-$4- 



soil. or mixed with it, since the prothallia are subterranean, the 

 spores should be sown, and then treated as the spores are in 

 raising ferns — with one important exception: the watering should 

 be done with water in which the roots and other underground 

 parts of the species have been soaked. By this means it is likely 

 that the fungus would reach the young prothallia. It would be 

 well to make two or three sowings of spores in different pans 

 and water some as outlined above while others are watered with 

 water in which soil from close to the roots of the plant has been 

 soaking. In nature, new plants are constantly springing up 

 from spores and it is preposterous to think that mar cannot 

 do as well or even better. We shall simply have to experiment 

 until we find the right way. Then the matter will be easy 

 enough. 



THE FOURTH MEETING OF FERN STUDENTS. 



The fourth meeting of fern students under the auspices of 

 the Linnaean Fern Chapter, was held in connection with the 

 Nature Study School at the Connecticut State Chautauqua near 

 Forestville, Conn.. July 19. 1904. Owing to the fact that it was 

 not decided to hold this meeting until too late to give adequate 

 notice to those interested in ferns, the attendance was smaller 

 than it otherwise would have been, though the audience was 

 larger than that at the meeting last December in St. Louis. Five 

 States were represented by members present. 



The formal part of the meeting began at 1 130 p. m. with the 

 election of Mr. C. H. Bissell. of Southington. Conn., as chairman, 

 and Mr. Amedee Hans, of Stamford, Conn., as secretary. Dr. 

 E. F. Bigelow. director of the Nature Study School, delivered the 

 address of welcome, to which a response was made in behalf of 

 the Chapter by Chairman Bissell. Mr. A. Vincent Osmun. of 

 Amherst. Mass., was the first speaker. He showed a number of 

 fronds of Dicksonia pilosiuscula f. schisophytta and reported that 

 the plants, though sterile, are increasing in number by means 

 of underground stolons. Mrs. Elizabeth B. Davenport, of Brat- 

 tleboro. Yt.. spoke upon a dissected form of Osmunda cin- 

 nanu mea in which the pinnules were pinnatifid. Other speci- 



