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be old mature fronds. The younger ones curl up at the first 

 frost and die. 



Cystopteris bulbifera. — The lower pinnae of this fern, 

 especially of the sterile fronds, are often remarkably long, thus 

 giving to the fronds an unusually broad appearance. This fern 

 is gracefulness itself, the fertile fronds are often three feet long 

 and tapering into a long point with hardly perceptible pinnae ; 

 they hang down in dense patches from the limestone cliffs. 



Osmunda Claytoniana. — Whenever a plant of Osmunda 

 Claytoniana in a meadow is cut off by a scythe in July, the 

 rhizome of that plant produces immediately a new crop of fronds 

 and often these are fertile. Thus the, spectacle of this fern fruit- 

 ing in August, and in September and October, too, presents itself. 

 Sometimes the fruiting is not complete, and it happens then, that 

 peculiar fronds, which bear sori on the under part of their 

 pinnae, are found, after the manner of the Polypodiaceae. 

 , New York City. 



SCOLOPENDRIUM AND PELLAEA. 



By Stewart H. Burnham. 



While a corresponding member of the Syracuse Botanical 

 Club, Miss S. E. Cobb sent me in 1892 roots of the two rare and 

 interesting ferns, Phyllitis Scolopendrium and Pcllaca atropw- 

 purea. In regard to the Scolopendrium, she said: '"The fronds 

 are not fruited. I gathered it just as the fronds were starting, and 

 it has since been trying to grow under my window. I think the 

 poor care it has received here is the cause of its not fruiting, but 

 if you plant in quite rich soil in a shady place I think it will re- 

 pay your care next season." 



It has more than repaid and it has been a house-plant ever 

 since, being brought in-doors as soon as cold weather comes. I 

 placed the roots in a flower-crock and they came on nicely, pro- 

 ducing as many as one hundred fronds at a time. Many of the 

 fronds fruit finely ; and there is a great tendency for the tips to 

 fork, often two or three times. I get rich wood-earth from near 

 limestone rocks, with small bits of limestone to pot it in. Sev- 

 eral times I came near losing it on account of the ravages of 

 scale-insects, but to-day it looks quite thrifty. 



