500 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Forty-six years ago a German botanist discovered the re- 

 productive organs of Ferns ; before this we only knew that sori 

 containing numbers of spores were formed on the underside of 

 the fronds, and that these varied in shape and position in different 

 genera. Spores when they fell to the ground under favourable 

 circumstances were known to germinate, at first appearing as 

 mere points, and in course of time expanding and somewhat 

 imitating the appearance of Liverwort. Eventually a tiny frondlet 

 would show itself, to be followed by ethers, larger and larger, 

 and more and more developed, until a mature plant resulted. 



It was on the underside, during its prothalloid or Liverwort 

 life, that the reproductive organs were discovered. Thus there is 

 a dual existence : the spore producing the prothallus, and the 

 impregnated prothallus the frond-life, which in its turn produces 

 the spore to repeat the process. This discovery was made in 

 the year 1844. The late Professor Henfrey gave me the details 

 in 1851, and I remember at once pointing out to the late 

 Professor Edward Forbes that it could not be difficult to cross 

 Ferns, and by his persuasion commenced experiments. At that 

 time there were but few well-marked varieties, but in the next 

 ten years many more were discovered by Padley, Barnes, 

 Clapham, Stansfield, Sim, and others. 



My first spores were sown in 1855, but the crop of seedlings 

 were nearly all normal, whilst at the present time it is difficult 

 for me to raise a normal form ; one or two marked varieties used to 

 be the reward, now they can be counted by hundreds. Most of 

 the Ferns that I have brought to this show are my own crosses. 

 We have now got so far away from the original species that the 

 original characters seem to be lost. 



When living in Nottinghamshire there were no wild Ferns 

 near my residence, but favourable situations were in course of 

 time crowded with varieties scattered by the winds from the 

 fernery. I could by the year 1875 find more distinct forms 

 within a mile radius than could be collected by months' diligent 

 search in a wild Fern district. This has been repeated at 

 Shirenewton, for, although my Ferns have not been there ten 

 years, the spores have sown themselves in all directions. 



Where Ferns grow under adverse circumstances there appears 

 to be more variation in form. To test whether bad treatment 

 would produce any change in shape, the drainage was removed 



