller 

 growth. Strange to say, the sowing from which this splendid plant originated 

 was so nearly a failure that only the one plant resulted, which, as stated, 

 surpasses the parent ; yet when spores of this more marked variety were 

 sown, fully 90 per cent, were absolutely common Hard Ferns ; two only 

 closely resembled the parent, one far surpassed it, several are of a different 

 type of cresting ; one is extremely dwarf, with fronds absolutely fan-shaped — 

 and between these and the common ones there is every grade of cresting, 

 from merely squarish tips to ball-like tufts." 



The foregoing statement, emanating as it does from such a high authority 

 on the subject, and being the result of a series of careful experiments, con- 

 ducted with a view to ascertaining the constancy of seedlings, will, we 

 venture to say, prove conclusive as to the amount of reliance to be placed 

 on the reproduction of crested variations by their own spores. But these 

 remarks apply exclusively to British Ferns. The reproduction of crested 

 exotic kinds is principally effected by seedlings, and, generally speaking, with 



* " Choice British Ferns : their Varieties and Culture. " By Charles T. Druery, E.L.S. London : 

 L. Upcott Gill, 170, Strand, W.C. 



